Hawaiian Gardens : City Funds Social Agency

The Hawaiian Gardens City Council has approved a $20,000 emergency funding package for the city’s Social Services Agency, which lost the majority of its operating budget when the Cooper Fellowship Bingo Parlor closed its doors four months ago.

The agency’s staff, including Executive Director Leonard Chaidez, has been working on a volunteer basis for the last several months and has not been able to pay utility costs, Chairman Carlos Navejas said. The Social Services Agency, which runs the city’s food bank and other charity programs for needy residents, was receiving $10,000 a month from Cooper Fellowship’s bingo proceeds.

The city’s emergency subsidy was approved on a 4-1 vote, with Mayor Pro Tem Rosalie Sher casting the no vote because the agency has failed to supply city officials with an acceptable financial statement, which has been requested for several months.