Retired Don Dessurault slipped cards of encouragement into 120 Salvation Army Christmas hampers before he and other members of Sarnia’s plumbers and pipefitters union set out Friday to deliver them.
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It’s a partnership that stretches back nearly three decades, with United Association (UA) Local 663 members also collecting non-perishable food and contractors the union works with kicking in financial donations to support the Salvation Army’s food bank and other community services.
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“People need encouragement,” Dessurault said as he slipped a small card, printed with the words “Don’t ever give up,” into each hamper.
The Local 663 retiree said his goal is to eventually give out one million of the cards – and he’s up to 440,000,
“I started about 20 years ago,” he said. “Someone handed me one of these on the worst day of my whole life. I felt like giving up that day.”
His marriage had ended and the card’s encouraging words made a difference, Dessurault said. “I thought, ‘Someone encouraged me – I’m going to pay it forward.’ ”
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This year’s 29th annual union food drive is dedicated to David Baker, a Local 663 member who volunteered to organize the drive for 22 years. Baker died in January.
“We’re doing this in his memory,” said Kayle McDonald, the local’s business manager.
Totals for this year’s food drive were still being tallied, he said. An initial load of donated food already was delivered to the Salvation Army and tables along a wall in the hall were filling up again.
“We’re still bringing in donations every day. We’ll total it up next week and hopefully we’re where we were last year” when the union raised more than $63,000 for the Salvation Army, McDonald said.
“Hopefully we can get closure because everyone’s certainly hurting this year,” he said. “It’s a good service for the community. Everybody comes together and gets it done.”
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Tables in the union hall held 120 of about 700 food and gift hampers the Salvation Army in Sarnia has prepared this year. Union members lined up for their assignments Friday morning, then headed out to deliver the hampers across the community.
“Everybody from apprentices to retirees” volunteers to help, McDonald said. The annual effort comes at a time of year when many job sites slow down for the holidays, leaving union members free to help out, he said.
Local 663, one of the largest building trades unions in Sarnia, has about 1,250 active members and 400 retirees, he said.
“We’ve got a pretty strong community here,” he said. “Everybody bands together to lend a hand.”
Krystal Thomson, community and family services manager for the Salvation Army in Sarnia, said clients with mobility and transport issues might go without a hamper if union volunteers didn’t make the deliveries.
“We appreciate everything you do,” she told union members Friday.
Local Scouts also will deliver hampers Saturday, and times have been set for other clients to pick up their hampers Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, she said.
The effort will help about 600 households, she said. “Unfortunately, we are seeing a greater need in the community.”
The Salvation Army prepared 700 hampers this year, anticipating some last-minute requests, she added.
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