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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 20, 2020)
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS | November 20, 2020 | PAGE 7 Presents From Partners will host two parties this year The Portland event is expanding to Southern Oregon to help fami- lies devastated by wildfires. Due to the devastation wrought by wildfires and COVID-19, La- bor’s Community Service Agency (LCSA) will sponsor two Presents From Partners giv- ing events this year: the original one in Portland and a new one in Southern Oregon. For more than two decades, LCSA has hosted the popular holiday party at Sheet Metal Workers Local 16’s hall in Port- land, distributing gifts to union families facing tough times. Over 40 unions and 200 volunteers are involved, and some 350 kids and 200 parents from labor and the community at large participate. They enjoy a hot meal provided by Spin Catering, a visit with Santa Claus, a bag full of toys, handmade Christmas stockings, grocery gift cards, a “Parents Room” for kids to pick out a gift for their parent or caregiver spon- sored by the IBEW & United Workers Federal Credit Union, a used clothes boutique, and more. Because of COVID-19, this year it will be a contactless drive- through event at Laborers Local 737’s hall in Northeast Portland. The toy drive itself was can- celed due to safety concerns, but a fall fundraiser was hugely suc- cessful, so LCSA has funds to buy toys. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Federal Credit Union also donated $15,000 worth of toys. “We will be serving up to 900 children from 300 union families this year,” said LCSA Executive Director Eryn Byram. And, thanks to a large finan- cial donation from the labor law firm of McKanna Bishop Joffe, LLP, LCSA is planning a “holi- day caravan” from Portland to Central Point on Friday Dec. 4 to deliver some holiday cheer to union families in Southern Ore- gon. The catastrophic wildfires in September impacted thousands of union and community mem- bers across Jackson, Josephine, and Douglas counties, with more than 100 union families losing their homes. The plan is to load up trucks and cars toys, food boxes and clothes and other goodies and deliver them to Cen- tral Point the first week of De- cember. There, the Southern Oregon Central Labor Chapter will make arrangements for fam- ilies to drive by and pick up the gifts. (See flyer below). To participate in the Portland PFP event, union members need to contact their local to receive a referral. The deadline to refer is Monday, Dec. 7. For more infor- mation, call LCSA at 503-231- 4962 or email director@LCSA portland.org. Gift Card Drive: Due to COVID safety concerns, LCSA is not conducting a toy drive this year for PFP. However, they are looking for gift cards to pass out at the events. Mail gift cards to LCSA at 9955 SE Washington St #301 PDX 97216. COVID changes union holiday plans The Grotto and Elsinore events are canceled, but union ironworkers will hold a drive-up event. Union holiday traditions have been canceled or modified this year due to the pandemic. The Grotto’s Festival of Lights announced it will be dark this holiday season. Volun- teer members of IBEW Local 48 and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) have been involved with the dis- tribution of power for the Festi- val of Lights since its inception in 1988. Anywhere from 40 to 60 journeymen and apprentice electricians would spend a Sat- urday in late October or early November wiring the festival, which always began the day af- ter Thanksgiving. The first year the festival ran for just 10 nights with approximately 60,000 lights. Last year, the festival switched to LEDs, boosting the light count to more than 1 million and ran through New Year’s Day. And the Marion-Polk-Yam- hill Counties Labor Chapter won’t get to celebrate its 80th annual Holiday Party at the Elsinore Theatre in downtown Salem. For 79 uninterrupted years, hundreds of children and their families in the three-county area have attended a free party that included a holiday movie, live Christmas music performed by union musicians, goodie bags filled with union-made goods, and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus. “The MPYCLC decided to not hold the holiday party this year due to the coronavirus and restrictions in place at this time,” said Chapter President Will Music. Iron Workers Local 29 has hosted a “Breakfast with Santa” party annually for the past 32 years. This year there won’t be breakfast, but the festivities will carry on. On Dec. 5, the Iron Workers, their Joint Apprentice- ship Training Committee, and the Ironworkers Credit Union will host a drive-through event at their union hall in Northeast Portland starting at 5:30 p.m. Volunteers will deco- rate the parking lot similar to the PIR light show, families will drive through a snow machine, stop by an ornament station, a hot cocoa stand, and at the end, drive by Santa Claus. Every child will get a present. Having knowledgeable help with your Social Security disability claim right from the start makes a difference. Raymond Thomas James Coon Cynthia Newton Chris Frost www.tcnf.legal Sydney Montanaro Scott Sell Chris Thomas 820 SW Second Ave., Suite 200, Portland, OR 97204
