In these trying economic times, many people are struggling to make ends meet. Businesses are closing or cutting employee hours to cope with plunging profits and rising costs, and that leaves workers and their families unsure about where to go for the help they need.
To close this gap, the Magic Valley office of the Idaho Department of Labor is hosting the first annual Service Providers Fair on Tuesday, Feb. 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 420 Falls Ave. A wide range of organizations from South Central Head Start and the South Central Community Action Council to the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and the College of Southern Idaho’s Adult Basic Education program will provide information on the services they offer.
“Instead of going all over town to find help, we’re offering a one-stop opportunity for people to tap into a variety of resources,” Magic Valley Office Manager Chris Orders said.
With Idaho’s unemployment rate more than double what it was just a year ago, idled workers want to know not only about finding another job, but also how they are going to pay their bills, put food on the table, take care of their kids and keep a roof over their families’ heads. Fair participants will be answering those questions and providing information on available services that some may not know about.
“This recession is hitting people who have been at the same company for 20 and 30 years, leaving them without a job and without the skills they need to move into another industry or career,” Orders said. “The agencies taking part in the fair may be able to connect them with free or low-cost training programs they didn’t even know existed.”
Information will be available from agencies providing child care, health care, training opportunities, legal help, housing assistance and other services.
“In today’s economy people who never needed help are having problems they’ve never faced before,” Orders said. “We’re hoping this fair helps remove barriers so people will find some relief.”