August 28, 2025 – Atlanta, Georgia
Communities Rally for CDC Workers
Outside the glass towers of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, hundreds of voices rose together in a chorus of support. Employees, families, and community members gathered under the late-summer sun, holding signs that read “Science Matters” and “Stand With Public Health.” Though the shutdown had left many CDC workers caught in a painful cycle of layoffs, rehiring, and uncertainty, the mood of the crowd was anything but hopeless.
“People are scared, but they’re also united,” said one CDC researcher, holding a handmade poster alongside her teenage daughter. “We’ve learned from every epidemic that when systems falter, people pull together. This is one of those moments.”
The August 28 rally marked a rare show of solidarity between scientists, nurses, and ordinary citizens who refused to let morale collapse under political and financial strain. Many of those attending were not government employees at all — they were neighbors, university students, church groups, and even local restaurant owners who brought free lunches for furloughed workers.
“This is about more than paychecks,” said Reverend Alicia Porter, a community organizer who helped coordinate the event. “It’s about honoring the people who protect us — the ones who study outbreaks, test vaccines, and keep our children safe. When they’re left in limbo, we all are.”
Throughout the day, cars passing along Clifton Road honked in encouragement. A small choir from a nearby church sang “Lean on Me” while volunteers handed out bottled water and masks printed with the words “Together for Health.”
In the weeks since, the movement has grown beyond Atlanta. Online groups have emerged to offer emotional and financial support to affected CDC employees, with citizens pledging donations, temporary work opportunities, and even groceries for struggling families. Universities have reached out to provide research spaces for furloughed scientists so their work doesn’t come to a standstill.
Despite the chaos and confusion that have marked this shutdown, something unexpected has blossomed: a renewed sense of community around public health. The same empathy that drives the CDC’s mission — to protect lives — has found expression in the people it serves.
As one volunteer put it while cleaning up after the rally:
“When the system pauses, kindness doesn’t. It just gets louder.”