United Way help center in Wichita offering aid, including for rent, utilities, food

The United Way of the Plains is opening its help center to appointments to help people financially affected by the coronavirus pandemic or aviation-related layoffs.

The United Way help center will assist workers who have been laid off or furloughed, or self-employed people whose business has been severely affected by the pandemic or aviation-related layoffs.

Appointments can be scheduled by calling United Way at 211 during normal business hours. Everyone who is eligible and calls by Friday will get an appointment for the session that starts June 1.

“We know people have been hurt financially by this pandemic and we want to help,” said Patrick J. Hanrahan, president and CEO of United Way of the Plains, in a statement. “We can’t replace paychecks, but we can help with basic needs such as rent/mortgage, utilities, and food. The center also matches individuals to many other needed services.”

The qualifications for aid through United Way’s help center are:

• Pre-registering by calling 211
• Have been laid off, furloughed or approved for unemployment benefits since July 1, or be self-employed with a business that has been severely affected by the pandemic
• Your job or business was or is in Sedgwick, Butler, Sumner or Cowley counties, or you live in one of those counties
• Can show that you have emergency financial needs and insufficient personal resources to provide food and shelter

Services from the help center include emergency financial assistance for food, utilities and shelter. Checks will be written directly to the landlord, bank or utility company. The help center also offers food assistance, budget and debt management counseling, utility bill payment plans, help applying for government programs, job training and job search assistance and continuing education information.

The help center’s pandemic safety practices will include requiring face masks for all people in the building, limiting the number of people allowed inside at one time, social distancing, disinfecting and other measures.

Catholic Charities is providing operational assistance to the help center. Financial assistance is being provided through the United Way’s pandemic fund. Donations can be made online at www.unitedwayplains.org/pandemicfund. Checks with “Pandemic Fund” in the memo can be sent to United Way of the Plains, 245 N. Water St., Wichita, KS 67202.

This story was originally published May 11, 2020 at 3:44 PM.