The Labor Council’s Department of Labor Participation Comes to the Rescue During Tough Economic Times

JWG Construction

By Tim Galloway
Director, Labor Participation

As you can see by July’s Emergency Services Report from the Department of Labor Participation, the faltering economy continues to wreck havoc on our community.

We have seen more than 700 union members since receiving full funding in May. During this period of time, we have distributed over $150,000 in emergency services addressing rent, mortgage, SDG&E & water bills, as well as food.

We ran out of funds the last week in July, but the community has received an additional $500,000 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), so we have begun taking appointments again.

We ask for your understanding and patience as we attempt to relieve some of the financial stress many of members are experiencing. We have a reduced staff, but are working hard to keep up with the 40 calls a day we are receiving. Unfortunately, this is the reason we must insist that appointments are made via the telephone before visiting our office.

We are grateful for the unemployed union members who have volunteered daily to keep our food pantry and storage facility stocked.

We’ve had dozens of Teamsters, Laborers, Electricians, Stage Hands, Sheet Metal Workers, and Cement Masons, unloading trucks and moving pallets of food by hand into our store room. Even Lorena Gonzalez’s daughter, Tierra, and staff member Brian Lovell’s daughter, Amanda, have spent hours making up food packages so that our limited staff can have time to see more people.

Your support of the United Way campaigns at your workplaces help fund this program. We hope you will keep this in mind when you are given the opportunity to give. United Way has developed a timely an appropriate theme…“Live United.”

On behalf of the community and organized labor, we thank you.