Posts Categorized: Scholarship

The UFCW Charity Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2026 Scholarship Program.

For more than half a century, the UFCW has supported members and their families through scholarship opportunities, and the UFCW Charity Foundation proudly continues this tradition as young workers become an increasingly important part of our union.

Online applications will be accepted from February 9 through May 10, 2026, from students who have graduated from high school, will graduate in spring 2026, or have earned a GED. Scholarships are worth up to $12,000 over four years, with $3,000 paid directly to the school for each eligible year. Please note that “Part B” of the application is due May 24, 2026.

Past scholarship recipients have gone on to serve their communities in fields such as public service, medicine, law, business, and education. Some have even returned to the UFCW as staffers, organizers, and community activists who contribute to our mission.

You can get more information about the UFCW Charity Foundation’s Scholarship Program here.

UFCW OUTreach scholarship winners who are members of UFCW Locals 7, 324, 663, 1189 and 1518 recently attended the Creating Change Conference in New Orleans.

This is the seventh year that UFCW OUTreach has provided scholarships to the Creating Change Conference, which is the foremost political, leadership and skills building conference for the LGBTQ+ social justice movement. Providing scholarships to UFCW members helps to strengthen new member recruitment and develop new leaders within our union and the broader LGBTQ+ movement.

The UFCW OUTreach scholarships were awarded to UFCW Local 7 member Marie Watson, who is a shop steward at Mission Foods; UFCW Local 324 member Pio Figueroa, who is a SPUR and representative; UFCW Local 663 member Demetri Shada, who is a shop steward at Cub Foods; UFCW Local 1189 member Lee Cutler, who is a shop steward at the North East Area Labor Council; and UFCW Canada Local 1518 member Joe Bustin, who is a shop steward at Save-On-Foods.

UFCW OUTreach also hosted a workshop on “How to Unionize Your Workplace” at the conference’s first-ever Labor Institute. You can learn more about the Creating Change Conference here.

“It’s so important for the UFCW to show our union pride in queer spaces,” said UFCW OUTreach Chair Michele Kessler. “Non-union workers need to be aware where inclusive safe workplaces can be found. Lifting up UFCW 2SLGBTQ+ rank and file members within their union is part of our mission.”

You can get more information about UFCW OUTreach here.