Members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 94 and Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) donated lunch today to volunteers administering COVID-19 tests at Crenshaw Christian Center.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, members of ILWU Local 94 have donated meals to essential works in an effort to lift spirits and show their gratitude. Since March, the union and its members have donated more than $15,000 worth of lunches and dinners to firefighters and health care workers as well as groceries to local church food banks.
“When we started bringing meals to essential workers in the spring, we had no idea that these efforts would become such an important part of the union’s community giving program,” said ILWU Local 94 President Danny Miranda. “We extend our heartfelt thanks to the volunteers performing these critically needed COVID-19 tests. We look forward to the day when these testing sites are no longer needed but until that day comes, Local 94 will be standing shoulder to shoulder with our fellow essential workers.”
Lunch was provided from Busy Bee Market in San Pedro. Busy Bee has been a frequent partner with Local 94, providing a discount on lunches, allowing the union to make the most of its donations.
Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer, whose district includes the Crenshaw Christian Center, joined union members today to distribute lunches. Members of Los Angeles Fire Department Station 57 also attended the lunch. Jones-Sawyer distributed personal protective equipment weekly throughout the pandemic, and provided other supportive services for those impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
“The pandemic has been an opportunity for Californians to pull together and support one another,” Jones-Sawyer said. “I want to thank the volunteers who have been at this testing site for months, helping Angelenos to stay healthy, as well as the members of Local 94 who continue to give back to our communities while they keep cargo flowing through our ports.”