Local 342 Members Donate Hundreds of Toys to Children in Need of Holiday Cheer

Dec. 18, 2012 - PRLog -- Members of UFCW Local 342, a labor organization that emphasizes service and enriching the local communities where its members work, recently donated and delivered over 800 toys to children throughout New York City and Long Island. The locations they visited, Angel Guardian Home in Brooklyn, Our Lady of Mount Carmal St. Benedicta in Staten Island, and Calvary Chapel Island of Grace in Holbrook, were thrilled to have generous Local 342 members bringing holiday cheer to much deserving children in their communities.  Local 342 represents nearly 10,000 workers in the retail food, wholesale food processing, distribution and manufacturing industries. Local 342 members work at employers ranging from A&P, Pathmark, Waldbaum’s, and Food Emporium, to Stop & Shop and King Kullen as well.      

Each year, Local 342 members truly look forward to providing these children some happiness during the holiday season.  In return for their generosity, all Local 342 members wanted to see were huge smiles on these children’s faces as they were given gifts they would have never been able to enjoy under normal circumstances.    

For Margaret Brescia, a 28 year member of Local 342 and a Deli worker in a Waldbaum’s on Staten Island who volunteered at Our Lady of Mount Carmal St. Benedicta, witnessing the genuinely happy reaction of the children made it all worthwhile.  “This is what holidays are all about,” Margaret said.  “There is nothing like seeing a smile brought to a child’s face.  It truly makes me feel overjoyed.”          

Overall, 2012 continued a holiday toy drive tradition that Local 342 started many years ago.    Fortunately, because of the kindness of the membership, this beautiful tradition has only grown since it first began.

According to Anthony Dimaiuta, a member from a Stop & Shop in Brooklyn who volunteered at the Angel Guardian Home, the increased outpouring of gifts from the membership is not surprising.  “Local 342 members are great people who love to do things for charitable causes,” Anthony said. “It makes all of us feel good.”