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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 5, 2018)
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS | January 5, 2018 | PAGE 7 BUILDING COMMUNITY ‘Young Machinists’ deliver Christmas to teenage foster kids ABOVE: Machinists Beth Lacey and Mariah Pierce don Local 63 T-shirts while wrapping presents. RIGHT: Beth and Scott Foster oversee the wrapping party on Dec. 14. LEFT: Lo- cal 63 President John Kleiboeker. BE- LOW LEFT: IAM international Special Representative Gabrielle Rogano. Local 63 members, DHS workers, and family members pose for a group photo. Machinists are Ayron Moran, Dan Bricker, Dustin Wilhelm, Nathan Aldrich, Jessica Deming, Mariah Pierce, Yemil Rotar, John Kleiboeker, Andrey Lipnyagov, and Scott and Beth Lacey. Younger members of Machinists Local Lodge 63 step up big in East Multnomah County “Young Machinists”at Machin- ists Local Lodge 63 — and some older ones too — helped brighten Christmas this year for 110 teen- age foster kids in East Mult- nomah County. The Young Machinists group was organized a little over a year ago to get members ages 35 and under more involved with their union. The group is com- prised primarily of members employed at Boeing Co. They were brainstorming for ways to serve the community when one of the group’s leaders — Scott Lacey — and Local 63 Presi- dent John Kleiboeker had a chance encounter with the owner of KBR Custom Motor- cycles in Boring, Oregon, who mentioned that he was looking for a good cause to donate some trees from his parents’ Christ- mas tree farm. Lacey and Kleiboecker told him about the Young Machinists and their search for a commu- nity project, and the owner agreed to donate 200 trees for the group to sell. Shortly after that, Scott’s wife, Beth, an apprentice at Boeing and also a member of the Young Machinists, learned through her cousin that the Ore- gon Department of Human Services was having trouble fill- ing an “Angel Tree” the agency had set up for foster teens this Christmas. Beth’s cousin is an intern at DHS. The Young Machinists had found their community project. Scott and Beth gave a report at their Local 63 union meeting, along with a request for some money to further help the cause. The union responded with a do- nation of $10,000. The Young Machinists de- cided to buy presents for the teens, and include stockings filled with personal hygiene items and pencils, pens, and stickers with the IAM logo. They dubbed it “Foster Care Christmas!” The Laceys met with case- workers to compile a list of “needs” and “wants” specific to all 110 foster teens in their care. With the list in hand, Beth started shopping on line on Black Friday. She continued shopping on Saturday, Sunday, on cyber Monday … until she had completed the list. “I thought it would take a few hours to complete,” she said. “It took about a week and a half.” Beth stretched the union’s cash donation eight-fold, look- ing for the best deals, rebates, and cash-back offers from area retailers. “Over the years I’ve had training shopping strategically and creatively for our four kids,” she said. On Dec. 14, a dozen Machin- ists — including IAM interna- tional Special Representative Gabrielle Rogano — and some of their family members wrap- ped all the gifts. Then, over the next 10 days caseworkers deliv- ered the packages to their clients. “This is a true blessing for them to do this for us,” said caseworker Anthony Lackey, ex- plaining that oftentimes during the holiday season teens get over- looked as more focus goes to younger children. “Our kids wouldn’t have much otherwise,” he said “This won’t be a one-time deal, either,” Kleiboeker said. The Young Machinists and Local 63, which represents workers at 12 shops, intend to meet with caseworkers through- out the New Year and beyond to arrange mentor groups to talk to the foster teens about careers as a machinist. “It’s just the beginning,” Kleiboeker said.
