Seasonal Campaigns
Winter Survival Campaign
Illustration by Donato Giancola
Statistically, EASTERN SERVICE WORKERS ASSOCIATION’s (ESWA) budget-saving Winter Survival Campaign saves at least six lives each winter, as members mobilize to aid one another in preventing disasters such as utility shutoffs, house fires caused by unsafe heating methods, or fatalities resulting from inadequate nutrition, shelter or medical attention. Every year since our founding in 1974, we have been getting food out to hundreds of membership families in low-income communities and keeping members housed through individual advocacy.
How you can help:
Host a collection of food, winter coats and hygiene supplies at your religious community, group, club or classroom.
Volunteer on Operation Winter Watch by visiting elderly and vulnerable members at their homes and organizing a phone tree to contact members who may have lost heat and need ESWA’s benefit program.
Volunteer on a door-to-door membership canvass to reach seasonal workers who often face utility shutoffs, hunger and unemployment during the winter season.
Learn to do utility advocacy to restore shut off gas and electricity services that endanger the lives of low-income families.
Spring Into Action Campaign
While the change in season brings renewed hopes for warmer weather, it is also a time well known in low-income communities for record numbers of utility shutoffs, as wintertime moratoriums end and working families face mountains of unpaid bills. ESWA’s free-of-charge, self-help Benefit Program aids low-paid workers in addressing common immediate needs including emergency food and preventive medical care, while trained volunteer advocates learn how to prevent utility shutoffs plaguing low-income communities. ESWA’s annual Spring Brunch and Children’s Egg Hunt provides an opportunity to celebrate the season, while our supplemental food distributions help to close the gap between income and necessary expenses.
How you can help:
Host a collection of food, spring and summer clothing and supplies at your religious community, group, club or classroom.
Volunteer on a door-to-door membership canvass to reach seasonal workers who often face utility shutoffs, hunger and unemployment during the winter season.
Host speakers in your classroom, religious community, group or club.
Learn to do utility advocacy to restore shut off gas and electricity services that endanger the lives of low-income families.
Summer Survival Campaign
Summer means life-threatening conditions for workers who labor outdoors in scorching heat, or who live in apartments with inadequate cooling in low-income “heat island” neighborhoods. ESWA’s Summer Survival Campaign includes volunteers collecting and distributing fans, conducting utility advocacy to stop and reverse utility shutoffs, building budget-saving distributions to counter rising energy costs, and organizing presentations on staying safe in the heat.
How you can help:
Host a collection of work clothing, food, sun protection or cooling fans at your religious community, group, club or classroom
Learn to run ESWA’s Benefit Office to meet the expanded need for clothing and other material resources by ESWA members.
Invite ESWA speakers to your religious community, group, club or classroom to build material support for the fight for justice for service and temporary workers.
Fall & Holiday Campaigns
ESWA volunteers have created budget-saving programs for members to help other members meet seasonal needs such as holiday food basket distributions for Thanksgiving and Christmas time, and holiday toy distributions to parents for their private family gift giving to their children.
How you can help:
Host a collection of holiday food items and new toys at your religious community, group, club or classroom.
Volunteer on interviews with ESWA members requesting to enroll in Benefit Plan II, ESWA’s year-round budget savings program and special holiday distributions.
Volunteer at Thanksgiving and holiday food basket distributions to assist low-income workers and their families.
Volunteer at the annual Family Holiday Party running games, serving food and assisting with the toy distribution to previously enrolled members.
Volunteer at the toy sort where ESWA volunteers prepare gifts to go to parents for their private family gift giving.