Southwest Washington labor groups took part in their annual holiday donation to Meals on Wheels through the Lower Columbia Community Action program (CAP ). Meals on Wheels delivers food to homebound and disabled seniors. This year, labor groups raised $9,135, enough to purchase 7,035 pounds of ham from union grocer Cascade Select Market in Castle Rock. For the past decade, the building trades council has teamed up with Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Central Labor Council and its affiliated union locals to raise money to buy food for the program.
“It took four trucks and a large covered trailer to transport all that holiday cheer from the store to the CAP crew, who will get the food out to those in our community that need it most,” said Mike Bridges, president of the Longview/ Kelso Building Trades Council.
“This beat last year’s donation by five thousand dollars,”said Bridges, who also is a union rep for IBEW Local 48. “I’m so proud of all the unions in our community. They really kicked it up a notch in a tough year.”
Donating this year were Plumbers and Fitters Local 26, IBEW Local 48, Operating Engineers Local 701, Boilermakers Local 502, Laborers Local 335, Iron Workers Local 29, Sheet Metal Workers Local 66, Insulators Local 36, IAM-Woodworkers Local 536, Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers Local 633, and Northwest Innovations Works.
