Portland Local Toy Drive Is On!

As you know, the holiday season is right around the corner. As we prepare to give gifts to our friends and family, working people across our region are struggling to provide holiday cheer to their families due to layoffs, injuries or other economic hardship.

For the past 12 years, Labor’s Community Service Agency has provided a happy holiday to struggling union families with its Presents From Partners event. The toy drive and Giving Party help unemployed families throughout the greater Portland area enjoy the holidays in a grand way. With the help of hundreds of dedicated local union volunteers from across the labor spectrum Presents From Partners decks the halls of with festivities, food and gifts galore. Over 400 children and their families were served in 2018 alone and thousands of toys and gifts were donated by generous members of organized labor.

The Portland Local has been proud to donate gifts to Presents From Partners for years, and to send volunteers to LCSA’s holiday party … but we know our local can do so much more for union families who are struggling this holiday season. That’s why we’ve “thrown down the gauntlet” and challenged our sibling local in Seattle to a “Holiday Toy Challenge!” We’re asking our members to participate by dropping unwrapped toys in one of the Presents From Partners drop boxes (please contact staff for locations). 

Take a picture of your donation at the drop-off location, and email that, along with a copy of your receipt to portland@sagaftra.org. Deadline for submitting donations for the challenge is Friday, Dec. 6. Toys donated after that date, while still greatly appreciated, will not be counted as part of the Portland vs. Seattle challenge.

The local donating the most toys will not only earn bragging rights, but will have the opportunity to witness members of the losing local sing YOUR STATE SONG!