United Way loses pledge from GNP

BANGOR – The shutdown of the Great Northern Paper Co. mills has caused an even larger gap in the United Way of Eastern Maine’s fund-raising campaign.

Last week, the organization was $50,000 short of reaching its campaign goal of $2,650,000. The campaign ends in less than two weeks and United Way now expects that it will not receive the $16,000 pledge GNP had projected before its recent bankruptcy announcement.

“Before [GNP] shut down, we had run a campaign with the help of the employees and management to raise money for the United Way,” United Way President Jeff Wahlstrom said Thursday. “They were reporting that they had raised a total of about $16,000, which represents employee pledges as well as a 50-cent on the dollar corporate match.”

Based on the current situation, Wahlstrom is not optimistic that employees will be able to return to work and honor the pledge, but is hopeful that the overall fund-raising effort will be successful.

“The GNP situation certainly makes this even more challenging, but we continue to be very optimistic based on the early response that we’ve received,” Wahlstrom said.

The United Way’s liaison to the AFL-CIO is working with laid-off GNP employees to see how the United Way and the agencies it supports can be of assistance.

“One of the resources we are encouraging people to make use of is our information and referral line,” Wahlstrom said. The service has information about various resources that are available in the community and region.

“I think that it’s kind of early yet to identify what kind of needs they’re going to have,” Wahlstrom said. The kinds of services that will be needed depends on how long employees are out of work, whether they are brought back, and what kind of support the state and federal government provide. The United Way will be looking at the gaps left by other aid resources and trying to link those in need with the appropriate agencies and organizations.

“We’ll have a much better picture over the next few weeks,” Wahlstrom said. He hopes the situation will not get to the point where the kinds of resources provided by United Way agencies, such as counseling and food assistance, will be needed.

As for meeting their campaign goal, United Way employees and volunteers are working every minute, according to Wahlstrom.

“The picture is so bleak and we feel it’s really important that we’re there and that the agencies get the funding they need,” Wahlstrom said. “This is a manageable dollar total for us. If we don’t make it, we’re certainly going to get very close.”