Laid-Off Workers Center taking March appointments

United Way of the Plains is taking calls through Friday, Feb. 18, to set up appointments for the Laid-Off Workers Center’s March session. To set up an appointment, individuals must call United Way’s information number by dialing 2 1 1 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (this is a toll-free number). The deadline to call for an appointment for the March session is Friday, Feb. 18. The center will be open on a monthly basis as needed beyond March.

To qualify for help through the Laid-Off Workers Center, laid-off workers must:
•    Pre-register to set up an appointment by calling United Way’s information number 2-1-1;
•    Have been laid off and approved for unemployment compensation sometime since October 1, 2008 (not fired, quit, or on medical leave);
•    Show that they have emergency financial needs and have insufficient personal resources to adequately provide food, clothing and/or shelter; and
•    Have been laid off from a job in Sedgwick, Butler or Sumner counties, or lived in those counties at the time of the layoff, between Oct. 1, 2008, and the present.

Services at the Laid-Off Workers Center include:
•    Emergency financial assistance for those who qualify (mortgage/rent, electric, gas and water). Checks will be written directly to the lender, landlord or utility company.
•    Budget and debt management counseling
•    Help applying for government programs
•    Job training and job search assistance
•    Continuing education information
•    Food assistance
•    Community volunteering information
•    On-site child care services during the appointment