IAM District 77 members have volunteered with the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MAC-V) to help improve a transitional home for veterans in St. Paul, Minnesota. The group included members from Locals 469, 737, 1575, and 112, as well as staff from the IAM Midwest Territory and retired Chief of Staff Luther Williams. Volunteers worked on landscaping tasks such as removing overgrown trees and roots, pulling weeds, laying mulch, and cleaning porches and decks.
This marks the third year that IAM District 77 has partnered with MAC-V, an organization dedicated to ending homelessness among veterans in Minnesota. Their joint efforts aim to create a more welcoming environment for veterans moving out of homelessness.
“IAM Union members do not just show up on the shop floor, we show up to assist in our neighborhoods, at our food banks, and at homes like this one,” said IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Sam Cicinelli. “We fight hard not only in the workplace, but we also bring that same energy to supporting our veterans, families, and our communities in need.”
The volunteer work is part of the IAM H.E.L.P.S. Program (Honoring, Engaging, Lifting, Providing, and Servicing), which was co-founded by Williams. The program encourages union members throughout the Midwest Territory to provide support to underserved groups such as veterans and working families.
“We are here to help our communities, where we work, live, and play,” said Williams. “The IAM decided to start these community events to show that our union is not just in the workplace – and to get our name out there, showing what it means to be a union member and a union advocate.”
