Former staff and board members accuse Albany Helping Hands board of mismanagement and abuse

Jessica Becker, a recent executive director of Albany Helping Hands, and former board member and past board president Eric Anderson told the Albany City Council on Feb. 12 that the shelter’s board of directors is mismanaging the nonprofit and harming clients and staff.

Becker said the board had become “unethical and harmful” and had used “intimidation and manipulation tactics to maintain power,” driving out staff and eroding trust with donors and community partners. Anderson described what he said were specific problems he witnessed while serving on the board, including financial oversight lapses and improper personal use of shelter resources.

The witnesses said the Oregon Department of Justice and the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries had opened investigations that identified “serious issues.” Anderson alleged several specific practices: board members refusing to have two people count donated cash, billing the organization for personal services performed on site, a board member attempting a property sale without disclosure to the board or buyer, shelter property items removed for personal use, and a January 16 incident in which he said a board member “used physical force on a staff member.” Becker and Anderson said whistleblowers were retaliated against and that board members removed those who raised concerns.

Anderson said the board micromanages day-to-day operations while rarely visiting shelter property, and he singled out the board treasurer as having “full and unchecked control over all financial decisions.” Becker and Anderson told the council the treasurer’s financial control creates a lack of transparency that threatens the shelter’s stability.

They said about 20 people currently live at Albany Helping Hands and alleged that the organization’s properties along Jackson, Jefferson and Ninth avenues are in “severe disrepair” and unsafe. Anderson said the board had resisted staff efforts to transition long-term residents into stable housing.

Becker said the organization approached the city last fall about acquiring surplus city properties to build low-income housing and that a feasibility study showed the project could be self-sustaining with funding and donor support. She alleged certain board members sought to turn such a project into a for-profit opportunity by creating a separate entity outside the nonprofit.

The comments were delivered during the council’s “business from the public” period; no council action followed the remarks during the meeting.

Ending: Becker and Anderson urged the city, donors and community stakeholders to demand board accountability and public explanations from the board. The council did not take formal action on the matter during the Feb. 12 meeting; Becker and Anderson asked the council to consider the allegations and next steps.