“The Hawaii State AFL-CIO Labor and Community Services Program will help our continuing efforts to improve educational services and increase student achievement at Dole Middle School. We are grateful for your generosity and support of public education,” says State of Hawaii DOE Superintendent Keith Hayashi.
Hawaii’s Unions gathered in a Labor of Love to make campus improvements for the students and community of Dole Middle School. Over 350 volunteers from 23 unions, teachers, staff, students, businesses, and community partners volunteered their time and talent at Dole Middle School on Saturday, April 15th.
Each year, the LCSP selects a Title 1 public school to support. The program works closely with the school to coordinate how union members, businesses, and community partners can assist the school and its students. The estimated value of the contribution to Dole Middle School is over $85,000, thanks to the generous donations from Hawaii’s unions!
When the students came back to school, they were greeted with new benches made by the Masons Local 1, a washer and dryer and new water bottle filling station installed by the electricians of IBEW 1186 and the Plumbers Union, new AC units, newly painted campus by DC-50 and many other unions who lent a helping hand as unions and its members want to improve the learning environment for our keiki.
In addition to the Labor of Love volunteer workday, we hosted a Union Career Pathways event to raise awareness and connect students and the community to good union jobs. Hawaii State AFL-CIO President Randy Perreira says, “When our community is facing ever-increasing costs and new challenges, Hawaii’s labor unions remain committed to fighting to raise living conditions and improve the quality of life for all citizens. Our Labor of Love project is where all unions combine their talents and resources to improve a needy school. Today our union members proudly demonstrate that labor unions in Hawaii are more relevant than ever as we showcase our skills and commitment as valuable members of our local community.”
Principal Mavis Tasaka says ʻʻAt DMS, we work to provide a nurturing learning environment that fosters a sense of belonging. This amazing project will allow us the opportunity to create a place where our students can display PRIDE (Persistence, Respect, Integrity, Determination, & Excellence) and our community can feel a part of our DMS Ohana." This project is a true collaboration that takes many partners to be successful.
Mahalo nui loa to all supporters who share our goal of helping our young people thrive.