On Monday, Jojo heard from her childrens school that her two sons were running low on diapers and needed her to replenish their supply. It was the kind of thing that normally would have been a routine reminder. But this week, it filled her with dread because she doesnt have the money to buy them.

Jojo, who requested to be referred to just by her nickname because she and her fellow employees were told not to speak to the press, is one of about 420,000 U.S. federal employees currently working without pay. Another 380,000 employees are furloughed due to the record-setting partial government shutdown , which started on Dec 22.

Jojo is a corrections officer at a federal prison in Texas and is the sole earner of her household. Her husband stays home to care for their two sons, who are 3 and 4. The boys both have autism, are non-verbal and recently aged out of home services.

After missing at least one paycheck, many federal workers cant pay for basics like food and medication and are taking desperate measures to get those items. Affording diapers, a costly expense even for families earning paychecks, has become a particularly difficult problem. Going without them isnt an option and there are no federal government programs that offer them.

I cant not change them. They cant survive like that, Jojo told HuffPost. You have to take care of the little ones. You dont want to jeopardize their health and wellness.

Jojo earns about $2,000 a month, and the family has been living paycheck-to-paycheck since they had children. In addition to their everyday expenses, they pay for special twice-weekly therapy services for their boys. Insurance covers most of the cost, but the family is required to pay $30 for every session. Because Jojos job doesnt offer paid maternity leave, she had to take a few unpaid weeks off each time, during which she accrued $6,000 in credit card debt that shes still paying off.

Diapers cost her about $120 a month, and Jojo couldnt afford to pay her mortgage or car note bills this month, either.

Jojo was relieved to learn from a friend that she could turn to the Texas Diaper Bank to get some help. The San Antonio-based nonprofit is a two-hour drive from her house, but even after accounting for fuel costs, she said making the trek is still financially worthwhile.

The group is offering six months worth of diapers and wipes to government employees and contractors affected by the shutdown. Jojo plans to make the drive on Wednesday after she finishes her eight-hour shift at work.