During the COVID-19 pandemic, working people across the United States have stepped up to help out their friends, neighbors and communities. In our new Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of those stories every day. Here's today's story.
The Philadelphia chapter of the A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI) organized a food distribution for the suburbs of Collingdale and Darby Township, Pennsylvania. Community volunteers joined with members of APRI—including National Vice President Richard Womack (CWA) and chapter President Thelma Clements—to hand out food to some 300 people in need.
“I have been working with the Philadelphia APRI chapter to organize community leaders, elected officials and church leaders to come together at this time to provide breakfast and lunch for kids every Monday and Wednesday, and to do major food distributions once a week in different suburbs of Philadelphia,” Womack said. “APRI is uniting labor and the community together to make a difference.”
Various neighborhood churches and grocery stores donated food, and the event was held in conjunction with Collingdale Mayor Felecia Coffee and state Rep. Maria Donatucci. APRI members said they were glad to be a part of this community event and to represent organized labor by helping working families. In a statement, they quoted A. Philip Randolph, who said: “At the banquet table of nature, there are no reserved seats. You get what you can take and you keep what you can hold. If you can’t take anything, you won’t get anything; and if you can’t hold anything, you won’t keep anything. And you can’t take anything without organization.”