AFL-CIO Community Services Director Will Fischer sends us this report.

Members from the Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) District Council 2, friends and family came together in South St. Louis in recent days to give the “Women in Transition” organization a much needed makeover.

Judy Parkins, AFL-CIO director of Community Services, sends us this report.

Members of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 124 in New Orleans and volunteers from the Prince of Wales Social Aid and Pleasure Club pitched in with Rebuild Together New Orleans in October.

Just when you thought it was a safe bet you wouldn’t see any more ghouls and vampires lurking around, AFL-CIO Community Services Director Will Fischer sends us this from Pennsylvania.

AFL-CIO Community Services Director Will Fischer sends us this report.

More than 90 children received school supply bags through donations of union members in 10 locals from Saginaw County, Mich. AFL-CIO/Michigan Community Services liaison Steven Lamb reports that earlier this month, the unions gave the school supply bags to the YMCA, First Ward Community Center, Salvation Army and the Neighborhood House to distribute to area school children.

Karen Gownley of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO reports on contacts for those in need after the floods in that state.   

Many parts of Pennsylvania were devastated by the September floods. The Pennsylvania AFL-CIO has a network of labor liaisons who are helping connect those who need help with those who can help.

Bud Biscardo from United Way Worldwide reports on the kickoff of the 2011 United Way campaign.

Across the country, the AFL-CIO Community Services Network is kicking off the 2011 United Way campaign with union-sponsored events—rallies, golf outings, kickoff lunches and dinners. All these events have one goal: to show union members’ strong support for the United Way.

Nicole Fuller, AFL-CIO Community Services liaison for the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania/Philadelphia Council (UWSEPA), reports on the effort to provide book bags for children in need.  

Five years ago, AFL-CIO Community Services liaison Janet Hammond Ryder, who is retiring this year, spearheaded a partnership with the UWSEPA, unions, local businesses and grassroots community leaders to raise money, collect school supplies and pack them in book bags and distribute them to children living in shelters in Philadelphia and three surrounding counties. Her vision dubbed “Stuff the Bus” is now being duplicated in sister United Way agencies.

John Padget, labor liaison for the Cedar Valley (Iowa) United Way, reports on a fundraiser by union motorcycle riders to help children read to grade level.

Last weekend, dozens of union motorcycle riders, members of the Community Ride in the Cedar Valley/Waterloo, Iowa, area, came together for an ”I Can Read Ride”  fundraiser to help school children who are struggling to read at grade level. Community Ride consists of union members from a variety of unions who share a common interest in motorcycles and a desire to see our community become  a better place to live, work and raise a family. The riders raised just more than $3,000.

AFL-CIO Community Services Director Will Fischer sends us this report.

We are happy to introduce Nicole Fuller, our new AFL-CIO Community Services Liaison for the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania/Philadelphia Council.

AFL-CIO Community Services Director Will Fischer sends us this report.

We are excited to introduce our new AFL-CIO Community Service Liaison for the Erie-Crawford Central Labor Council in Pennsylvania, Ron Oliver. A Steelworker for more than 20 years, Oliver has long been involved with United Steelworkers (USW) Local 3199, USW District 10, the central labor council and community services.