Union effort helps provide Christmas dinners to low-income Montclair families
MONTCLAIR - Holiday dinners came early for some families this year with the help of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.
On Friday, the UFCW Local 1428 delivered whole frozen turkeys - with all the trimmings - to 40 severely low-income Kingsley Elementary School families as part of their Santa Day.
"It's about giving back - and those who have, need to give back," said Connie Leyva, president of UFCW 1428.
Families took home a whole turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing that was donated by Albertsons grocery store.
On Friday, the UFCW Local 1428 delivered whole frozen turkeys - with all the trimmings - to 40 severely low-income Kingsley Elementary School families as part of their Santa Day.
"It's about giving back - and those who have, need to give back," said Connie Leyva, president of UFCW 1428.
Families took home a whole turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing that was donated by Albertsons grocery store.
Local 1428 adopted the Montclair-based elementary school and has provided donations to the school for 13 years. In the past, when the school required students to wear uniforms, the union donated uniforms, shoes, underwear and jackets.
"As a union, our responsibility is to take care of our members as well as the communities they live in," Leyva said.
Ivonne Porras, the elementary school's outreach consultant, said a lot of their families have either lost their homes or jobs.
"The economy has really hit our families hard," she said.
In San Bernardino County schools, there are 12,768 homeless children. The number is based on the McKinney-Vento Act that is what many schools use to assist children in their districts.
Children who are considered homeless in the county under that act might live in a motel, which is not considered adequate living conditions because the family all live in one room and might not have running water or electricity, said Brenda Dowdy, homeless education program specialist for the county Superintendent of Schools.
There are also families who have to share an apartment because of financial hardships. While they may have a roof over them, they are not adequate conditions for children.
"This is a definite sign of the times," said Zazette Scott, executive secretary for Local 1428.
Despite the student struggles at Kingsley, Porras said the kids are constantly giving back.
"We collected 253 toys for the Spark of Love campaign," she said. "Our kids have nothing and they're always thinking about how someone is worse off than they are."
The school's 820 students also received goodie bags from Santa Claus filled with games, toys, a pencil and a candy cane, courtesy of the union.
"As a union, our responsibility is to take care of our members as well as the communities they live in," Leyva said.
Ivonne Porras, the elementary school's outreach consultant, said a lot of their families have either lost their homes or jobs.
"The economy has really hit our families hard," she said.
In San Bernardino County schools, there are 12,768 homeless children. The number is based on the McKinney-Vento Act that is what many schools use to assist children in their districts.
Children who are considered homeless in the county under that act might live in a motel, which is not considered adequate living conditions because the family all live in one room and might not have running water or electricity, said Brenda Dowdy, homeless education program specialist for the county Superintendent of Schools.
There are also families who have to share an apartment because of financial hardships. While they may have a roof over them, they are not adequate conditions for children.
"This is a definite sign of the times," said Zazette Scott, executive secretary for Local 1428.
Despite the student struggles at Kingsley, Porras said the kids are constantly giving back.
"We collected 253 toys for the Spark of Love campaign," she said. "Our kids have nothing and they're always thinking about how someone is worse off than they are."
The school's 820 students also received goodie bags from Santa Claus filled with games, toys, a pencil and a candy cane, courtesy of the union.
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