Images of Hope award

 

CAW LOCAL 1520

 

 

The members and leaders of CAW Local 1520 have always shown they care about the communities they live in. Whenever there is need, CAW Local 1520 has always stepped forward, deciding how best to be involved and provide help - one of the best ways is through United Way.

The union’s first United Way fundraising campaign was held in 1982, raising over $87,000. Over the years, its campaigns have continued to grow reaching a high of $611,000 in 2005. And that’s just for United Way.

On average, each year CAW Local 1520 donates to and is involved with over 60 charitable causes. Here are just a few examples:

• Raising funds for a healthier community, including the London Regional Cancer Centre (over $100,000) and London Children’s Hospital (over $25,000)
• Through its women’s committee, gathering funds for London and area women’s shelters and toys and other gifts for the children who stay in the shelters over Christmas
• Volunteering for many special events, including the Children’s Miracle Telethon
• Stepping up to the plate for kids; when Stevenson Children’s Camp needed a new baseball diamond, CAW Local 1520 rallied together to meet the need
• Showing compassion for those outside their communities, CAW Local 1520 has always generously provide leadership and dollars to relief funds, like the tsunami in Southeast Asia, the ice story in Eastern Ontario and Quebec, and most recently, the earthquake in Haiti

 

Labour Appreciation Awards

Cindy Aquilina
CAW Local 1520/Ford Motor Company of Canada

Cindy has been on the Ford United Way committee for six years. She was co-chair of the 2009 campaign and steps into the role of chair next year. Cindy is passionate about United Way and its work. She has a great “can do” spirit and doesn’t like to take no for an answer. Cindy takes her role on the committee seriously. She coordinates and volunteers at many of the workplace events and was absolutely pivotal in helping Ford to achieve another successful campaign in 2009.

Laura O’Brien Fargnoli
OPSEU Local 144/ Vanier Children’s Services

Laura has been an enthusiastic Employee Campaign Chair (ECC) for the 2005, 2008 and 2009 United Way campaigns at Vanier. She effectively rallies people to volunteer and participate in events. As an ECC, she started planning the internal campaign in the early summer and set out clear objectives and targets. She worked on special events to raise money and awareness for United Way which resulted in great team building activities for the staff at Vanier. Laura has been instrumental in helping her workplace to increase its funding achievements for United Way.

 

Laura has been an enthusiastic Employee Campaign Chair (ECC) for the 2005, 2008 and 2009 United Way campaigns at Vanier. She effectively rallies people to volunteer and participate in events. As an ECC, she started planning the internal campaign in the early summer and set out clear objectives and targets. She worked on special events to raise money and awareness for United Way which resulted in great team building activities for the staff at Vanier. Laura has been instrumental in helping her workplace to increase its funding achievements for United Way.

Mark Mooney
Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association/ London District Catholic School Board

Mark has been OECTA’s representative at Catholic Central High School (CCH) for the last four years. Over this time, his dedication has resulted in the school’s continued support of the United Way campaign on both and employee and student level. Since 2006, CCH has consistently been one of the top fundraising schools in the London District Catholic School Board. With Mark’s guidance, CCH students make a big impact at the annual United Way Football Games and CCH is often the first school in the board to invite United Way representatives into the school. Mark is dedicated, hardworking and passionate about his role and promotes the campaign through many exciting events.

Ingrid Gillies
OPSEU/ Ministry of Transportation

Ingrid had been a member of MTO’s United Way fundraising committee for several years. She had to step down due to other commitments a few years ago, but still demonstrates a commitment to raising funds for United Way by holding fundraisers, often single-handedly, not only during the campaign, but year round. Ingrid is genuinely committed to United Way and has personally given of her time and efforts, over and over again, to support the cause.

 

Jackie Henry
London Police Association/ London Police Services

Jackie has worked on several United Way campaigns and this year volunteered to be the Employee Campaign Chair. Jackie has put in a significant amount of her own time, before shifts and even while on vacation. Along with being present at staff presentations, the courthouse and police reporting centre, Jackie also organized many workplace events including bake sales, a chili lunch and a time-off-with-pay draw.

