2019 UFCW Charity Foundation Scholarship winners announced

Washington, D.C. – December 14, 2019 – Every year the UFCW Charity Foundation Scholarship program offers nine scholarships worth $8,000 each to UFCW members and their immediate family members to help with the costs of post-secondary education over a period of four years.

Since 1958, the program has awarded more than $2 million in scholarships to recognize UFCW members and their dependents in both Canada and the United States. And each year, one scholarship is allocated to a UFCW Canada member or their dependent. This year’s Canadian winner is Natasha Hayes, a proud UFCW Local 1518 member and university student who works at Save-On-Foods in British Columbia.

In her scholarship application, Natasha talked about the positive role that unions have played in her life:

“As a young student, the union has allowed me to pursue my educational goals successfully while still being able to work part-time. I prioritize my schooling, and the flexible scheduling and fair wages that are fought for by my union on behalf of members have allowed me to attend my classes while maintaining employment.”  

Past winners of the UFCW Charity Foundation Scholarship have gone on to make significant contributions to society and to our union, with many pursuing careers in public service, medicine, law, business, teaching, and with UFCW.

Below is the list of recipients of the UFCW Charity Foundation Scholarship for 2019:

Canada: Natasha Hayes, UFCW Local 1518

Region 1: Rachelle Carmen, UFCW Local 1500

Region 2: Jared Kocher, United Chemical Workers Union (ICWU) Local 45C

Region 4: Bronte Johnson, UFCW Local 1459

Region 5: Emily Stevens, UFCW Local 1995

Region 6: Melissa Holland, UFCW Local 655

Region 7: Erik Van Dyke, UFCW Local 365

Region 8: Michelle Deyski, UFCW Local 770

The application process for the 2020 UFCW Charity Foundation Scholarship program will open in early 2020. To find out more about the scholarship’s eligibility requirements, click here. You can also e-mail any questions you may have about the program to [email protected].