Community Services Committee
Committee Members
Susan O'Keefe, Chair
Robert Longer, Executive Vice President
Isaiah Rogers III, Steward
Terry White, Steward
Cinnamon Allen, Steward
Ali Kateley, Steward
Takisha Russell, Steward
Mission Statement: To engage in community and charitable activities that support the communities where our CWA members live, work and play.
______________________________________________________
Current News/Events:
NO CURRENT NEWS/EVENTS...PLEASE CHECK BACK LATER.
______________________________________________________
Past News/Events:
VOLUNTEER FOR THE HOLIDAYS - NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
CWA Local 9421 encourages all members and retirees to volunteer at a local non-profit charitable organization during the holidays.
Particularly now during these difficult economic times, many charities are facing vast shortages of not only food and goods, but volunteers. Your help can make a difference!
When you volunteer, we ask that you wear a CWA shirt so that we are visible in our community. You will not only feel good about lending a helping hand, but you will be truly making a difference when it is needed the most.
If you are interested in volunteering or donating to a local food bank, please go HERE.
HELP OTHERS - VOLUNTEER OR DONATE TODAY
Although the holidays are a time to celebrate with family and friends, it is also—unfortunately—a time when those who are less fortunate than us need help the most. Therefore, in keeping with our long tradition of helping others, CWA Local 9421 is partnering with the UC Davis Children's Hospital, a non-profit organization that serves children in the Sacramento region, on a GIFT/TOY DRIVE to collect gifts such as clothing, toys and other items for children at the hospital.
This will all culminate in a wonderful "Holiday Workshop" on Friday, December 23rd from 2-5pm, where the gifts will be wrapped and distributed, along with refreshments. A good time is sure to be had by all! Please see the flyer below for more information about the event (click on it to enlarge the flyer).
Your help--whether donating an item or volunteering your time on December 23rd--is appreciated! To see some suggestions of items you can donate, see the flyer below (click on it to enlarge the flyer).
Please feel free to contact the Union Hall at 916-484-9421 or frontdesk@cwalocal9421.org to make a donation and drop it off (our office is located at 2725 El Camino Avenue, Sacramento, 95821) or to request a possible pick-up of items from your work location. Please drop off all gifts by December 20th, so that all gift drive items will be delivered to the UC Davis Children's Hospital before Christmas.
Thank you for your help and Happy Holidays!
______________________________________________________
UNITED WAY / EMPLOYEE GIVING CAMPAIGN (EGC) - FALL 2011
The 2011 campaign funs the entire month of September 2011. CWA Local 9421 members at AT&T Core and AT&T Mobility are encouraged to attend an EGC meeting with a guest speaker from one of the many charitable agencies in the Sacramento area.
Our goal is 100% coverage of all of our members; that said, you do not have to give: we only ask that you attend an EGC meeting so that you may be covered and have the opportunity to hear from non-profits in your community. Please keep in mind that this is always a CWA effort; Union Solicitors cover all Union members. We do this because we do not want management's hands in a charitable endeavor.
Your decision to give/not give is a personal one, and we respect your rights. We only ask that you give our wonderful guest speakers from various charitable agencies the courtesy of speaking to you. Thank you!
Update as of November 1, 2011: CWA Local 9421 Coordinators and Solicitors raised over $12,000 for local non-profit organizations via our raffle, fundraisers and Agency Fair BBQ! This amount is in addition to employee contributions to various charitable organizations. Congratulations on this tremendous effort!!
To see the complete list of raffle prize winners for 2011, click here: RAFFLE.
______________________________________________________
LIVE UNITED TOILET PAPER DRIVE - JUNE 2011
Update as of June 17th: CWA Local 9421 collected 486 rolls. Overall, the event garnered an amazing 115,840 rolls, with Sacramento labor unions contributing the lions share of that amount. Great work!
Please join CWA Local 9421’s Community Service Committee as we partner with our local United Way (California Capital Region) for the 3rd annual Toilet Paper Drive.
They need TP! Help defray the cost of this staple item so that local non-profits can spend more of their money on services.
The drive is ongoing, so please give your Steward your TP, or just drop it off at the Union Hall before June 16th.
The 3rd annual LIVE UNITED Toilet Paper Drive will take place on Thursday, June 16th from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. at Cal Expo (1600 Exposition Blvd., Sacramento)!
The Toilet Paper Drive offers a couple of great opportunities to get involved in the community:
How tall is your TP tower?
Our goal is to raise 60,000 rolls of toilet paper for local nonprofits, and you can help us get a jumpstart.
