CWA District 2-13 Helps Kids Move With Dignity

In July and August, members and retirees from CWA Locals 13000 and 13500 and the CWA District 2-13 Pittsburgh office delivered nearly 100 backpacks, duffel bags, and other pieces of luggage to A Second Chance, Inc. (ASCI) during the District’s “No Child Gets Left Behind” initiative. Donations went to shelters, foster care agencies, and transitional homes within the District so that children in need are able to move their belongings with dignity. CWA District 2-13’s Human Rights and Women’s Committee Representative and CWA Local 2336 President Melissa Smith-Kupihea led the initiative.

ASCI is a nonprofit corporation with a mission to “provide a safe, secure, and nurturing environment for children in the care of relatives or close family friends.”

CWA District 2-13 Vice President Mike Davis enthusiastically supported the project. “Kids should never be made to feel insignificant. Our CWA District 2-13 Human Rights and Women’s Committee, as well as all the members and staff who came together for these children, showed a great deal of dedication. Kindness can be powerful. Together, we can truly make a difference.”

Kyla Nichols, Executive Director of the First Presbyterian Church Hope Center in Charleston, W.Va., thanked participating CWA members and leadership for their donations. Nichols wrote, “The ‘No Child Gets Left Behind’ donation has already made a meaningful difference for the young adults we serve. While a suitcase or backpack may seem like a simple item, for a young person experiencing a major life transition, it can represent something much bigger—dignity, stability, and the feeling that someone cares about what happens next.

“The very next day after receiving the donation, one of our young adult participants was able to move from an emergency shelter into permanent housing. Instead of having to carry her belongings in a trash bag, she was able to take her things to her new home in a suitcase. It was a small but incredibly meaningful change that helped her feel a greater sense of dignity as she took an important step toward stability.”

In another testimonial, Daymark Executive Director Beth Scohy expressed her thanks, writing, “At the time we received the luggage and backpacks, we had two young adults headed for college. One has since left us to go to a dorm room at Marshall, and the other will be leaving for Morgantown very soon. To have suitcases in which to pack their belongings and new backpacks for their first days of class was a huge benefit for them.

“Other youth in our organizations will be headed to school in a few days and are grateful for the new backpacks. We appreciate having your initiative help us get them ready for their first days, wherever they are going!”

 
Left to right: CWA Local 13500 President Cindy Neumeyer, CWA Local 13500 Western Division Secretary/Treasurer Jen Gromack, CWA D2-13 Support Staffer Shayna Morford, CWA Local 13500 Executive Secretary-Treasurer Kathy Short, CWA Local 13000 Western Region Vice President Gregg Bialek, CWA Local 13500 Executive Vice President Jenn Szpara, and CWA District 2-13 Staff Representative Jon Remington helped deliver luggage and backpacks to children in need during the CWA District 2-13 “No Child Gets Left Behind” donation drive.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.