Because of a surge in community donations, Yachats Community Presbyterian Church is doubling the amount of cash assistance it is giving to displaced workers in the Yachats area.
So far the church has given $100 in cash to 76 workers, who need to show identification and a note from their employer that they were laid off because of the coronavirus pandemic. All but two restaurants in Yachats have closed and all retail businesses except C&K Market and Dollar General are shut. Most motels are shut, except for renting to essential workers.
Now the church will give $200 to any displaced worker. Those who already received $100 can return and get another $100, church pastor Bob Barrett said Tuesday.
“We’ll go as long as we can on that … it’s looking like this is going to be a lot longer than we anticipated,” Barrett said Tuesday.
The church has also taken over handling of the community food bank normally housed in the Yachats Commons. Food bank and displaced worker fund hours are 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the church on West Seventh Street. Donations can be made by calling the church at 541-547-3400 or going to the church’s website.
The church initially seeded the displaced worker account with $5,000 from its endowment fund. Through donations that total has now risen to $40,000, Barrett said.
Most donations are $25, $50 or $100, he said, but there were “a couple of individuals with bigger checks.”
Barrett said the church is also giving $500 to the Waldport Moose Lodge this week to help it with its food outreach program in that community. Lodge members are making and delivering up to 100 meals a day.
“We’re all in this together,” he said. “We’re going to share as much as we can with others.”
On Wednesday, the city of Yachats announced it is starting an effort to both support local businesses by contributing to the displaced worker fund or food bank based on purchases from licensed Yachats businesses.
The city announced if people make a purchase – including a gift card — of $25 or more from a Yachats business it will match that purchase with a donation to the fund or food pantry – up to a total contribution by the city of $5,000.
The matching offer also applies to direct donations to the church’s relief work.
People need to send documentation of their purchase or donation to the city by mailing a receipt to P.O. Box 345 Yachats, 97498, place the receipt in the drop box used for utility payments outside the Commons main entrance, or emailing a scanned copy or photograph of your receipt to cityhall@yachatsmail.org. For donations made directly to the Yachats Displaced Worker Relief Fund or the Food Pantry, people need to provide a copy of their cancelled check or a receipt issued by the church.