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 IAM Midwest Territory staff and retired Midwest Territory Chief of Staff Luther Williams. Their work involved clearing overgrown trees and roots, pulling weeds, laying mulch, and cleaning porches and decks to enhance the living environment for veterans moving out of homelessness.
This marks the third year that IAM District 77 has partnered with MAC-V. The organization focuses on ending veteran homelessness throughout Minnesota.
“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 effort 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 across the Midwest Territory to support underserved groups such as veterans, seniors, 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.”
