MISSOULA – The United Way of Missoula County has created a fund to help those affected by the coming closure of Smurfit-Stone Container Corp.’s Frenchtown mill — about a week after the laid-off employees donated between $35,000 and $40,000 to the charity.
Last week, the head of United Way in Missoula received an e-mail from Smurfit-Stone’s materials manager Pat Clevenger saying a fund meant to care for employees during times of need would be donated to the charity. That’s after the company announced it would close the mill, leaving 417 workers without a job.
Now, Missoula County’s United Way chapter has decided to give the money back to Smurfit-Stone workers.
Along with the $35,000 to $40,000 from the donated employee fund, the charity says it has already raised more than 14,000 for what it calls the Missoula Helping Hands fund.