Show off how you spare a square!
Please deliver any packages/rolls of toilet paper to the Union Hall, 2725 El Camino Avenue, Sacramento 95821 before June 16th.
If you are coming to the June Membership Meeting on Tuesday, June 14th, please bring your TP with you!
We’re Rolling!
We think the 3rd annual Toilet Paper Drive will be the best one yet! And we’re looking forward to partnering with you as we reduce the funding spent on this staple so that our local nonprofits can focus on changing people’s lives.
Questions?
If you have any questions in the meantime, please let Robert Longer, Vice President & Chair of the Community Services Committee know by calling him at 916-484-9421 or e-mailing him at robert@cwalocal9421.org.
______________________________________________________
NALC STAMP OUT HUNGER FOOD DRIVE - MAY 2011
Saturday, May 14th: Leave non-perishable food items at your mailbox.
2 to 5 PM: Volunteers needed to sort food (Royal Oaks Post Office – 2000 Royal Oaks Drive, Sacramento).
Saturday, May 14th is the annual Letter Carriers' food drive. You can participate by leaving cans of food or non-perishable food items at your mailbox on that day. The Letter Carriers' Food Drive collected more than 77 million pounds of food last year! Following the food drive, we need volunteers to help sort the food from 2 to 5 PM at the Royal Oaks Post Office (2000 Royal Oaks Drive, Sacramento).
______________________________________________________
HELP LEA ALLEN - JANUARY TO MARCH 2011
Update as of March 23, 2011: We regret to report that Lea has passed away, after enduring her ongoing struggle with cancer. Lea will truly be missed.
Lea Allen, daughter of Darrell Allen, a CWA Local 9421 member and technician at the AT&T Folsom yard, was diagnosed with Epithelioid Sarcoma (ES), a rare form of cancer. More than 12 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer each year, but less than 400 of these cases are ES, which makes ES very rare.
Lea and her family desperately need help from members of CWA Local 9421.
Lea Allen is a beautiful, 28-year-old young woman living in Rocklin. Recently graduated from Sacramento State University with a degree in Criminal Justice and a sizable loan debt, Lea worked as a waitress in a local restaurant. In July 2010, she discovered a strange lump on the underside of her upper arm. After extensive tests, she was diagnosed with ES and has been referred to Stanford University Medical Center for the long and aggressive treatment. When initially discovered, the primary tumor was small, but has grown to the size of a grapefruit in just a few months, taking hold of Lea’s arm, involving nerves and muscles. Microscopic portions have broken off and spread throughout her body, with ten nodules now on her lungs and recently moved to her heart. The pain is so debilitating and treatment so aggressive that she can no longer work.
As her family and Lea learned, the medical treatment for this rare cancer is specialized, advanced, aggressive, and very expensive. The cost for Lea’s diagnosis and treatment will exceed $500,000 for the first three rounds and will continue to grow with each subsequent round of treatment. Lea’s medical insurance provides minimal coverage (not more than $7,500 per year and only $75 per month in prescription coverage) and with the cancer now a pre-existing condition, other private insurances are not an option. Lea’s parents, Tanya and Darrell, do not have the money or assets to cover the costs. Although they are pursuing Social Security and disability insurance, these programs can only offset a small portion of Lea’s huge financial needs.
PLEASE HELP!
Lea’s family has established the Team Lea Foundation. Through this foundation, you can make a donation to help Lea one of 4 ways:
- At any Wells Fargo Bank branch—just tell them that you want to make a donation to the “Team Lea Foundation”
- Via Facebook by looking for the “TeamLea Foundation” page. Once you find the page, ‘like’ it, then go to the ‘PLEASE DONATE!’ tab at the top. This will take you to the page with the big DONATE button…just click on this to make a secure online donation through PayPal.
- Attend a Fundraiser dinner on Saturday, January 29th at 6pm (doors open at 5pm) at the Grace Bible Church, 5010 Hazel Ave, Fair Oaks. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Make reservations now by calling Joanne Fabian at 916-995-3855. The dinner will also feature a silent auction with great prizes! Hope to see you there!!
- Attend a Fundraiser dinner on Thursday, February 17th at 6-11pm at Joe's Crab Shack, 1210 Front St, Old Sacramento. Just show up for dinner and proceeds from your meal will benefit the Team Lea Foundation! The dinner will also feature a silent auction with great prizes! Hope to see you there!!
YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED!
To make matters worse, Lea’s rare cancer is in the most critical stage…stage 4. She is constantly undergoing treatment—including Chemotherapy—not only in Sacramento, but also at Stanford. The treatment and travel put a constant toll on her body. The family’s medical bills are out of control and they need our help.
