AFFILIATED WITH NATIONAL & STATE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF
LABOR & CONGRESS OF INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATIONS

Unions "Adopt a Family"

Six years ago, Chris Camisa, a Parish Social Ministry Coordinator from Catholic Charities introduced the labor body to a program she runs called "Adopt a Family". It is a program which matches needy families with donors who will purchase gifts for their "adopted" family at Christmas. The families are local families many of whom are working at low paying and seasonal jobs. The gifts they request are not toys or other luxury items but basic clothes they need to survive.underwear, shirts, pants, skirts, winter coats, mittens, hats, sweaters, pajamas, etc. Donors select the size of the family they wish to adopt and Chris provides them with a profile of the family that contains all the information needed to shop for the "adopted" family such as gender, age and sizes.

Every year more union locals decide to "Adopt a Family". This year, the following locals participated: RWDSU # 338; Mount Vernon Federation of Teachers, AFT # 865; Rye Brook Fire Fighters, IAFF 4041; IBEW # 3; Edgemont Teachers Association, AFT # 2678; Eastchester Teachers Association, AFT # 2625, Mt. Pleasant Teachers Association, AFT # 2853, and Hawthorne Cedar Knolls Federation of Teachers, AFT # 1169. Pictured above are Rye Brook Fire Fighters, IAFF Local # 4041 wrapping the gifts they purchased for their "Adopted" Family.