 

Dianna Cooper
Ontario Nurses' Association / Middlesex Hospital Alliance

Dianna has been instrumental in running the United Way campaign for the last few years and has volunteered with United Way for the last 15 years. Through her commitment to the Four Counties Hospital campaign, the donations generated have doubled within the last few years. Dianna personally makes a visit to each staff member and presents them with the campaign brochure and pledge form. She has been very dedicated to the campaigns and truly deserves to be recognized for her efforts.

 

Lorraine Green-Speiran
CUPW / Canada Post

Lorraine has been the deputy coordinator of the 2008 and 2009 United Way campaigns. Lorraine regularly goes out of her way and uses her own personal time to get the job done. With her Regional Coordinator, Lorraine orchestrated the United Way campaign for all of the Huron-Rideau region which covers Windsor to the Niagara, Ottawa and up to Northern Ontario. Huron-Rideau region consists of 10,852 employees spread throughout 1,200 retail offices, 110 depots and six mail processing plants. Lorraine is a go-getter and nothing and no one stands in her way when she has a certain goal in mind! You can ask any of her co-workers.

 

Antoinette Martin
University of Western Ontario Staff Association/ The University of Western Ontario

Antoinette Martin has been an Employee Campaign Chair for many years. She has organized very successful silent auctions, bottle auctions and numerous special events and this year secured a flight for two to Dubai. On top of her strenuous work commitments, Antoinette goes above and beyond in the planning and execution of special events to benefit United Way, and her community.

 

Marilyn Robinson
OPSEU Local 109/ Fanshawe College

Marilyn has spent the last two years co-chairing the Fanshawe College United Way committee. In this time, the campaign at Fanshawe has grown by close to 70%. Fanshawe College generously donated Marilyn to the United Way in 2007 as a Sponsored Employee. Marilyn worked hard and with her other Sponsored Employee colleagues that year, was a big part of being able to celebrate a successful campaign. She is dedicated, hardworking and passionate about her volunteer role. Marilyn is consistently supportive of all the other people on the committee and is a tireless promoter of the cause.

 

Rebecca Ruddy
CUPE 101/ City of London

Rebecca has been a very active member of the City of London United Way committee for the past couple of years. She is always willing to go above and beyond the call of duty to assist in reaching the goal. From special events, selling raffle tickets and mailing out letters, Rebecca is diligent in her efforts and always there when needed. She is a true asset. Rebecca truly lightens the load of the other committee members and maintains a high level of energy and enthusiasm that is a welcome attribute while working towards the City of London goal.

 

Donna Robinson
OSSTF/ Thames Valley District School Board

Donna is the teacher and staff advisor of this year’s United Way campaign. She helped the students organize and run many special events that were designed to raise money for United Way and build school spirit. Along with the students and her fellow teachers, Donna spent countless hours of her own personal time, planning and running student activities, counting change and encouraging others to get involved. Not only did Donna and her team focus on putting the ‘fun’ into fundraising but on delivering the message that the money was going to help those less fortunate than themselves. The entire school was transformed for almost two months. With Donna’s help, this dedicated and hard working school community raised an incredible $20,000. This is more than any other single school in the board.

 

Donna Thompson
CAW Local 27/ General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada

Donna has been involved as a volunteer for United Way for at least four years. She is a canvasser and does the jean day collection at the gates every campaign. This year, when one of the key campaign organizers had to take time off for personal reasons, Donna stepped right up and took on the role, canvassing on his behalf, keeping up with bingo sales and the day-to-day campaign duties. Donna’s ‘step-up-attitude’ is a real inspiration.

 

Laura has been an enthusiastic Employee Campaign Chair (ECC) for the 2005, 2008 and 2009 United Way campaigns at Vanier. She effectively rallies people to volunteer and participate in events. As an ECC, she started planning the internal campaign in the early summer and set out clear objectives and targets. She worked on special events to raise money and awareness for United Way which resulted in great team building activities for the staff at Vanier. Laura has been instrumental in helping her workplace to increase its funding achievements for United Way.

 

 

 

 

 

Presenting awards: Campaign Chair Chirag Shah (PricewaterhouseCoopers) and Vice Chair, John Black (CAW Local  27)
Photos: Keith Blackwell