To the editor:

Justice Matters, a direct action organization made up of 14 interfaith congregations and a broader community “neighborhood network,” is working to uncover, understand and solve issues of injustice in Douglas County.

One of the current concerns voiced by members of the community is the shortage of entry level health care workers for elder care. Through a series of listening sessions, Justice Matters learned from community members about the difficulty in finding and hiring in-home caregivers for the elderly. This shortage of qualified caregivers was confirmed by local health care providers in elder care facilities.

Further research led the Justice Matters group to ways that this same problem was being addressed in other parts of the country. The non-profit Dwyer Workforce Development has taken an approach that includes providing support services for low-income individuals in a training program to obtain their Certified Nursing Assistant certification. They have supported over 250 CNA graduates in Baltimore and another 600 in Austin.

Justice Matters members would like to see a program like this made available in Douglas County. They are asking the local Heartland Workforce Development Board and County Commissioner Patrick Kelly to take the necessary steps to make Dwyer Workforce resources available to this area.

By attending our Justice Matters Action Assembly on April 28 at 3 p.m. at the Lied Center, you can help move this initiative forward! Come and support a solution to a community issue that will eventually affect members of your family, too.

Loretta Scott,

Lawrence