The first to arrive was an entry-level employee at a federal regulatory agency now worried about whether a career in public service was still possible.

Next came a former foreign aid contractor who lost her job while her wife was undergoing fertility treatments. Later, a cancer survivor on furlough walked in the door.

One by one they filed in to the photography studio in the basement of Ginny Thomas’s Silver Spring, Maryland, home Thursday morning, hoping to take at least one step toward stabilizing their futures.

Thomas was offering to take headshots for federal workers, free of charge.

“I know times are tough right now, especially for federal employees or anyone affected by the current administration’s changes. If you’re feeling the impact and could use a professional headshot - for LinkedIn, job hunting, or just to boost your confidence - I want to help,” she posted on LinkedIn last week. “No strings, no catch - just a little something to support you during this uncertain time.”

Thomas, 46, has never worked for the federal government, she said. But her friends do, and she couldn’t help but notice the tumult. “My heart bleeds for them,” she said. “So much feels out of our control right now. I wanted to help in the small way I knew how.”

Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, many federal employees have had their lives upended. After vowing to drastically shrink the government workforce, the Trump administration has dismantled teams, fired or placed top officials on leave and threatened layoffs. A judge on Wednesday lifted a pause on the administration’s “deferred resignation program,” clearing the way for 75,000 employees to resign from the workforce.

On Thursday morning, Thomas opened her studio, asked Alexa to play “happy music similar to Taylor Swift” and turned on the electric fireplace.

“I want to keep the atmosphere upbeat,” said Thomas, who works part-time and founded her photography business almost 15 years ago.

For the half a dozen who attended, the session - located in Thomas’s basement with cream carpet, dark blue walls and U-sectional couch with plump pillows - provided a brief respite.

“This is soothing,” said a former contractor at United States Agency for International Development (USAID), who, like others interviewed by The Washington Post for this story, spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of professional retribution.

She had been furloughed Jan. 27, she said, and then told she was fired the next morning. Trump wants to shut down USAID, the primary vehicle for U.S. foreign aid, and has made unsubstantiated claims that waste and abuse run deep in the agency.

“I thought I would stay at USAID for a long time. Overnight, my field has been decimated,” she said, leaning back into the couch.

She isn’t sure what comes next and says her spouse’s salary alone doesn’t cover their mortgage, child care or food.

She worries for her own family but also for the people she served and worked with across the globe.

“Babies are going to die. Children are going to die,” she said. “The repercussions are so much bigger than just one individual losing their job.”

The only bright spot has been the community of co-workers trying to navigate the storm together, sharing job resources and small acts of kindness, like Thomas’s.

One room over, Thomas was guiding an entry-level employee to a stool in front of the camera. She had taken a train, a bus and walked to reach Thomas’s house instead of splurging on an Uber from D.C.

“I’m trying to save money, especially with everything that is happening,” she said. She slipped off her coat and allowed the tension to fade from her shoulders.

“Deep breath,” Thomas said with a smile, Taylor Swift singing softly in the background.

The employee said she comes from a family of civil workers and always thought she’d pursue a public service career.

“Now I don’t know where to turn,” she said.

New headshots were the first step to steel herself for an uncertain future. That night, she would find out she had been terminated from her position.

Another person arrived with a pink orchid and chocolates for Thomas, and then another with a thank-you note and a tissue for her tears.

“I’m in survival mode,” she said, a furloughed contractor who spent more than a decade at USAID. In this era of uncertainty, she is trying every day to do something productive, to do something to keep her spirits up. On Thursday, that meant driving over to the studio to have her photograph taken.

“I’m an American. I pay my taxes. I’m just trying to take care of my family,” she said. Now, she worries about whether she’ll be able to access the continued medical care she needs as a cancer survivor.

It has been hard, she said, to see falsehoods spread about the agency she has dedicated years to.

“Democracy and governance initiatives, education, health care, you name the issue, we’ve tried to help,” she said. “We work with the most vulnerable people in the world - women, youth, people in disaster-stricken communities, those with disabilities.”

She added: “Getting rid of our work diminishes the American brand of generosity. That has dire consequences.”

She remains committed, though, to the work, to build coalitions between friends, neighbors and people across the country who see the value in public service.

“We don’t do this work for political reasons,” she said, standing near the flickering fire. “We have a natural desire to do good in the world.”

With that, she dabbed her eyes, put on her coat and walked back into the uncertain world.