In mid-October, HOPE AFSCME Local 123 held its fall fair. It was an opportunity for members who hadn't seen each other since before the storm to reconnect and pick up their gift cards.
“Sometimes, when you’re facing so much loss, it’s easy to feel depressed and sad. Coming here and talking to my friends at the union hall has made recovering a little less scary. Having the gift cards is just another example of how we care for each other as a union family," said Ida Smith, a HOPE member.
In an outpouring of support, AFSCME members from across the country raised nearly $92,000 for the Fallen Heroes Fund, which helps those affected by natural disasters like hurricanes and wildfires. Contributions from AFSCME officers, locals and councils doubled that amount.
AFSCME Texas Corrections channeled money raised by corrections’ locals to their sisters and brothers in the heavily-affected Beaumont and Angleton areas.
“In one of the hardest hit areas, every penny counts. We’re so grateful for the help,” said Glenda Costly, a corrections employee and members of Texas Organizing Council 7.
AFSCME Texas nurses – members of AFSCME Local 1550 – had worked straight through the storm, in 12-hour shifts, to care for their patients, while their homes were damaged and in some cases, destroyed. They also received assistance from the Fallen Heroes Fund.
“It's such a gift for my co-workers and me to be able to run over to the nearby IHOP (International House of Pancakes) after our shift to receive these cards,” said Diana Salinas, an AFSCME 1550 member. “I don't know when I would have been able to get out to the office, so I am very thankful that they set it up so we could get it so close to where we work. I feel appreciated.”
