283 families from 47 unions helped last year
If you want someplace to spend the Christmas cash you found in your stocking, don’t forget the $5 for the Fight Fund that provides vital assistance to our union families in need.
As a result of union members’ helping hands and generous hearts, 283 union families, from 47 different unions, received help from the Fight Fund last year. Of those, 133 were referred to various United Way agencies for additional assistance.
With the pandemic still wreaking havoc on the economy, at least until distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine becomes more widespread, many families are still hurting.
Here are just a few examples of how your generosity has helped working families in need:
• A union member who lost his home over a year ago, forcing his family to split up and move in with friends, found a place for his family to live but had an old electric bill that had to be paid before the family could move in. The $5 for the Fight Fund paid the old bill, allowing the family to be reunited.
• A tradesman recently returned to work after a seasonal layoff but had yet to be paid when he received a disconnect notice over an overdue electric bill. The Fight Fund paid the past-due bill so he was able to pay his rent once he received his first paycheck.
• A union member new to the area had his wages garnished, leaving him with barely half of his normal gross pay. He was out of groceries and his gas service was about to be cut off until the Fight Fund prevented the service disconnect and provided food gift cards.
‘THANK YOU’
“It’s impossible to express the gratitude of those we’ve helped, but I can only try by saying ‘THANK YOU’ on their behalf because our members have made a difference in so many lives,” said Pat White, president of the St. Louis Labor Council.
“We continue to get calls for help in this crisis time. I know we can count on our union members to continue their support.”
HERE’S HOW TO HELP
Donations to the $5 for the Fight Fund can be made by check or online.
- Mail a check or money order to “$5 for the Fight, c/o St. Louis Labor Council, 3301 Hollenberg Drive, Bridgeton, MO 63044; please include your union affiliation.
- Online – Visit labortribune.com/5-for-the-fight. You will be taken to a secure page where you can make a one-time donation or a repeating monthly donation.
- Shopping at Schnucks Markets and using their eScript card at checkout will provide a percentage of your purchase to the Fight Fund, and it costs you nothing. It’s a donation from Schnucks. Pick up a card at the Customer Service Center if you don’t already have one, call 1-800-931-6258 and add “St. Louis Labor Council 5 for the Fight Fund” to your list of charities receiving help. You can have three groups getting help from your food purchases.
One hundred percent of every donation goes into the Fight Fund to help union members in need. All efforts to promote and service the Fund are donated by the Labor Council, the United Way and the Labor Tribune.
LEVELS OF GIVING
The Labor Tribune publishes a regular honor roll recognizing donors to the Fight Fund. The Honor Roll is divided into nine categories of giving:
- Apprentice – $1 to $12 /George Washington Honor Roll
- Journeyman – $13-50 /Andrew Jackson Honor Roll
- Steward – $51-$99 /Ulysses S. Grant Honor Roll
- Chief Steward – $100 +/Ben Franklin Honor Roll
- Job Foreman – $500+ /William McKinley Honor Roll
- General Foreman – $1,000 +/Grover Cleveland Honor Roll
- Major Donors – $2,500 +
- In Memoriam – to honor a loved one or friend or fellow union member.
- Organizations/Companies
Your gifts accumulate, moving you from one category to the next in recognition of your generosity.
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