SEIU 1021 members came together again at DeFremery Park in West Oakland on Saturday, August 8, to help local students get ready for the new school year.

Members from the SEIU 1021 East Bay Region and AFRAM Chapter volunteered to distribute approximately 200 backpacks, school supplies, and snack bags to Oakland students in grades K-12. The event was the second of two back-to-school giveaways organized by members in Oakland this month.

“We wanted to make sure that SEIU played a major role in supporting our communities,” said Derrick Boutte, SEIU 1021 Region C Vice President and AFRAM Chapter President. “Our whole thing is to make sure that we’re supporting the community of Oakland and making sure our youth have an opportunity to get a good start as they begin the school year.”

For Wanda Gilbert, an Alameda Health System Chief Shop Steward and Oakland native, giving back was also about making sure neighbors see their union as part of the community.

“I believe the community needs to see that we are here. We exist, and we’re here to give back,” Gilbert said. “We want to introduce young people in the community to what unions are and what we do. It’s also a way for the community to communicate with us and let us know what their needs are.”

SEJ community liaison, Custodial supervisor for the San Francisco Unified School District and Member volunteer Anthony Mills summed up the spirit of the day simply: “It’s important that SEIU 1021 and the community stay linked with one another. They’re not alone. We’re here.”

Through events like the backpack giveaway, SEIU 1021 members are showing that solidarity doesn’t stop at the workplace. It means showing up for our families, our young people, and the communities we serve.