protestant family service |History, needs

Protestant Family Service is a private social service agency serving the greater Youngstown area. It helps people with emergency food, utility and rental assistance, budgeting, family and personal problems, school clothing and shoes and life-sustaining medication. It also has adopt-a-school programs to collect school supplies, and Christmas assistance.

Location: Millcreek Community Center, 496 Glenwood Ave., Suite 115, Youngstown.

Hours: 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. weekdays by appointment only. Call (330) 746-4600.

Staff: Jacqueline Burley, executive director; Mae Jones, caseworker; and Jean Montgomery, administrative aide.

Board officers: Charles Rudge, president; the Rev. Burl L. Jernigan, vice president; June Ewing, secretary; and Philip Denny, treasurer.

Board and volunteers: There are 12 board members. A volunteer group, coordinated by Kay Heard and Mary Bali, numbers about 30.

Donations: Monetary contributions help underwrite the agency’s services. The Youngstown Foundation will add 5 percent to donations made to it and earmarked for PFS.

Pantry list: These nonperishable items are needed — canned meat, canned vegetables and fruit, soup, condiments, cereals, powered and canned milk, pasta, noodles, rice, personal hygiene products, cleaning supplies, paper products and beverages.

Budgets and clients: In 2007, the PFS budget was $95,900, and some 900 families were helped. The 2008 budget is $95,700, and requests for assistance are outpacing last year’s.

Fundraisers: PFS will have a table at the parking lot sale planned from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday by the Nurses Guild of Greater Friendship Baptist Church, 646 Lakewood Ave., Youngstown. For Macy’s “Shop for a Cause” event Sept. 20, participants may buy a $5 shopping pass ticket from PFS and then get a percentage off certain merchandise. A spaghetti dinner is planned from noon to 4 p.m. Sept. 21 at Hungarian Presbyterian Church, Calvin Center Hall, 755 Mahoning Ave., Youngstown, by PFS. Matching funds will be provided by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Cost is $6 for adults, $3 for children. Takeouts will be available. PFS also has two annual benefit concerts sponsored by churches. Its annual meeting in February also is a fundraiser with supporters advertising in a program booklet.

Background: Founded in 1944 as a project of Church Women United to help families during World War II. In 1970, it became an independent agency and expanded its services. CWU remains a supporter.

Source: PFS