IAM Local Lodge District Lodge 166 and Local Lodges 2061, 610, 773, 971 along with the Florida State Council of Machinists and Herndon Solutions Group fundraised over $28,000 throughout the year to buy Christmas gifts for children in foster care.
For more than fifteen years the District and Local Lodges have donated to Brevard Family Partnership for Christmas. The project started with Local Lodge 2061 and grew to be so big that the district now oversees it.
These IAM lodges are the biggest contributor to many Brevard County charities, including the Brevard Family Partnership Christmas Toy Drive.
Over the year, the lodge host raffles and collect donations to buy toys are the end of the year. One of the raffles is for quilts handmade by IAM members’ wives.
“I’m so impressed with the district staff, the presidents, all of the locals, the stewards, and most of all the membership who make this happen every year,” said District Lodge 166 Directing Business Representative Kevin DiMeco.
More than fifty volunteers went shopping for the children’s ‘wish list’ items provided by Brevard Family Partnership.
“We got a lot of attention while shopping, people noticed what we were doing and donated on-the-spot. Anyone who asked, I told them who we are, that we’re a labor union donating to the community,” said DiMeco. “Children four and five years old volunteered with us and helped us pick out the toys. They knew right where they were! It was an awesome thing to watch.”
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