(NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK) – Through its continued generosity of helping the local community and those who live here, the Niagara-Orleans AFL-CIO Central Labor Council and its Affiliated Member Unions adopted a record 38 families for this Holiday Season - combining to donate $20,000 in clothing, toys and daily necessities.

As the need for help has risen over the years, the Labor Council’s total of families helped has risen too - from more than 10 several years ago to 28 last year and now 38.

Working Union has allowed so many across Niagara County to maintain a good life for themselves and their families - so when it comes to giving back, Labor and its Members are usually the first in line to reach into their pockets when the call goes out.

“It ‘really amazes me,’” Niagara-Orleans Labor Council President Jim Briggs told WNYLaborToday.com. “We started out with ($200) per family because we ‘wanted to draw even more (Unions) into what would be a successful effort.’ Now, we’d budgeted ($300) per family, ‘but you can’t get much for ($300) these days - gas is up at the pump, people are experiencing double increases in their health care, paychecks are smaller… so we spent more.’”

“Children ‘understand when their parents are struggling,’” Briggs continued. “So, ‘we thought - we have to got to do this right, so why not just do it and spend some additional money’ (on each family). The Union Movement ‘has a lot of people who do care about their neighbors and adopting families are just one of the things we do throughout the year’ (to benefit local communities - ranging from Labor’s Night at The Races to the United Way of Greater Niagara). ‘Think about all the hours it took to shop, wrap and deliver those gifts - but we did it and we did the right thing because it was the right thing to do for these children.’”

United Way of Greater Niagara/Niagara-Orleans Labor Council Labor Liaison Beth Pyskaty confirmed the 38 families are the “most ever” the Council has ever assisted during the Christmas Holidays: “It’s gone up from (teens) to (28) last year and now (38). ‘Every year the total goes up.’”

“People have been ‘very, very’ generous,” she continued. “It’s ‘really hard to put into words - we’re surrounded by people in the Labor Movement who care about their communities.’ And when you see a room ‘overflowing’ with wrapped gifts, ‘you have a hard time’ (not being emotional). ‘You get teary-eyed’ when people ask you: ‘How can I help?’ ‘It makes me proud to be a Union Member.’”

The donations were delivered to three entities for distribution to the families: The Community Missions of Niagara Frontier, the Salvation Army in Niagara Falls, and to several Military Service Families stationed at the Niagara Falls Air Base who were negatively impacted by the recent shutdown of the Federal Government.

So many Unions stepped up and got involved, Pyskaty said, notably United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 686 (which adopted eight families); United Steelworkers (USW) Local 6992 (which adopted seven); International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 2104 (which adopted five) and the Council itself (which adopted three).

In addition, Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 1115 spent more than $1,000 on just one family, Pyskaty said, while DuPont’s USW-represented Workforce put up a Christmas Tree and made paper ornaments that were hung on the tree - each with a Christmas wish offered up by the designated families. USW Union Members then took one of the ornaments with an individual wish, purchased the item, wrapped it and returned it to the Council so it could be delivered.

When the dust cleared, Labor Council Officials estimated $20,000 in donations were made.

“Being at the Community Mission ‘was something (to see) and I am overwhelmed’ by Labor’s support,” IBEW Local 2104’s Trevor Ganshaw, who serves as Vice President of the Niagara-Orleans Labor Council, told WNYLaborToday.com.

“At Christmas, ‘there are so many families who have nothing.’ ‘The sad part was many of them were not asking for toys - they were asking for boots, hats, gloves and jackets, and pots and pans.’ ‘We have the opportunity to do this, thanks to Organized Labor to help those who are less fortunate and I am ecstatic and so impressed’ (with the end result).”

Ganshaw was also impressed with fellow New York Power Authority Co-Workers Courtney Laughlin and Trisha DeMiglio, who got involved and threw themselves in the effort.

But Ganshaw was even more moved by his own eight-year-old son, Hunter - who also got involved, helping his Father during the drive.

“‘What really got me is when he was asked what he wanted for Christmas, he said he wanted people to have a home and a meal.’ ‘At eight-years-old he’s realizing that all of this is thanks to having a Union job.’ ‘He understands that and that we are fortunate’ (to be in a position to help people), that we all care about our community.’”

WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: Photos Courtesy Of The Niagara-Orleans AFL-CIO Central Labor Council’s Facebook Page.