Labor’s Community Service Agency has temporarily suspended
its emergency assistance program due to lack of cash.
Since January the agency, under its newly created “Helping
Hands” program, has distributed more than $20,000 in temporary
hardship assistance to people in need. For years, that program operated
under a dedicated Emergency Assistance Fund. Those monies were earmarked
on a one-time basis to help workers facing temporary hardships such
as a layoff, strike, illness or other reasons. The fund assisted
with payments on rent, utilities, buying groceries, and for other
needs. The program has been in operation since 1974. Last year it
distributed $60,000.
“Requests for assistance exceeded the Helping Hands budget
for the first quarter of 2008, and that level of requests continued
throughout the month of April,” said Vickie Burns, office
manager of LCSA. “The agency needs time to regroup and recover
while gearing up for what we anticipate will be a prolonged period
of economic distress for many working families.”
Labor’s Community Service Agency is hoping for a large turnout
at the 11th annual Labor Appreciation and Recognition Night Saturday,
May 31, sponsored by the Northwest Oregon Labor Council. Proceeds
from that event go to the Helping Hands fund. LCSA is a nonprofit
agency funded by United Way of the Columbia-Willamette, in partnership
with the Northwest Oregon Labor Council, AFL-CIO.
“Hopefully, on June 1, we will be in a position to restart
the program,” Burns said.
In the meantime, union members in the Portland metropolitan area
experiencing a temporary hardship are asked to call 2-1-1. Similar
to 9-1-1 for emergency services and 4-1-1 for directory assistance,
2-1-1 is the three digit number to dial for health and human service
information and referrals for such basic resources as food, shelter,
employment, or health care.
