A Little Help for the Little Ones

As Christmas 2018 closes in there are many stories of people helping out one another that you see in the media. Plumbers Local 12 has always been there to help organizations whenever we can and some are just special to us. St Mary’s Women and Infant center is one of them. The center, which has been in operation for over 20 years, helps, houses, educates, and protects women and children in their most dire times.st marys 1

There is also a soft spot with us because as the old St. Margaret’s many of the men and woman around the metro Boston area were born there and that was the first place that many of us safely slept.

Over 2018 Business Agent Barry Keady has taken volunteer members up to Cushing Ave. and rectified some plumbing issues that have lingered there for almost twenty years. Now fixed, the facility has been able to use areas for various uses that they never were able to use before. Unfortunately there never seems to be an end for the social services that need to be rendered up there.

This year Local 12 made St. Marys the sole beneficiary of our annual toy drive. Hundreds of toys have been donated by the plumbers and apprentices and as an organization located here in Dorchester we wanted help out another neighborhood organization.st marys 3

On Thursday December 13th, we were joined at the hall by Deirdre Houtmeyers and the leadership team of St. Marys as well as his Honor Mayor Martin Walsh. “It truly is our pleasure to help out these people in need, especially at Christmas” said Local 12 Business Manager Harry Brett. Mayor Walsh while speaking to the members at the union hall that day reminded everyone of the importance of always trying to help out those who are in need.

Plumbers Local 12 apprentices then loaded the Plumbers 911 van and dropped of the toys to the staff at the center. Although we do many things as well as support various causes throughout the year it is special to help an organization located so close to us that provides so much to people in need that come from all over.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!

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You Won’t Read About This!

Dateline 5/13/2016

Location IBEW 103 Union Hall Boston IMG_2288

As I write this post I think about all of the kids across not only the Boston area, but across the country, attending awards nights getting scholarships that will help them with the costs of college. Creating many happy parents as well.

As parents we sit in these awards nights and wonder “where does all this money com from?” Imagine if you went to an award night where they gave out almost $590,000 in one setting. Well one happened today. Given the amazing amount of money given out you would think that maybe the press would be curious.

You see today was the 58th Annual Massachusetts AFL-CIO Scholarship Breakfast and indeed all of that money was given out to hundreds of children of union members. Through the hard work of the fundraising of its members their college “Dream” is a little bit more achievable.

I am happy to say that just my union, Plumbers Local 12, was able to give out over 30,000 dollars to our deserving college bound children. These amazing hard working students are headed to community colleges right up to ivy league institutions.

This is just another way that unions give back. As being part of the solution to give access to college we are helping to keep the middle class dream alive. I think we can all agree that the college dream is becoming harder to achieve because of the crushing debt that these young men and woman are being saddled with.

For many of the proud tradesman and tradeswoman in attendance today college was never part of their plan but being able to send their children to college, the dream of having their next generation do a bit better is very rewarding. Totally Amazing Morning.

 

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Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Steve Tolman with the scholarship awardees in attendence today, Good Luck!

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