These companies are giving away free food and services to federal employees affected by the government shutdown

When disaster strikes, often Chef José Ramón Andrés and his nonprofit, World Central Kitchen, aren't far behind. The chef and his team have served free meals to Puerto Ricans affected by 2017's Hurricane Maria, survivors of last year's Camp Fire in Paradise, California, and now to those suffering during the shutdown. Since January 16, a World Central Kitchen pop-up restaurant has been serving daily free meals and to-go items to DC area workers affected by the shutdown.

Automaker Hyundai offered thousands of drivers a real break by deferring all vehicle loan-and-lease payments owed by out-of-pay federal workers for an entire month, according to a press release. As the workers currently going without checks but still being called into work are guaranteed back pay, for many Hyundai owners, this deferred collection will mean the difference between losing a vehicle and simply paying for it later.

The Alexandria, Virginia, restaurant Pork Barrel BBQ is offering a pork sandwich a day for any furloughed federal worker. Why is one local restaurant's offer worthy of being treated like national news? Precisely because it's not a national chain; this is a one-off local restaurant that stands to take a huge loss by giving major support to DC-area workers at the heart of the shutdown. (And by the way, this isn't the first time they have extended just such an offer.)

Sweetgreen, the salad chain with locations across the country, tweeted the following on January 11: "Today, many Federal government employees will go without a paycheck due to the shutdown. We hope to provide some small relief by taking care of dinner. Visit any DMV location this weekend (1/11 - 1/13) from 6-8pm and receive a free signature salad with your Federal government ID."

The national sandwich chain tweeted on Tuesday that all federal government employees could purchase buy-one-get-one-free sandwiches at any of their stores from January 23 to 27.

TSA agents are some of the most visible federal employees, ever present at airport checkpoints, and for many of us, they are the most immediately vital federal workers. Without them, airport checkpoints don't function, and we don't travel.

To help support these essential employees who are going without pay, a number of airport operators have begun programs donating food to their TSA agents, CNBC reported. This includes fresh lunches given by STL in Saint Louis, nonperishable foods by Seattle's Sea-Tac, and a range of goods at Orlando International, to name just a few.

Need a fun way to get your mind off the government shutdown mess that has your paycheck grounded? Then get some air for free at a Sky Zone. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, the trampoline gym is offering a free hour-long jump session to any affected government workers and up to three of their immediate family members, too.

This Washington, DC-based credit union is offering loans at a 0% rate for an initial 60-day period and a low 4% rate to be spread out over a pre-arranged 36-month period, according to the bank’s website. This allows furloughed workers to get cash quickly but not pay (too much) for it over time, avoiding an all-too-common vicious cycle of loans leading not to solvency, but to poverty.