A man hands a balloon animal to a young daughter being held in her father's arms.
Two student volunteers smile while making tamales.
Two ESWA members do art activities with their small children at ESWA's Family Holiday Party.
A photo of a DJ and a large crowd at a festively decorated pavilion for ESWA's Anniversary Celebration.
A group of ESWA members making tamales together.
A student volunteer does face painting for a child of an ESWA member.

SEASONAL CAMPAIGNS

ESWA members select winter clothing at an outdoor distribution.

Winter Survival Campaign

An ESWA volunteer speaks to a woman with two children on a street corner during a membership canvass.

January-March

  • Collect blankets, jackets, scarves, hats, gloves and boots for members and their children

  • Join the winter canvass campaign to reach members and potential members in their homes, where many risk no-heat situations or other emergencies

  • Collect safe space heaters

  • Collect high-protein and other staple foods: peanut butter, rice, soups, vegetable oil, eggs, beans, lentils

  • Join the Winter Watch phone tree to keep in contact with members in vulnerable situations

Young children in action searching on a lawn during an egg hunt.

Spring Expansion Campaign

A professor works with a young child to pot flowers at an event.

April-May

  • Help run ESWA’s annual Spring Brunch and Children’s Egg Hunt to help build unity among members and allies in the community

  • Help run food drives to collect rice, beans, tomato products, eggs, cooking oil, maseca and vegetables to assist with debts acquired during the winter

  • Sign up as a bilingual volunteer

  • Begin supply drives for fans, air conditioners and other items to help members keep cool in the heatwaves to come

  • Host speaking engagements in your classroom, house of worship, club meeting or other assembly to spread the word

A team of volunteer doctors present medical education and information to a group of ESWA members.

Summer Survival Campaign

A group of members and volunteers wearing large brim hats.

June-September

  • Join Summer Survival canvasses and go door-to-door in low-income neighborhoods where members have invited ESWA to sign up new members

  • Help organize medical education and information sessions with volunteer professionals about how workers can stay healthy in the summer heat

  • Collect and distribute water, brimmed hats, light-weight long-sleeved shirts, sunscreen and personal hygiene items

  • Collect and distribute fans, window AC units, dehumidifiers and swamp coolers and their supplies

  • Advocate to stop deadly utility shutoffs

Three children of an ESWA member proudly display new backpacks.

Back-to-School Campaign

An ESWA members selects children's books at a distribution.

July-August

  • Help collect and distribute school supplies and new and like-new school clothing for ESWA members and their children

  • Learn to advocate for members to overcome barriers to enrolling their children in school

  • Volunteer on outreach at local college and university campuses to recruit students who want to get involved

An ESWA member with children with costumes during a Trick-or-Treat activity.

Holiday Campaign

An ESWA member does an art activity with her young child.

October-December

  • Help organize a Trick-or-Treat for Service Workers food drive and a Safe and Sane Halloween party

  • Collect and distribute costumes for member families enrolled in a participatory budget-saving program

  • Collect turkeys and all the fixings, and holiday food, for Thanksgiving and Holiday Food Basket distributions in November and December and deliver them to members

  • Collect toys for distribution to members for their children

  • Organize a Family Holiday Party for member families

Voice of the WBC

ESWA Members Take Action Against Attacks on Workers

Membership delegates representing fellow members from the same occupation, worksite or neighborhood attend meetings of the Central New Jersey Workers Benefit Council (WBC) to discuss and determine the practical actions necessary to advance their economic and political betterment. The programs listed below are examples of actions begun and led by the WBC.

A volunteer medical doctor uses stethoscope to check an ESWA member's chest.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

Organize for Better Health

Nationwide cuts to public health, a closure of two fully functioning hospitals in Trenton, poverty, labor exploitation and climate change have left low-income workers with chronic untreated, but treatable, illnesses. Doctors and other volunteer health care professionals have joined to deliver free, preventive health care and health education to thousands of members, and won victories holding the government accountable to the public health needs of low-income workers.

Volunteer organizers march with signs reading protect people over profits in front of the State of New Jersey Board of Public Utilities office.

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

Fight for Affordable,
Sustainable Energy for All

As thousands of low-income workers face electricity shutoffs each month, billionaire investor-owned utilities reap enormous profits. ESWA members have mobilized to dozens of public hearings to fight for affordable energy, an end to shutoffs and to demand the state Board of Public Utilities (BPU) put an end to utility profiteering while directing energy monopoly profits towards the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). WBC mobilizations over 20 years have caused the BPU to reduce or cancel billions of dollars in profiteering utility rate increases.

An ESWA member with her family after winning back unpaid wages.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

Combat Wage Theft

ESWA is building a new type of labor organization as more than 90% of the nation’s workforce lack the benefits of unionization, many of whom are ineligible under government labor laws. ESWA works 365 days a year to advance the conditions of all workers, starting with the lowest paid, while also standing in solidarity with organized labor and furnishes support to union efforts to secure better treatment from their employers. ESWA benefit advocates and volunteer attorneys have succeeded in winning back wages stolen from ESWA members.