Immigrant day-laborer center could close

Help from community may help with missed grant

For six years, Maria Garcia has welcomed immigrant workers to the modest white garage in Duluth. She’s helped them forgo loitering around gas stations and home improvement stores in search for work. She’s negotiated legitimate gigs with contractors to prevent them from getting gypped after a full day on the job.

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Now, the center may be forced to close.

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The shelter, Hispanic Community Support, is primarily funded through donations and grants. It missed the deadline for a crucial United Way grant earlier this year after the application got buried under paperwork. Garcia says the grant covered more than a third of the center’s $3,500 monthly expenses. “We never thought we’d lose the grant,” Garcia says. “Without it we don’t have enough funding to continue.”

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A United Way spokeswoman confirmed the deadline was missed and said there is nothing the agency can do to help the center.

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Duluth Mayor Shirley Lasseter says she’s trying to help Garcia find a way to stay open. Possibilities include finding a cheaper location or to have the center merge with another outreach group.

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“It’s a wonderful service for the city and for the Hispanic population,” Lasseter says. “We certainly hope they find a home and continue working with day laborers.”

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The center has received $2,000 from local churches to help with its expenses. Day laborers who use the center also have donated portions of their earnings to try to keep it afloat. But Garcia isn’t sure what will happen when that money runs out. “The workers won’t have any choices if we shut down,” Garcia says. “They’ll be forced to go back to the streets.”






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