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I ran into a boy who was my student in grade 2 at the UFT’s Thanksgiving meal  for homeless students. When I decided to volunteer for the luncheon, I never expected to end up crying. My former student and I recognized each other right away, and he didn’t leave my side all day.

It all hit home for me when I saw him there. How sad I was to see him and his family going through a housing crisis, but how great it was to see him having fun that day with the other kids away from the shelter.

I’ve always worked at schools where the students confront challenges like poverty and language barriers. Our work as teachers goes beyond the four walls of our school. The UFT makes us aware of all the different ways we can help kids and give them the things they don’t have.

— Jennifer Colonna, 3rd-grade teacher and co-chapter leader, PS 192, Brooklyn

You want to do good. The UFT gives you the power to have a greater impact.

WHAT WE DO FOR OUR STUDENTS

Dial-A-Teacher provides free homework help to elementary and middle school students from classroom teachers. Students can call on weekday afternoons on days when school is in session and get help in any of eight languages.

Be BRAVE Against Bullying is a UFT campaign to combat bullying in schools. The BRAVE campaign offers professional development for educators and resources for parents. The UFT also operates a hotline for students who need a counselor to talk to about bullying.

The Albert Shanker Scholarship Fund awards nearly $1 million in scholarships each year to academically excellent and financially eligible students from New York City public schools.

The union’s partnership with the Coalition for the Homeless benefits thousands of children living in city shelters. Together, the union and coalition distribute donated school supplies and host Thanksgiving and Christmas meals where homeless children receive holiday gifts and winter gear donated by members. Each year, UFT members also donate formal wear for proms to students in need.

WHAT WE DO FOR THE BROADER COMMUNITY

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer draws thousands of UFT members each year, making the union one of the top fundraisers for the Strides walk sponsored by the American Cancer Society. Go Pink is an annual day of action when educators dress in pink to raise awareness about breast cancer.

The UFT Disaster Relief Fund was founded after 9/11 to help members who lost loved ones in the attacks. The union and its members plunged into the relief effort in city communities devastated by Hurricane Sandy. Member donations to the fund also help relief efforts overseas when natural disasters strike.

The UFT Community Learning Schools Initiative helps students from low income neighborhoods thrive by reducing the barriers to education. Each of the UFT’s 28 community learning schools has become a hub for the community by providing health and social services, after-school programs, academic programming and more to students and their families.

— Compiled by Hannah Brown