Pastors lament layoffs in Warren safety forces

WARREN — Two days after 31 policemen and firefighters began their indefinite layoffs, pastors from five area churches kicked off a campaign they hope will help the workers and their families survive, so that they can return to their jobs some day.

But two affected workers say they doubt the city administration can — or even wants to — bring the workers back.

Pastor John Temple of Grace Fellowship Church — one of five Warren-area churches participating in Project We Care, said the program’s focus is on policemen and firefighters, and not on nine other city workers on layoff, because the city’s safety forces are “the face of the city.”

Without strong safety forces, the city could be reduced to “chaos,” he said, adding, “We’re talking safety issues.”

Read more in Saturday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com