IAM Western Territory locals celebrated the life and memory of the late IAM Grand Lodge Representative Maria Santiago Lillis by working with community organizations that serve in a capacity that honors Sister Maria’s legacy.
IAM Local 1998 worked with their partner and neighbor, “The Pantry – Honolulu.”
In just a few hours on Aug. 10, Lillis’s birthday, the Local 1998 team was able to impact and serve 601 households, feeding 1,533 individuals and distributing 26,849 pounds of food.
This is the third year that IAM Western Territory Grand Lodge Representatives Byron Williams and Janet Suster led the local in partnership with The Pantry, which happens to be located right next to the local’s office.
“We like working with The Pantry because their impact on the community is really just amazing,” said Williams. “The unique thing about The Pantry is their non-traditional way of distributing food and necessities.”
The Pantry allows recipients to shop online for donated items in the same way people order groceries for pickup, reducing waste and granting agency and dignity to those who are getting help.
“Maria Santiago Lillis left a legacy of helping those in need,” said IAM Western Territory General Vice President Gary R. Allen. “Her commitment to the less fortunate is the definition of the second part of the IAM’s motto: ‘Service to the Community.’”
“It was Maria’s dream philosophy to help people who can’t help themselves,” said Suster. “This is just our way of giving back and honoring her memory and we are always striving to do better. We want to eventually help with things like substance abuse, as Sister Maria was a substance abuse counselor. Our goal is to put our community service towards something she cared about so we can honor her that much more.”
Recipients of The Pantry pick up their orders of food and necessities drive-through style, and volunteers, including Local 1998 members handle putting together orders and getting them into people’s hands.
“I pray that our angel (Maria Santiago Lillis) continues to smile on the work and legacy that she inspired for this union and local,” said Williams. “Thank you to the IAM Western Territory as always for their continued support and reverence for Sister Maria and our ohana.”
Other locals in the Western Territory also took part in ACTS to honor Sister Maria.
Local 794 made a monetary contribution to the Community Foundation of Lincoln County. Wildfires have devastated several New Mexico communities, namely Ruidoso in Lincoln County, where many union members reside.
The local also sent delegates to the biennial gathering of the New Mexico Alliance For Retired Americans on Aug. 10, where they had one-on-one time with members and staff of the alliance’s delegation, which advocates for union retirees, including IAM retirees. The meeting prepared local delegates for phone banking and member-to-member conversations about upcoming elections, and Local 794 retiree Virgil Thompson was reelected as the state alliance’s Recording Secretary.
Local 993’s Women’s and Community Services Committee partnered with Aviva Children’s Services for the group’s annual Sew-a-Thon, during which volunteers sew bags for foster children to keep their belongings instead of trash bags.
This is the Local’s fourth year participating in ACTS, and Local 993’s volunteers were tasked with counting the sewn bags. After seven hours of sewing, the final count this year was 2,775 bags for foster children, 175 more sewn than last year.
The IAM designated Aug. 10 as “Maria Santiago Lillis Advocacy Day – A Commitment to Serve (ACTS)” in memory of the late Western Territory Grand Lodge Representative who was a tireless mentor and fierce advocate for workers’ rights, human rights, and social justice, tackling the most contentious issues with grace while treating everyone with dignity and respect.
WATCH: Maria Santiago Lillis Advocacy Day
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