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News & Features

Heavenly connection
archived from: 2006-08-31
by: John Franko

The story brought tears to the eyes of the adults.

A little girl wore the same dress every day because it was the only one that she hadn’t been sexually abused in. But stories like this aren’t uncommon for children in programs at Holy Family Institute in Emsworth.

Rebuilding their trust in adults can be a monumental task.

Some 45 union members reached out to bridge that gap through the AFL-CIO Community Services Network, which sponsored a daylong meeting Aug. 16 at Holy Family. “It was an awesome experience,” said Joe Delale, community service liaison for the AFL-CIO.

The gathering gave the adults the opportunity to have a one-on-one encounter with the children. The men played football and basketball with the boys, while many of the women took the opportunity to befriend the girls and converse with them.

David DiMichele, spiritual director at the institute, said the union workers conveyed sincerity and compassion to the young people. “There was a bond that I’d never seen before with adults,” he said. “There was a tremendous connection.”

DiMichele noted the importance of having the children see that not all adults are bad and that even three to four hours of interaction can make a difference. In addition to meeting with the children, union members collected school supplies for approximately 100 Holy Family children. “The people went wild,” Delale said. “We got truckloads of stuff.”

The following evening, a banquet was held to honor people who have attended Community Service Network classes.

As part of the program, the union members presented DiMichele with Giant Eagle gift certificates for the children, and with a big-screen TV and DVD player

. Delale pointed out that the Community Services Network is one of many ways union members reach out to the community. He mentioned toy drives, blood drives and a program that flies sick children and their parents to hospitals.

He also noted union collections that helped repair damage from flooding caused by Hurricane Ivan in 2004.

Other programs have supported the Auberle Home in McKeesport and Focus on Renewal in McKees Rocks.

“This goes on each day,” Delale said. “It’s the best kept secret in America. There are so many things happening.”

Father Jack O’Malley, state chaplain to the AFL-CIO, said the actions of the union members reflect their concern for others.

“A lot of people don’t see organized labor as being that involved in the community,” he said. “It’s an opportunity for labor to give back.”

DiMichele said the children kept asking when the adults would return. He noted that the actions of the adults at the Aug. 16 gathering, and then again at the banquet, were a positive step in healing broken hearts and lives.

“We caught a glimpse of heaven that way,” he said. “The way it should be.”

Holy Family Institute works to help children, strengthen families and preserve the dignity of human life by providing care, education and therapeutic services at more than 15 program sites.

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