The AFT is teaming up with the AFL-CIO to support a number of activities to help union colleagues and working families affected by Hurricane Katrina. This includes inviting our members to make charitable contributions to the AFL-CIO’s Union Community Fund, labor’s charity for working families and communities in distress. The Union Community Fund is a 501(c)(3) public charity, and all contributions are tax deductible to the extent permissible under the law. We are supporting this project in addition to the AFT’s regular Disaster Relief Fund. To make a donation, go tohttp://www.aft.org/katrina. The union is also working with the AFL-CIO to assist in setting up worker centers in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. These are places that evacuees can go to receive information about housing and emergency benefits, as well as emergency supplies for schools, clothes, etc. The AFL-CIO Office of Community Services also has teamed with the Red Cross to solicit 1,000 volunteers for three-week assignments to work in shelters. The Red Cross is describing this as a “hardship assignment;” there is no housing available and volunteers will sleep where they work. Red Cross will provide meals. For details on how you can support the AFT and AFL-CIO hurricane relief efforts and other updates and information, go to http://www.aft.org/news/2005/katrina/index.htm.
