Fund met goal of paying rent of laid-off employees

Ed Koch and Mathis Winkler

Thursday, Oct. 18, 2001 | 8:46 a.m.

Local United Way efforts to help nearly 800 laid-off workers pay their October rent was a success, but a local official says when the depleted Displaced Workers Response Fund is replenished, it will be used for other purposes.

The fund had just $1,800 left in it Wednesday morning, and that was doled out in the first hour, United Way of Southern Nevada President Garth Winckler said.

The fund started as a way to provide general assistance to workers displaced by the economic crunch in the wake of Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but by demand it turned into a renters assistance program. In less than a month the $400,000 donated to the project, including the United Way's $100,000 seed money, was depleted.

"It was a success because we kept hundreds of families from being homeless," Winckler said. "But it's time to move on to other stages with the Displaced Workers Response Fund."

Through Tuesday morning, the fund had helped the families of 788 displaced workers, including 76 people on Tuesday who received $48,277 to pay their rents and mortgages. In all, the fund distributed more than $520,500.

"We are going to concentrate on food, health, utilities, transportation and other services," Winckler said.

The Clark County Commission's decision Tuesday to earmark $1.6 million for rental assistance through Clark County Social Services and the Clark County Housing Authority will free the United Way's fund to provide other forms of assistance.

The decision effectively ends the fund's presence at the Project Helping Hand's tent behind the local Culinary Union's offices at 1630 S. Commerce St., where other services, such as assistance with filing for unemployment, state welfare and deferred utility payments, are still available.

Efforts to keep the displaced workers fund going include a recent $35,800 donation from Culinary Workers Union 226, based on one day of salaries per week of staff. The union has pledged to continue the donation until Strip hotel business picks up.

A KLAS-TV Channel 8 telethon last week raised $151,692, but that, too, was doled out quickly.

Upcoming events to help replenish the fund:

* The second annual Las Vegas Air Show on Saturday and Sunday will donate 10 percent of its profits. The displaced workers fund also will receive 75 percent of donations made during the event. The air show is from noon-4 p.m. on both days at the Jean Aviation Center, 25 miles south of Las Vegas.

* A charity concert Oct. 25 at the Mandalay Bay House of Blues sponsored by KISS 101.9-FM.

* A golf tournament fund-raiser by Del Webb at the Revere at Anthem course on Nov. 12.

Winckler said the fund also will receive $200,000 from the state's tobacco lawsuit settlement money for health and dental expenses for children of laid-off workers.

To make a donation to the displaced worker's fund call 734-2273.

Sun reporter Angela Soo contributed to this story.