IAM District 77 members have continued their involvement with the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MAC-V) by volunteering to improve a veterans’ transitional home in St. Paul, Minnesota. The group included members from Locals 469, 737, 1575, and 112, along with IAM Midwest Territory staff and retired Chief of Staff Luther Williams.
The volunteers worked on landscaping tasks such as removing overgrown trees and roots, pulling weeds, laying mulch, and washing porches and decks. Their goal was to create a more welcoming environment for veterans moving out of homelessness.
This marks the third year that IAM District 77 has partnered with MAC-V, which works to end veteran homelessness in the state.
“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 effort is part of the IAM H.E.L.P.S. Program (Honoring, Engaging, Lifting, Providing, and Servicing), co-founded by Williams. This program mobilizes union members throughout the Midwest Territory to support 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.”
