LINCOLN – While the mood remained positive about the potential buyer for the former Eastern Pulp and Paper Corp.’s mills in Brewer and Lincoln, state and local officials and service providers gathered Thursday to discuss how best to coordinate services for the more than 500 Lincoln area people laid off by Lincoln Pulp and Paper Co. last month.

Similar to the Katahdin region effort last year after the Great Northern Paper mill closures, almost 30 people met Thursday at the Knights of Columbus Hall to form a “transition team.”

A similar effort was started Wednesday in Brewer to assist people laid off from the former Eastern Fine Paper Co.

During the team’s discussion, health care services, financial advice and retraining were pinpointed as top concerns for many workers trying to recover.

Paul Luce, state coordinator for the Labor Department’s Rapid Response teams, said workers should make it a priority to visit the Career Centers in East Millinocket or Bangor to sign up for the Trade Adjustment Assistance and similar programs before handing over money for services such as retraining.

“When [the workers] are enrolled, that’s when we can pick up the costs of these services,” Luce said. “We can’t go back” if a displaced worker has already paid for the services, he said.

Dawn Cook, executive director for the Health Access Network, said she is urging people not to discontinue their health care because of financial concerns as it could complicate health issues.

With facilities in Lincoln and West Enfield, HAN can offer primary care, OB-GYN services, surgical services, dental hygienist services and limited counseling, all of which are provided on a sliding scale, she said.

The scale is based on a patient’s current income. In a number of cases, former millworkers have received health services for 10 percent of the normal cost, she said, adding that no one would be turned away for inability to pay.

Region 3, the Lincoln-based regional vocational school, is offering a number of certification and licensing classes, including commercial driving, welding and a certified nursing assistant program, according to Alan Dickey, the school’s director.

The school also offers more basic programs, and Eastern Maine Community College is expected to begin offering courses next month, Dickey said.

Help is available for people who may be struggling to make mortgage payments, according to Loren Cole, a field office director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

HUD can offer assistance to help homeowners avoid foreclosure, but the first step is for people to talk with their financial institutions, Cole said.

“Banks are willing to work with borrowers,” Cole said. “The best thing a borrower can do is immediately make contact with lenders.”

The transition team will be developing a community resource guide in the coming weeks to detail services available for laid-off workers. The next meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to noon March 25.

For information on a HUD-approved counseling agency, call the Bangor office at 945-0468 or 1-800-569-4287.

For information from the Career Centers, call the East Millinocket office at 746-5741 or the Bangor office at 561-4050.

Help for displaced workers

Brewer area:

. Food can be dropped off at the Brewer Recreation Department (Brewer Auditorium), Wilson Street.

. A food bank for displaced workers will be open 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Greater Bangor Area Labor Council Hall, 20 Ayer St. Sponsored by PACE Local No. 1-0403.

. To donate for fuel assistance, mail checks payable to PACE Local 1-0403, in care of City of Brewer, 80 N. Main St., Brewer 04412.

Lincoln area:

. St. Mary’s Food Cupboard is open 9 a.m.-noon Monday-Friday in the basement of the Ballard Hill Community Center. The food cupboard is open for displaced workers according to the first letter of their last names:

. Mondays ? names beginning with letters A-F.

. Wednesdays ? names beginning with letters G-L.

. Thursdays ? names beginning with letters M-R.

. Fridays ? names beginning with letters S-Z.

The food cupboard is open 9 a.m.-noon Tuesdays for anyone else who needs food assistance. For information, call 794-3510 or 794-8148.

. Food assistance is available 7-11 a.m. Thursdays from the food pantry at the Howland United Methodist Church. For information, call 732-3589.

. Food assistance is available 10-11 a.m. Mondays from the food pantry at the Chester Baptist Church on Route 116. For information, call 794-2541.

. Fuel assistance is available by calling Pastor Tim Shaw at the Community Evangel Temple in Lincoln at 794-6181. Donations can be made out to “LP&P Fuel Assistance” in care of Machias Savings Bank, 29 Main St. Lincoln 04457.

Key Phone Numbers:

. Displaced workers can obtain information about unemployment benefits by calling toll-free (800) 593-7660.

. Displaced workers can obtain information about the MaineCare health care program by calling (800) 432-7825.