Please help a fellow CWA member in his family’s time of need. Please help Lea! Thank you.
ALL DONATIONS ARE 100% TAX DEDUCTIBLE PER THE IRS. EIN # 900633168. THANK YOU!
______________________________________________________
FOOD & GIFT DRIVE - DECEMBER 2010
Although the holidays are a time to celebrate with family and friends, it is also—unfortunately—a time when those who are less fortunate than us need help the most. Therefore, in keeping with our long tradition of helping others, CWA Local 9421 is partnering with the AT&T Pioneers and the Women of AT&T on a GIFT DRIVE to collect gifts such as clothing, toys and other items for the Wellspring Women's Center, a non-profit organization that serves women and children in the Sacramento region. Please see the flyer below for more information (click on it to enlarge the flyer).
We are also partnering with the AT&T Pioneers and AT&T Mobility on a FOOD DRIVE to benefit the River City Food Bank, which tragically burned down recently, destroying everything. To donate items, simply visit one of six (6) AT&T Mobility stores in the Sacramento region by December 20th, and drop off your non-perishable food item (canned goods, boxed foods, etc.) in one of the food collection barrels. The drop off locations are located at the following stores:
1749 Arden Way, Sacramento, 95815 - Arden Fair Mall Retail Store
2228 Fair Oaks Blvd, Fair Oaks, 95628 - University Village Retail Store
5454 Sunrise Blvd, Ste #1, Citrus Heights, 95610 - Citrus Heights Retail Store
547 L Street, Ste #1066E, Sacramento, 95814 - Downtown Plaza Retail Store
9170 W. Stockton Blvd, Elk Grove, 95758 - Laguna Elk Grove Retail Store
795 E. Bidwell Street, Ste #20, Folsom, 95630 - Folsom Retail Store
You can also contact the Union Hall at 916-484-9421 or frontdesk@cwalocal9421.org to make a donation and drop it off (our office is located at 2725 El Camino Avenue, Sacramento, 95821) or to request a possible pick-up of items from your work location. All gift drive items will be delivered to the Wellspring Women's Center before Christmas and all food drive items will be delivered to an AT&T Mobility store for the River City Food Bank.
Thank you for your help and Happy Holidays!
The Officers of CWA Local 9421
______________________________________________________
PRESIDENT LUPE MERCADO IN THE NEWS - AUGUST 2010
CARMICHAEL RESIDENT JOINS
UNITED WAY BOARD OF DIRECTORS
(taken from the August 18, 2010 edition of the Carmichael Times newspaper; click HERE to go to this edition and the full story)
Webmaster's note: We're excited to have our very own President, Lupe Mercado, receive such an honor and to be featured on the front page of the newspaper. Thanks Lupe for representing CWA Local 9421 members and making us proud!
Sacramento Region — Lupe Mercado of Carmichael has been elected to the board of directors for United Way California Capital Region. Mercado is president of the Communications Workers of America Local 9421.
“We are fortunate to have top leaders who care deeply about this community,” said Steve Heath, president and CEO, United Way California Capital Region. “Each of our board members makes it a top priority to reach out to new people and link arms with partners so we can create lasting results in the areas of education, income and health.”
Mercado began her career with Pacific Telephone in 1979 in Sacramento and has been a member of CWA local 9421 since the beginning of her career. As the company changed to SBC, and now AT&T, Mercado transferred to various departments and eventually to consumer markets where she held the title of bilingual sales and service representative serving Spanish-speaking customers. In January 2010, she retired from AT&T with 30 years of service.
Throughout her career, Mercado also was active with CWA as a union steward, chief union steward, vice president and as elected executive vice president for 12 years. She has served on bargaining committees for CWA/SBC, AT&T broadband/Comcast, Gordon and Schwenkmeyer Inc, since 2001. She has been appointed to the CWA National Committee on Equity and the National Constitution Committee. She also is labor representative for the California Community Colleges and Workforce Development Program.
Mercado has volunteered with WEAVE and Wellspring, and she has served meals to the homeless and tutored minority children in low-income neighborhoods. She lives in Sacramento with her husband of 30 years and their children Marcos, Felicitas and Sofia.
Click HERE to continue reading this story.
______________________________________________________
UNITED WAY / EMPLOYEE GIVING CAMPAIGN - FALL 2010
The United Way / Employee Giving Campaign (EGC) runs from September 13th through October 22, 2010. CWA Local 9421 members at AT&T Core and AT&T Mobility are encouraged to attend an EGC meeting with a guest speaker from one of the many charitable agencies in the Sacramento area.
