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.