CSEA Establishes Disaster Relief Fund to be Administered by United Way of New York State

ALBANY, NY (01/16/2009)(readMedia)-- CSEA – New York's leading union – has established a Disaster Relief Fund that will facilitate the union's response when disasters strike in New York State. The CSEA Disaster Relief Fund will be administered by United Way of New York State.

"This fund means that there will always be support available from our union for appropriate disaster response," said CSEA President Danny Donohue. "We know that we will be able to rely on United Way to make sure the money gets to where it can do the most good, quickly and efficiently."

"Just as important, the CSEA Disaster Fund provides us with an established fund that individuals, CSEA locals, and others can contribute to in a crisis and support in preparation for future disasters," Donohue said. " It will make it easier for us to respond to a crisis by having this fund in place."

"We deeply appreciate the generosity of CSEA in establishing this fund," acknowledged Susan Hager, United Way of New York State's President. "United Way will use these funds to assist with unmet recovery and relief needs that often fall off the public's scope in the days or weeks following the disaster. CSEA members already support United Way and other charities in their communities in addition to being first-rate volunteers. Their thoughtfulness in establishing this fund for future use is but another reminder of how valuable CSEA is to New York's children and families."

The fund is being established with an initial $50,000 provided by CSEA's International union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees – AFSCME.

CSEA represents nearly 300,000 members statewide. CSEA members are primarily public employees performing every kind of work in every part of New York. The union also has a growing membership in the private sector. Off the job, CSEA members work hard to improve our communities, supporting numerous organizations and causes with time talent and money.

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