Our goal is 100% coverage of all of our members; that said, you do not have to give: we only ask that you attend an EGC meeting so that you may be covered and have the opportunity to hear from non-profits in your community. Please keep in mind that this is always a CWA effort; Union Solicitors cover all Union members. We do this because we do not want management's hands in a charitable endeavor.
Your decision to give/not give is a personal one, and we respect your rights. We only ask that you give our wonderful guest speakers from various charitable agencies the courtesy of speaking to you. Thank you!
Update as of November 1, 2010: CWA Local 9421 Coordinators and Solicitors raised over $12,000 for local non-profit organizations via our raffle and Agency Fair BBQ! This amount is in addition to employee contributions to various charitable organizations. Congratulations on this tremendous effort!!
______________________________________________________
CWA LOCAL 9421 RECEIVES AWARD - MARCH 2010
CWA Local 9421's Community Service Committee is proud.
On March 23, 2010, CWA Local 9421 received a prestigious Star Award from the United Way, California Capital Region for "Outstanding Union Leadership" during the 2009 Employee Giving / United Way Campaign. Specifically, Coordinators Aisha Gillam and John Paul Turner did a great job, along with their Solicitors, all under the direction of President Lupe Mercado.
______________________________________________________
FOOD DRIVE - DECEMBER 2009
CWA Local 9421 is once again proud to partner with the Pioneers, Share Our Strength—a national non-profit—and the Sacramento Food Bank to collect food for those in need during this holiday season.
There will be two ways to donate: at one of several collection locations or by making a cash donation via text message. Here are the details:
WHAT: FOOD DRIVE
WHEN: December 7-18, 2009
WHERE: CWA Local 9421 Union Hall, 2725 El Camino Avenue (between the hours of 8am-5pm, Monday-Friday)
CWA members may also donate items at these other locations (all are AT&T work sites):
2700 Watt Ave, by Pioneer Store
3600 Marconi Ave, in main lobby
3601 Kings Way (NOC), by guard's desk
3464 El Camino Ave, Rm 130
3675 T St, in cafeteria
HOW:
FOOD - CWA encourages all of our members to donate non-perishable food items at one of the drop-off locations listed above. Our local food bank is currently running very low on food this holiday season, so any donation will make a huge difference.
CASH - CWA members can also make a cash donation, in lieu of or along with a food donation, by doing the following:
Text the word “SHARE” to 20222 on your mobile device*
A donation of $5 will be made to Share Our Strength.
The food drive is an annual event that CWA takes very seriously, and is an effort of CWA Local 9421's Community Services Committee.
Thank you for caring!
* A one-time donation of $5 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. Standard messaging rates and additional fees may apply. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Service is available on most carriers. Donations are collected for the benefit of Share Our Strength by the Mobile Giving Foundation and subject to the terms found at www.hmgf.org/t. You can unsubscribe at any time by texting STOP to 20222 or text ‘HELP’ for info.
______________________________________________________
EMPLOYEE GIVING CAMPAIGN - FALL 2009
The Employee Giving Campaign (EGC) / United Way Campaign runs from September 14th through October 16, 2009. CWA Local 9421 members at AT&T Core are encouraged to attend an EGC meeting with a guest speaker from one of the many charitable agencies in the Sacramento area.
Our goal is 100% coverage of all of our members; that said, you do not have to give, we only ask that you attend so that you may be covered and have the opportunity to hear from non-profits in your community. Please keep in mind that this is always a CWA effort; Union Solicitors cover all Union members. We do this because we do not want management's hands in a charitable endeavor.
Your decision to give/not give is a personal one, and we respect your rights. We only ask that you give our wonderful guest speakers from various charitable agencies the courtesy of speaking to you. Thank you!
Update as of November 2, 2009: CWA Local 9421 Coordinators and Solicitors raised almost $10,000 for local non-profit organizations via our raffle and Agency Fair BBQ! This amount is in addition to employee contributions to various charitable organizations. Congratulations on this tremendous effort!!
______________________________________________________
FOOD DRIVE - JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009
THANK YOU to all whom had donated food in January and February 2009 to CWA Local 9421's Food Drive, which was part of a national effort to support President Obama's call for National Community Service! CWA Local 9421 members donated over 1,300 pounds (over 1 ton) of food to the Parker Family Resource Center and Homeless Services Office of the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD)! Thanks also to the Pioneers and Share Our Strength, a national non-profit charity, for working with us.
______________________________________________________