Displaced federal workers grieve lost lives, struggle with uncertainty
“I decided, if I’m terminated, why not speak on behalf of all of us,” said Kendra Lawler, 36, a former Coast Guard operations specialist who was laid off Feb. 13 from the Veterans Administration hospital in Memphis. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)
Kendra Lawler is one of dozens of federal workers here now without jobs as the Trump administration trims the budget and breadth of government services.
Until Feb. 13, Lawler, 36, a disabled veteran, was the one-person office in charge of communications and public relations for the Veterans Administration hospital here. She managed a litany of roles, including crafting social media content and communicating with veterans who call ahead of their appointments for help navigating the campus.
She has no idea if anyone is answering those calls now.
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Jane Roberts
Jane Roberts has reported in Memphis for more than 20 years. As a senior member of The Daily Memphian staff, she was assigned to the medical beat during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also has done in-depth work on other medical issues facing our community, including shortages of specialists in local hospitals. She covered K-12 education here for years and later the region’s transportation sector, including Memphis International Airport and FedEx Corp.
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