IAM District 77 members have volunteered their time to assist the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MAC-V), supporting efforts to help veterans in need. Members from Locals 469, 737, 1575, and 112, along with IAM Midwest Territory staff and retired Midwest Territory Chief of Staff Luther Williams, worked together on a project to improve a veterans’ transitional home in St. Paul, Minnesota. The group removed overgrown trees and roots, pulled weeds, laid mulch, and cleaned porches and decks to help make the environment more welcoming for residents moving out of homelessness.
This marks the third consecutive year that IAM District 77 has partnered with MAC-V. The council is focused on ending veteran homelessness in Minnesota by providing housing assistance and support services.
“IAM Union members do not just show up on the shop floor, we show up to assist in our neighborhoods, at our food banks, and at homes like this one,” said IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Sam Cicinelli. “We fight hard not only in the workplace, but we also bring that same energy to supporting our veterans, families, and our communities in need.”
The volunteer work was organized under the IAM H.E.L.P.S. Program (Honoring, Engaging, Lifting, Providing, and Servicing), which was co-founded by Williams. The program aims to mobilize union members across the Midwest to provide support for underserved groups such as veterans, seniors, and working families.
“We are here to help our communities, where we work, live, and play,” said Williams. “The IAM decided to start these community events to show that our union is not just in the workplace – and to get our name out there, showing what it means to be a union member and a union advocate.”
