Working Families' Friend

Working Families' Friend Mission Statement

To gather community resources in order to enable employed and recently unemployed individuals to sustain and maintain quality of life through assistance, training, advocacy and financial support.

Services Provided by WFF

Last year Working Families' Friend assisted over 7,000 people in need of emergency assistance. Of the 7,006 people served, 654 required cash assistance for a total of $297,000. The remaining were served through advocacy work provided by Working Families' Friend staff. In addition to emergency assistance, 40 Community Councilors were trained to assist co-workers in need of assistance, 15 people were trained and placed on community not-for-profit boards, Retiree Seminars were held for over 600 working people preparing for retirement and over 100 employees were trained to assist co-workers facing lay-offs through "train the trainer" programs.

Our Funding Sources

Current funding comes primarily from United Way of Greater Kansas City; other sources include individuals, local unions and corporations. It is our goal to widely diversify funding sources in order to serve a broader segment of working people and to offer a wider variety of programs and services.

Another short-term goal of the agency is to expand awareness of Working Families' Friend from both a service availability standpoint and a funding standpoint.

One unique funding program we use is the “Penny an Hour Program”. To become a member a local union or company agrees to pay one penny per hour worked by each member or employee. On average, this amounts to $20.80 per person per year. Fifteen local unions and companies currently give to Working Families’ Friend at this level. Many others give at other levels.

Work Connects Us All

WFF Background

Working Families' Friend was founded on April 1, 2003, and modeled after a program that the Heart of America United Way instituted over 20 years ago called the AFL-CIO Community Service Program. The Community Servce Program was designed to serve only members of Organized Labor and was limited to the funds available through United Way.

By establishing Working Families' Friend as an independent not-for-profit, we are able to serve working people inside and outside of Organized Labor and are not limited by the funding reststictions of United Way, although United Way continues to me a major source of our funding.

What Does WFF Do?

Emergency assistance comes in the form of advocacy in most cases. Whether it is by contacting our clients' lenders, utility companies, medical providers, funeral homes or other creditors, Working Families' Friend helps to alleviate or reduce the client's financial challenge or helps to insure that they receive the services or financial assistance they need.

Families who are not destitute cannot qualify for this type of assistance through other traditional emergency assistance programs, but we believe that by providing assistance before a family is forced into economic hardship due to their inability to face an unexpected financial burden, we can maintain a healthy and productive workforce which has a direct bearing on maintaining a healthy and productive community.

How Do We Help Those In Need

Clients in need are referred to Working Families' Friend through other social service providers who cannot serve them due to their income level or other circumstances or trained Community Councilors within the workplace where the client is employed. Great measures are taken to insure that the need presented by the client is legitimate and that, if financial assistance is given, it is used for the intended purpose.

Who Are We?

The staff of Working Families’ Friend include it’s President and Founder, Mike Montgomery. Prior to opening Working Families’ Friend, Mike was the Labor Liaison for the United Way. One year after Working Families' Friend began, Joan Putthoff joined the staff as Vice President. Prior to that Joan worked for United Way in Corporate Fund Raising for nearly 20 years. In 2008 a third full-time position of Office Manager was added to the staff.

What's New

2012 Event Schedule

Please mark your calendars for the upcoming Working Families' Friend Fundraising Events for 2012:

Working Families' Friend Annual Golf Tournament, Wednesday, June 20, 2012 at Teetering Rocks Golf Course.

Working Families' Friend Fall Cookout, Thursday, September 6, 2012 at WFF Offices.