GIVING BACK
LEFT: Volunteers continue to pack and distribute food throughout the week.
SUPPORTING FAMILIES IN NEED LOCAL 17 DONATES $2,500 CONDENSER TO COMMON GROUND CAFÉ Common Ground Café in Haverhill, Massachusetts isn’t your usual coffee shop. For nearly 10 years, the Café has worked with elderly, low-income, and homeless individuals to meet basic needs for food, clothing, housewares, and personal care items. Any community members in need are welcome to visit the Café for a warm cup of coffee and a space to socialize. Local 17 member Wayne Zanchi is one of the many dedicated volunteers who help run Common Ground Café. During cold New England winters, the Café serves as a warm space for homeless individuals in the Haverhill area. But this summer, Zanchi noticed the Café was much less comfortable. Without a compressor, the Café didn’t have air conditioning on long summer days when temperatures can top 90°F.
Thanks to the hard work and generosity of Local 17 members, Common Ground Café will be a comfortable place for volunteers, community members, and visitors all year round.
When Zanchi shared the story with Local 17, our Brothers and Sisters stepped up. This fall, members of Local 17 installed a new condenser for free — an in-kind donation valued at $2,500.
TOP RIGHT: Business Agent Mike Sheehan, Member Wayne Zanchi, Common Ground Café Director Ron Mills
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Learn more about Common Ground Café at cgmcafe.org.
BOTTOM RIGHT: Wayne Zanchi wrote a letter to Local 17’s Executive Board, asking for a condenser to complete the Cafe’s recent renovations.
