Calgary – January 14, 2019 – For UFCW Canada Local 401 members, the 2018 holiday season was a time of action and generosity. From gathering clothing, presents, food, and other charitable donations, to hosting holiday movie nights and Christmas parties for kids, UFCW 401 members participated in over a dozen holiday initiatives across the province through their union community.

“The holiday season is an important time of year – a time for family, and a time for pause and reflection,” says UFCW Canada Local 401 President Douglas O’Halloran. “We are so pleased that so many members have found their union to be a place where they can engage their communities and express their spirit of togetherness and generosity,” he adds.

Below are some of the initiatives that UFCW 401 members participated in over the 2018 holiday season:

• In early December, the second annual Kids’ Christmas Party was held at the UFCW 401 Members’ Centre in Calgary, where over 150 children and their parents got a chance to meet Santa, eat food, participate in fun activities, and open presents.
• In Medicine Hat, members organized a free family movie night, where over 100 people gathered at the Monarch Theatre in their pajamas to enjoy movies, popcorn, and refreshments.
• In Red Deer, members held a Christmas party and movie night that was attended by over 300 people at Carnival Cinema. There they watched movies, ate pizza and candy bags, and took photos with Santa.
• With cold weather approaching, members in Hinton, Edmonton, Camrose, and Wetaskiwin held successful clothing drives throughout December to gather warm clothing for those in need in their communities.
• In Grand Prairie, Theresa Jorgensen, a Local 401 Shop Steward from Superstore, gathered donations for the Odyssey House Women’s Shelter, an initiative that provided much-needed personal care items to families facing difficult situations.
• Finally, Local 401 staff from across the province participated in holiday initiatives that gathered food bank donations and gifts for children’s charities.

UFCW 401 would like to thank all the members who planned, promoted, and put together the fun and important holiday events mentioned above. We would also like to thank members who make a difference throughout the year, through their many acts of generosity and solidarity. May your activism flourish in 2019 and beyond!

UFCW Canada Local 401 is Alberta’s largest private sector union, representing hard-working men and women in the food retail and processing, warehousing, hospitality, and education sectors, among other industries. To learn more about UFCW 401, visit their website.