SYLACAUGA—The Sylacauga’s Promise Committee held an emergency meeting Wednesday to address the rising concern of community members recently laid off by their employers.The meeting encouraged brainstorming among community leaders and activists in order to meet both the immediate and long-term needs of people facing the hardships of unemployment.
“We go from good news to bad news,” said Margaret Morton, executive director of Sylacauga Alliance for Family Enhancement (SAFE). “But the good news is, you’re here.”
The committee began creating lists of resources displaced families can use in the effort to meet their nutrition, health, transportation and other needs during their struggle to find new employment.
An upcoming job fair this Friday at the J. Craig Smith Community Center for members of the surrounding communities highlighted the urgency to prepare information for its attendees, many of whom will need more than just employment over coming weeks and months.
“We need something we can share this Friday,” Morton said.
The job fair will take place from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., with more than 35 companies represented.
In addition to the recent Vertis Communications (formerly American Color Graphics) and United Industries (formerly Spectrum Brands) plant closings, Chamber of Commerce president Joe Richardson said suspects there have been a large number of what he called “silent layoffs.”
These silent layoffs, he said, are the smaller layoffs from companies that haven’t made the headlines.
As it is, displaced workers from the Vertis plant alone represent more than 45 unique labor categories, so he said finding jobs for all of them will be more challenging than helping the Avondale employees was.
Job placements will probably occur in small numbers, he said, with just a couple of people going to each hiring business.
“I’m really afraid this may be ongoing for the next few months,” Richardson added.
In order to address the issues facing displaced workers, the Promise Committee and SAFE will have several tables at the job fair this Friday, with a resource information sheet, as well as a needs assessment form.
As soon as possible, the committee plans to put together a complete resource guide that will elaborate on and add to the information sheet handed out at this week’s job fair. The guide will include listings of soup kitchens, food pantries and where to go for unemployment benefits, among other things.
The committee is also working to find a facility in which local medical professionals can volunteer their time and resources to provide health care for indigent families.
Amy Price, vice president of patient care at Coosa Valley Medical Center, said the emergency room at the hospital has already seen an influx of patients who don’t have insurance. She said there are numerous doctors who have expressed their willingness to volunteer in that effort.
“If we can pull off a location, we’ll be in good shape,” she said.
Mayor Sam Wright lobbied for a resurgence of the campaign to get people to participate in Project HELP, a program that allows community members to make donations via their utilities bills. The proceeds from those $1 contributions are then divided between SAFE and the Salvation Army.
Next Monday, a subcommittee will meet to go over the needs assessments collected at the job fair and begin planning definite steps of action to respond to those needs.
“Most of all, we want to assure that we maintain that dignity for these people, remembering that this is a circumstance,” Morton admonished.
