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Your contributions help state’s union families in need

WSLC’s Foundation for Working Families provided more than $180,000 in assistance last year

 

By RASHEA DICKEY
Special to The Stand


(Jan. 19, 2023) — The Foundation for Working Families (FFWF) is the charitable nonprofit formed by the affiliated unions of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO to assist union families facing hardships or disaster. The foundation was created more than a decade ago and has been there to help families in unprecedented times, whether during a sudden loss of work, the aftermath of a natural disaster, or the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

In the past year, the Foundation for Working Families helped nearly 300 individuals and their families. Union members like Dave, who wrote:

“I just want to say THANK YOU FROM THE HEART… I have not found myself in this position before and I’m so grateful for the help.”

And Lyndsay, who said:

“Thank you so much. I’m overcome with emotion and some relief! This will help me so much to get back where I need to be!”

Others called the relief a holiday miracle and a blessing.

The Foundation for Working Families exists thanks to the generous donations made by local unions and rank-and-file members across Washington state. The WSLC covers all administrative and overhead costs of running the FFWF, so that 100 percent of those donations go to supporting families in need.

In 2022, the FFWF was able to give more than $112,000 in hardship funds and roughly $68,000 in disaster relief funds, tripling the amount it gave the previous year. And it is not forgotten that in 2020, during the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the FFWF was able to give nearly $400,000, a record year for the foundation.

The FFWF recognizes that, as the cost of living continues to rise, more and more families are finding it impossible to hold onto emergency savings, and difficult to even begin covering all their regular expenses. The foundation anticipates that there will continue to be an influx of applicants due to these unprecedented times and is glad to still be around for those seeking assistance.

Unfortunately, no one can predict when they may be the one stuck in a vulnerable situation. That’s why it is imperative that aid remains readily available, so that families will have one less burden to carry if and when disaster strikes.

In 2023, the FFWF hopes to be able to help even more families with the generous donations received from local unions and rank-and file-members. The foundation asks WSLC affiliates and members to please consider making a donation. Any amount of support will help ensure that the growth of the foundation’s outreach is possible.

 


Rashea Dickey is Executive Assistant to the Secretary Treasurer of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO. If you have questions about the FFWF, email her at rdickey@wslc.org. For more information about applying for assistance from the Foundation, visit its web page.

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