Union's food drive success supports 400 local residents
Mayor-elect Jay Williams and the Youngstown SteelHounds showed up to help.
By KATIE LIBECCO
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
NORTH JACKSON -- Julia Porch will get to celebrate Christmas with her family over a big holiday meal thanks to the Care and Share Food Program developed by United Auto Workers Local 1112.
"We're going to have the kids over at my house on Saturday to celebrate the holiday, then we'll go to my sister's on Sunday. It's going to be two days of eating," Porch said, laughing while standing in line waiting to receive her food.
Porch, 78, of Youngstown, retired from the YMCA in 1995 and lives at home with three sons. This was her third year receiving food through the program.
"It's hard. We're all living on checks, so it gets kind of rough. But every little bit counts," Porch said. "Especially around the holidays. That's when it helps the most."
She and about 400 others received food at the UAW Local 1112 Reuther-Sandy-Alli Union Hall. Some of the food was donated by vendors and the rest was bought through funds raised by employees. For the last 25 years, UAW Local 1112 has coordinated the food drive and distribution day with support from the General Motors Lordstown assembly plant.
Caring tradition
The Care and Share Food Program has been coordinated the last 10 years by Rex Bosley, chairman of the UAW Local 1112's community service board.
"We're just trying to ease the burdens of people at Christmas. It frees up money for things like heating bills," Bosley said. "It's just so positive. It's one of the biggest, if not the biggest, programs in the plant that people really get behind."
Bosley said employees, retirees and management of the General Motors Lordstown complex distributed the 16 tons of food, worth about $23,000.
Tony Rizzo, 85, of Boardman, used to deliver food in a similar program with UAW 1112 when he worked at Lordstown in the late 1960s. Almost 40 years later, he was on the other end of the spectrum, receiving food from the program.
"It's a really good thing we have going here. I hope they keep it up," Rizzo said while standing in line, waiting for his turn. "It can help retired employees like me who are just having some trouble."
Rizzo retired from General Motors in 1980.
Guest appearances
The Care and Share Food Program brought out support from local officials such as U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, and Youngstown Mayor-elect Jay Williams.
"I was invited by Jim Graham [Local 1112 president] to come out here, and I thought I'd come meet some folks and help with distribution," Williams said. "I just wanted to get reacquainted with some people and meet some new people."
People receiving food also got a chance to meet some of the SteelHounds hockey players, the team mascot, Crusher, and some of the Lady SteelHounds.
"We want people to see the players and talk to them. We're a part of this community," said SteelHounds owner Herb Washington. "We have players here signing autographs and we had the girls here to help. We just want to help try to lighten the holiday spirit."
Graham said they received "tons" of applications from people looking to receive food from Care and Share.
"Every year this gets bigger and bigger. The applications are screened by a committee who narrow it down to 400 people," Graham said.
Many volunteers have helped the program since its beginning 25 years ago. Frank Ocasio, editor and photographer of the union's newsletter, is one such person.
"It makes you feel good just being here. I love coming here, and I think I'll keep coming for as long as I can. We're a big part of this community, and the Valley has been good to us. We want to try and give back to the Valley," Ocasio said.