Every year, Labor Day serves as the perfect bookend to summer fun. It marks the time when we prepare our children for the start of school and prepare ourselves for the hustle of our work lives. Labor Day acts not only as the official close to summer, but at its core, is one of our nation's most symbolic national holidays. It recognizes the hard work and sacrifice of generations of Americans, who by virtue of their toil, helped to build our great nation.
As the leader of a nonprofit organization that draws on its volunteers to give back to their communities by engaging in their philanthropic spirit, I can testify to the admirable character of our nation's workforce. In previous posts, I have recounted the amazing qualities of these workers who possess the ability to transform a house into a home for a family in-need.
As a nonprofit operating across the country through our affiliates, we have observed the terrific connection between labor and volunteerism. When we map our affiliate network by area, we have noted that within a 10 state region from Pennsylvania to Illinois, we complete nearly five thousand rehabilitation projects annually. When surveying our volunteers, we have noticed a preponderance of skilled union representation within our volunteer corps. Digging just a little deeper, we also have noticed that many of our affiliates serving communities in these states, were established by union members within the construction trades. From Jersey City to Philadelphia, Dayton to Indianapolis, Chicago to Milwaukee, affiliates were established and continue to draw from the large pool of union contractors.
Our nation's entire workforce has suffered during the ongoing recession. It could be argued that the skilled labor force felt the effects of the downturn more than most. The freezing of credit facilities made it nearly impossible for many developers to find the necessary financing to support their construction projects. Without continuous projects, the skilled trades labor pool was perhaps the hardest hit.
On a personal note, the new realities confronting our union construction trades became evident during a workers appreciation event that I attended in Jersey City, hosted by Rebuilding Together affiliate, Rebuilding Together Bergen County. Many local union members spoke on that hot Friday evening this August. However, it was the remarks of Mr. Jim Mock that resonated with me. Jim is a person who always strives to do more to assist those that are less fortunate. During his emotional remarks, he mentioned that, "many of the members who volunteer their skills and time for the homeowners served by Rebuilding Together, were worse off than the families that they were assisting." Thus, in spite of the disheartening economy, the increasing scarcity of construction projects, and the forced consolidation of union locals, struggling communities continued to benefit from the skill and volunteer spirit of union workers.
According to the National Corporation for Community Service, 62.8 million adults volunteered almost 8.1 billion hours in local and national organizations in 2010, with their service time valued at almost $173 billion. Simply put, volunteerism is not limited to our union skilled trades. Americans, regardless of occupation or employment specialty, give back to their communities in numbers that are unique to our nation. I have heard many stories of the unemployed professionals, who volunteered on Rebuilding Together projects through their employers, and who continue to volunteer on their own, during these difficult times. The motivation for extending themselves to help others is, as one unemployed volunteer remarked to me, "as bad as things might be for me, it is worse for others."
The Labor Day spirit is reflected through the enlightened goodwill of our corporate community by virtue of their support for community service programs. It is evidenced across the country in cities like Charlotte, Minneapolis, and Houston. Within these and many other cities, the generous support of local corporations have enabled our affiliates to build strong and sustainable programs. This has been accomplished through executive engagement on local boards and, most importantly, by the thousands of workers from the same corporations who volunteer their time on critical rebuilding projects within their community.
The labor force who helped to build this country ages ago, continues to live on in today's workforce, dedicating their skills to the continued prosperity of our nation. On this Labor Day, we would like to recognize those volunteers --- skilled and unskilled laborers -- who are helping to make a difference in their communities and at home. To them, I say thank you for a job well done!