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Donor Offers Help To Laid Off Worker

Update By Megahn Snyder

A little girl will still get to go to gymnastics, despite her dad's recent lay off. It's all thanks to an anonymous donor.

We spoke to Philip Birkenfeld on Friday, the day he was laid off from his job at Cessna. He told us he couldn't afford his daughter's next session of gymnastics.

After our story aired someone called the gym and offered to pay for the next nine weeks, about $90. The donor says things are going well for her family right now and she wants to share what she has.

by Kim Hynes (WICHITA, Kan.)

For many Cessna employees, their 60 day notice ran out Friday. Employees clocked in and then were escorted out of the building. This is the group that receive the first round of layoff notices in November, when Cessna announced its first 500 layoffs. Now the company plans to cut almost 4,000 workers.

"I had brownies sitting on my desk. I have a pocket full of notes from people," said laid off Cessna employee Phillip Birkenfeld. Co-workers left notes wishing him luck because his 60 day lay off notice ran out. Now he's left feeling lost. "At this point I'm not sure what tomorrow brings."

With his new found free time, Birkenfeld tries to make the most of today. His first priority, finding health insurance for his daughter. His policy runs out next month. He also has a lot of questions how about his unemployment will work. "I've been trying to get in touch with the unemployment folks for a little over two weeks with zero success."

Not knowing when his check will come is stressful. "We went to gymnastics last night and I let them know we may not be in the next session with the way it is right now."

He's dealing with is by focusing on the benefits of being home during the day. Friday he made a pot of jambalaya and went to eat lunch with his daughter at school. It's food he's not sure he'll always be able to afford. "My daughter and I will probably have a few dinners at the Lord's Diner. It's a nice place we've volunteered there and now it will be on the other foot."

He says until he finds another job, he'll need all of the help he can get. Birkenfeld is disappointed the city laid off help center isn't open yet. He says there are few resources available to him right now. The United Way says the center won't be open until spring or summer.