Man, some of the best stuff I found came from dumpsters! And I've never been on welfare, although I was on food stamps for about 6 months once.

Friday, May 11, 2001

Oregon Recalls Welfare Tip Sheet

EUGENE, Ore.--A private firm hired by the state to train welfare recipients distributed a tips sheet that recommended rooting through trash bins to save money. The state recalled the sheet after receiving complaints that it was demeaning.

"This was a really high-profile mistake," Bob Mink, director of the state Department of Human Services, said Thursday. "We shot ourselves in the foot on this."

The sheet was circulated at budgeting workshops for welfare recipients by employees of Lane Workforce Partnership, a Eugene company contracted by the state.

Tips included shopping at thrift stores, clipping coupons and going to garage sales. The last tip on the list was: "Check the dump and residential/business Dumpsters."

Three clients complained about the sheet over the past four years, the state said. Mink said his agency will look into "corrective action" for employees, most likely training on how to respect clients.

Chuck Forster, executive director of the Lane Workforce Partnership, said Friday he has added a review committee to ensure that future materials are appropriate.

"We regret the material was distributed," Forster said. "Over the years, we have given staff a lot of discretion to use their professional judgment in the training materials they use. What this told us is that we need to do a better job of reviewing our materials and making sure they're appropriate to the needs of our clients."

-- Anonymous, May 11, 2001