By David Fleet
Editor
Some active Port Huron area United States Coast Guard men and women received some needed assistance last week thanks to the efforts of a local man.
Goodrich resident James Vantine was seeking to help a Lapeer area family members employed at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection – Port Huron Port of Entry.
The Lapeer family are one of thousands in America that depends on federal paychecks that, because of the ongoing government shutdown, won’t be arriving on time or at all for the near future. On Dec. 21 President Trump halted a spending deal and sent the government heading toward a holiday shutdown over his demand of $5 billion for a wall on the southwestern border with Mexico. By stopping to sign a stopgap measure to keep the money flowing more than 800,000 federal employees have been either idled or furloughed.

Since that time the Lapeer resident and others continue to work without a paycheck.
“I arranged to have fresh freezer beef to donate to the family member and other boarder workers,” said Vantine, 49, a former Ortonville resident. “I was planning on delivering the beef along with other items to Port Huron to help out other federal workers not getting paid.”
The collections went public through social media and by Jan. 12 in addition to about 1,000 pounds of beef, $1,465.95 was raised by Vantine to help out a family member and other federal workers.
“I even had a pickup load of dog and cat food donated,” he said. “There were dog treats and cat toys too—the pets have to eat too during the long shut down.”
However, while the local donations were growing for the Port Huron federal workers—the acceptance was somewhat stymied by local Federal government officials.
A statement by Emory A. Rounds, III, Director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) issued at the time of the shutdown recommends that agencies remind their employees that they remain employees of the Federal Government during furlough periods. Therefore, employees must continue to comply with all of the ethics laws and regulations, including the criminal conflict of interest laws and, the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, and any agency-specific supplemental standards of ethical conduct.
The members are bound by policies in the Code of Federal Regulations that limit the cash, or the equivalent in goods, on any occasion from any one organization in a year.
Phone calls by The Citizen to the OGE’s Media Liaison, Elizabeth D. Horton were answered by a recording that stated, ‘Due to a lack of appropriations the OGE was closed.’
The donations, collected by the community, were a possible challenge to the ethics code for federal employees, said Vantine, who contacted the U.S. Customs office in Port Huron.
“I was mad,” he said. “The generosity of the community was outstanding and that makes me happy. But it’s upsetting that I can’t follow through and provide some help for the federal families impacted by the government shut down.”
Vantine started the process of returning the collections of items donated and fill his freezer with beef.
“However, all those who gave so generously suggest I pass it on to others in need,” he said.
That’s when Vantine contact Mid-City Nutrition—a non-soup kitchen in Port Huron serving St. Clair county, near the US-Canadian boarder where his federal government family members work.
Susan Vennett the director of Mid-City Nutrition accepted the more than 1,000 pounds of beef and has contacts with Federal Government workers not only at the Department of Homeland Security but also the men and women at the nearby U.S. Coast Guard station.
“We have six walk-in coolers to keep the meat,” said Vennett. “We will distribute food to any federal employees that are impacted. As an American Citizen, we give food to anyone that asks.”
Vennett said there are about U.S. Coast Guard station and USCGC Hollyhock a 225-foot Juniper-class cutter of the United States Coast Guard. About 100 service men and women are stationed in the area.
“So far since the government shut down we’ve had three individuals request some help just this past week,” she said. “You need help we’ll provide it regardless of the federal government. We appreciate the efforts of the Goodrich and Brandon community. We have been in contact with the Coast Guard and they are grateful for the help.”
A collection box is open for donations at Bueche’s Food World, 400 N. Ortonville Road.