Dorchester, Mass – The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 103 held a blood drive at its headquarters in Dorchester on Thursday, February 16, 2012 to benefit the American Red Cross. IBEW
Local 103 had overwhelming support from members and their families who came as far as Connecticut to
give blood. Local 103 exceeded its goal of 103 participants and was praised by the American Red Cross
for this great achievement.
The event was a kickoff to Local 103’s new member wellness program which the union implemented
in January of this year. Kaitlyn Gambino, Wellness Coordinator for Local 103 said, “I was blown away
by the response of not only Local 103 members, but also their families and members of the surrounding
community because when we asked for donors, we did not know what to expect or the number of
members who would answer the call. We are also really excited about the number of walk-in donors we
had from IBEW Local 103 neighbors.”
“This blood drive is about being there for our community when it needs us the most,” said Local 103
Business Manager, Michael Monahan. “We at Local 103 are proud to be able to contribute and give back
to those in need and help those hospitals who have employed so many of our members over the years.
A large number of Local 103 donors came from the Joint Apprentice and Training Committee Electrical
Training Center, the training school at Local 103 headquarters. “It’s amazing to see that so many of our
apprentices were able to make it here, while juggling work, school and private lives, ” Monahan said. “It
just shows that even though times are tough, especially in the building trades, people are still willing to
give back.”
The blood drive is part of a new approach that Local 103 is taking toward wellness for its members.
Officers said that the key to this new system is prevention and getting members to recognize warning
signs before bigger problems arise. Representatives were on hand at the event from the Local 103
Employee Assistance Program to make members aware of the mental, physical, and financial assistance
opportunities available to them through the union.
Along with giving blood, attendees of the event were encouraged to visit with representatives from several
health care companies to learn about the cost-cutting, and potentially life-saving measures the union
has available for members, including medical imaging through Shields Health Care Group and diabetes
prevention and care through Novo Nordisk.
The American Red Cross reports every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. In fact,
44,000 units of blood are needed every day to meet these needs. The American Red Cross says just one
pint of blood can save up to three lives.
Local 103 hopes to exceed the number of donors next year and has set a goal for 200 donors in 2013.
“The need for blood never goes away, we hope to see everyone back here and more next year, said
Monahan.” Local 103 will double the number of health screening stations and the number of donations
beds for 2013 to accommodate the growing number of donors expected next year and minimize any wait
times to donate blood.