USW Cares: SOAR Chapter 7-34-2 President to Receive Jefferson Award

On Wednesday, June 1st, fourteen USW Jefferson Award winners from all over the United States and Canada are convening to be recognized during the International Executive Board meeting taking place at Linden Hall in Dawson, Pennsylvania.

Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees' Jeff Rains, nominated for his constant and impactful volunteer organizing, is a 2016 Jefferson Award winner.  As president of SOAR Chapter 7-34-2 in Illinois, Jeff has continued to serve the USW even in retirement. If anything, he is more active now than ever.

Jeff and his fellow retirees have organized countless volunteer activities; including creating Christmas care packages to send to service members overseas, cleaning up the Arlington wetlands, and maintaining two community gardens to grow produce to donate to the needy.

 

Local Eagle Scouts have lent a hand to Jeff in creating an educational ‘ozone garden’ for area schools to visit. The garden will nurture milkweed plants and be a safe haven for the monarch butterfly as well as feature solar panels for reusable energy.

Kids are what drive Jeff to stay committed to his many causes. This is the seventh year that SOAR Chapter 7-34-2 has sponsored scholarships for graduating high school seniors, and he, along with his church, also run a program called TWIGS, which hands out around 50-80 lunches every day to kids during the summer while they’re not in school. For some of them, it’s the only meal they get throughout the day.

 

“I want the next generation to have the same opportunity that I did,” Jeff said. “I have time now and I benefitted from what people did for me in the past.  I think it’s my turn to step up to the plate.”  That's a real member making a difference in young people's futures.  Congratulations Jeff!  #USWCares 

If you or your local is doing good things, we want to hear about it! Click Here to share articles, videos and photos with us and don’t forget to use the #USWCares hashtag and give a shoutout to @Steelworkers when you post your stories on social media. Please submit a nomination for a Jefferson Awards at usw.org/uswcares.

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