WB_012419

4 | January 24, 2019 | The wilmette beacon NEWS
wilmettebeacon.com
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INSTALLATION RECEPTION
Thursday, January 24 2019
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Tickets are $15. Cash bar.
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Wilmette Coast Guard
members persevere as Jan.
15 paychecks never arrive
Strict donation
rules hinder
assistance
Hilary Anderson
Freelance Reporter
Wilmette residents, businesses
and churches want
to help.
They are looking for
ways to assist those tangibly
affected by the government
shutdown.
One group is the United
States Coast Guard, who
has members on duty at
Wilmette Harbor 24/7.
“The Coast Guard and
TSA are under Homeland
Security and are not exempt,”
said Denise Zeir,
longtime Wilmette resident
and owner of Wilmette’s
Zier’s Meat and Poultry.
“The Coast Guard is the
only group in the U.S. military
that is not exempt.”
When the government
shutdown began on Dec.
22, Zier, along with her
daughter, Elizabeth, immediately
found ways to
help. Initially, they learned
the Wilmette Coast Guard
staff, which consists of
about 25 people, hoped the
situation would change and
asked everyone to wait until
Jan. 15 when their next
paycheck was due. Unfortunately,
that money never
came in.
The situation is made
even more difficult because
the Coast Guard has strict
rules about accepting donations
of any kind from the
public.
“They also were very
Cars are shown in the parking lot outside the U.S.
Coast Guard building Saturday, Jan. 19, at Wilmette
Harbor. Eric DeGrechie/22nd Century Media
humble and hopeful,” Zier
said. “I met with the officers
on duty at the Wilmette
Harbor. Some residents
also talked with them.”
Their rules include the
following:
Each Coast Guard officer
is only allowed to receive a
food gift card of up to $20
per occasion — from Jewel,
Whole Foods, Mariano’s,
Trader Joe’s, Fresh Market
and The Grand. They can
receive no more than up to
$50 in food gift cards on
the second occasion. That
includes the first $20.
The entire staff cannot
receive more than $200
of food for any one-time
event.
Restaurants may donate
food on one day but it
cannot be a full meal. The
same restaurant may donate
similar food the next
day for the next shift on
duty but again it cannot be
a full meal.
All donations must be
accompanied by the name
and address of the donor
so the donations can be acknowledged.
The Coast Guard cannot
accept donations from
any potential businesses or
groups that might be considered
a conflict of interest.
“We suggest if anyone
wants to drop something
off, they call and advise us
they are coming,” Officer
Michael Desormeaux said.
“Sometimes our gates are
locked and we would not
want food to go to waste.”
Since Zier’s first visit to
the Coast Guard station,
Pastor David VanBrakle,
Wilmette Community
Church began contacting
parishioners and pastors
from other churches about
ways to help.
He discovered there is
another option, the nonprofit
Coast Guard Chief
Petty Officers Association,
which is for Coast Guard
members but not affiliated
with the U.S. Coast Guard.
“Several of the churches
and faith organizations
responding decided they
Please see Coast, 8