Posts Tagged ‘day laborers’

Day Laborers Served by Catholic Charities Begin Christmas Season with Blessing of Virgin of Guadalupe Statue

Tuesday, December 4th, 2012

Fr. Elio blessed La Virgen de Guadalupe statue on Sunday, December 2, 2012, at St. Peters Church in Yonkers after day laborers served by Catholic Charities collected funds to purchase it.

The laborers plan to bring the statue of the Blessed Virgin to the homes of neighbors during Posadas, a Mexican tradition during the Christmas season that dramatizes the search of Joseph and Mary for lodging.

Day Laborers help Hurricane Sandy Victims

Wednesday, November 21st, 2012

by A. Kenny

Fifteen volunteers from Obreros Unidos De Yonkers, a group of day laborers in the Yonkers area served by Catholic Charities, accompanied Catholic Charities staff on Sunday, November 18, to help people in the New Dorp neighborhood in a Staten Island whose homes were destroyed by Hurricane Sandy.  Donning work gloves and masks they responded to requests, moving from house to house to break down walls, remove crumbling sheet rock and pull out destroyed furniture.

Catholic Charities has an ongoing involvement with Obreros Unidos De Yonkers, a group of approximately 300 day laborers in the Yonkers area. Through this program, Catholic Charities educates workers on employment rights and responsibilities in order to prevent exploitation and abuse. Catholic Charities also assists in the collection of unpaid wages, helps workers get access to healthcare services, provides emergency food, and offers English language and computer skills instruction.