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.

Kudos to Los Angeles union members who helped out those in need over the recent holiday. The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and Labor Community Services, AFL-CIO sponsored the Homeless Heroes Team, with more than 200 union members, their families and veterans taking part in a 5K run/walk and raising $10,000 for homeless vets.

The Helmets to Hardhats program, the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD) and the AFL-CIO today launched the fourth year of their partnership with the Toys for Tots program sponsored by the United States Marine Corps Reserves.

AFL-CIO Community Services liaison Michael Smith helped out with this event and sends us this report.

More than 400 families received free food in Bedford, Mich., over the weekend as part of an event coordinated by the Monroe-Lenawee AFL-CIO, the Monroe County United Way and the Monroe County Opportunity Program.

James Earl Jones is the recipient of the 2011 Actors’ Equity (AEA) Paul Robeson Award. The annual award honors performers who best exemplify the principles the legendary actor, singer, author and activist lived by.

This is a crosspost by Tony Burke from the Fire Fighters blog.

For 16 years, the IAFF Burn Foundation has brought young survivors together to form new bonds at its annual international Burn Camp.

AFT President Randi Weingarten urged President Obama to “help marshal the humanitarian aid needed to halt the advance of the apocalyptic ‘children’s famine’ spreading through Somalia and neighboring nations in the Horn of Africa.”

This is a cross-post from the Fire Fighters (IAFF).  

The 46th Annual MDA Labor Day Telethon raised $61.4 million to help fight neuromuscular diseases, $27.2 million of which was raised by Fire Fighters (IAFF) affiliates that conducted Fill-the-Boot campaigns and other fundraisers in their communities. The IAFF, now in its 57th year of supporting MDA, continues to be the top fundraiser for the charity.

When you’re working outside you certainly know when it’s hot. But do you know when it’s so hot that you need to start taking precautions to prevent heat related illnesses? Thousands of workers become ill from heat-related illnesses every year and in 2010, 30 workers died from heat stroke.

Lara Manzione of the National Labor College reports on last night’s “Time to Build” fundraising gala at the college.

Following the first day of the AFL-CIO Executive Council meeting held at the National Labor College (NLC) in Silver Spring, Md., the college hosted a “A Time to Build”  gala last night. The gala honored Mark Ayers, president of the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD), and the presidents of five entertainment  unions:  Ray Hair, American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM); Ken Howard, Screen Actors (SAG); Matthew  Loeb, Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE); Roberta Reardon, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA); and Nick Wyman, Actors’ Equity (AEA).