KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. This story is a follow-up to a report Rachel first aired last week. Share your story idea with Rachel.
A federal employee facing eviction during the government shutdown received an outpouring of community support after her story aired on KSHB 41 News, with viewers offering covering her rent within minutes of the broadcast.
Inez Nicholson, a Social Security Administration employee, was breathing a sigh of relief after strangers stepped in to help during one of the most stressful times of her life.
"It's off my shoulders," Nicholson said. "Stress free. It's a little different than it was before."
Nicholson is one of 1.4 million federal employees working without pay during one of the longest government shutdowns in history.
In Kansas City alone, almost 30,000 federal employees have been affected.
When I first met Nicholson on Friday, there was a bright orange late fee notice hanging outside her apartment door at Polo Run Apartments in Kansas City, Missouri.
She had 24 hours to pay her October rent balance or face eviction while working without pay during the government shutdown.
"It's stressful," Nicholson said during our initial interview.
Despite sending a letter from the Social Security Administration to her creditors explaining her situation and asking for financial assistance, her leasing office continued issuing late fee notices throughout the month.
According to her lease agreement, rent not paid by the third day of the month incurs a $50 fee plus $5 per day thereafter.
When Nicholson was first alerted about her overdue rent, she paid half the balance because that's all she had.
Her property management told her in an email they couldn't hold accounts past the 10th of the month without at least half the balance paid, and she risked eviction if she couldn't pay off her balance by November 1.
She says wasn't expecting any help, but viewers had other plans.
"We aired our story at 4, and then someone reached out at 4:11,” Henderson shared with Nicholson. “Oh wow," Nicholson said.
Within minutes of the story airing, viewers began calling and emailing the newsroom asking how they could help the federal worker.
"One gentleman called me, and I literally was trying to talk to him and crying at the same time…you know, because I just wasn't expecting that," Nicholson said.
Thanks to the generosity of strangers, both October and November's rent are now covered.
"If we can all get in our minds that sometimes, we’re in need," Nicholson said. "We need help. We need to reach out. And you would be amazed at the results of you reaching out for that help."
The bright orange late fee notice that once hung on her door is gone.
"I've never had to reach out for any assistance before, and to see that people are willing to help, it's amazing," Nicholson said. "It’s hard for me to reach out because I’ve never been a person to reach out for help."
The community response comes as local assistance agencies report being overwhelmed with requests.
United Way of Greater Kansas City has received over 200 requests linked to the government shutdown and furloughed workers.
The organization has seen 900 additional requests for water bill assistance, 137 more calls for shelter needs, and 380 additional calls for legal aid, including eviction prevention, compared to October 2024.
Many agencies Nicholson had contacted for help, including United Way and Catholic Charities, were out of funds.
Despite the financial stress of working without pay, Nicholson continues showing up to help others at the Social Security Administration.
"It's not going to change what I do. I'm here to help the people," Nicholson said. "I still go in knowing that someone still needs my help, and if I can help someone else, that's what I'm going to do."
The community support has given her much-needed breathing room during an uncertain time.
"I'm thankful," Nicholson said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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