Denver International Airport wants travelers to donate gift cards for TSA agents who aren’t getting paid
Mar 17, 2026, 7:59 AM
If you’re flying out of Denver International Airport soon, the airport has a simple request: Consider donating gift cards to help TSA agents who are working without pay during the government shutdown. Because apparently “essential” means “show up anyway,” not “get a paycheck.”
DIA said it is collecting grocery and gas gift cards in $10 or $20 denominations from stores such as King Soopers, Safeway, Walmart, Costco and Target. Visa gift cards cannot be accepted, the airport said.
Donation collection bins and secure lock boxes are located in the Great Hall of the Jeppesen Terminal and at the Final Approach Cell Phone Lot. The airport said the donation effort will run until the shutdown ends.
TSA workers saw zero-dollar paychecks
The push comes after a rough pay stretch for airport security workers.
On Friday, the vast majority of TSA workers received zero-dollar paychecks. During the previous pay cycle two weeks earlier, many of those same employees received only partial pay.
Expect longer lines as travel picks up
According to the Department of Homeland Security, funding and resources were cut for nearly all Transportation Security Administration workers, along with air traffic controllers and U.S. customs clearance officers.
Airports have warned travelers to expect longer security lines, especially as spring break travel ramps up in the coming weeks.
How to help
If you’re already spending money to travel, DIA is basically asking you to toss a little toward the people making sure you can travel safely in the first place.
- Donate $10 or $20 grocery or gas gift cards
- From retailers like King Soopers, Safeway, Walmart, Costco, Target
- No Visa gift cards
- Drop them in donation bins/lock boxes in the Jeppesen Terminal Great Hall or Final Approach Cell Phone Lot
Because if the shutdown isn’t going to end quickly, the least the rest of us can do is help someone buy groceries or get gas to make it to work — the work they’re being told to do for free.
