Certified Electrician, a partnership of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 697 and the National Electrical Contractors Association, recently donated $25,000 to the Franciscan Health St. Clare Health Clinic’s food pantry.
The donation was presented to the Franciscan Health Foundation on June 17 at St. Clare Health Clinic in Crown Point, which provides affordable healthcare services to the community. The clinic also stocks a pantry with food and hygiene products for anyone in need.
The pantry relies on donations, but demand can sometimes deplete supplies, Franciscan Health said.
“We go through times when the pantry gets hit pretty hard,” said Renee Kellom, clinic operations manager.
Ryan Reithel, business manager for IBEW Local 697, said union members are always looking to find areas of need in the community and ways to help fill in those gaps.
“Ultimately, we’re able to do this, thanks to the customers that hire our electricians here, locally, because it’s the members’ work hour contributions that add up, allowing us to be able to give back,” he said. “It’s truly a full circle partnership with the community.”
