The UFCW and March of Dimes are working together to improve maternal and infant health by addressing access to quality care, workplace protections, and the social factors that shape pregnancy outcomes for union members and their families.
As part of the ongoing Labor of Love platform — and as March of Dimes’ designated national charity partner — UFCW members have raised more than $5 million for the nonprofit since the relationship began in 2022. Donations have come through sporting events, auctions, March for Babies teams, and more.
Photo one: UFCW International President Milton Jones and March of Dimes partner Kaye Page at this winter’s board meeting.
Photo two: UFCW Local 2008 team at a sporting clay event in Arkansas earlier this year.
Photo three: Pictured left to right: Kaye Page, March of Dimes labor and retail engagement executive, Domenic Pontrelli, UFCW Local 328 secretary-treasurer, and Tim Melia, UFCW Local 328 president (retired) pose with a really big check at a golf outing in Rhode Island earlier this year.
See how your local can get involved in this year’s fundraising events. And check out the UFCW locals that are currently leading the charge.
March of Dimes puts these funds to work through research, data, advocacy, and education programs.
“The UFCW Charity Foundation is committed to supporting organizations that make a real difference in the lives of working families,” said UFCW International President Milton Jones. “March of Dimes has led the fight to improve maternal and infant health for decades, and we are proud to stand with them in this important work. By joining forces, we have the opportunity to help even more families access the care and resources they need for healthy pregnancies and strong futures.”
The March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center Texas Collaborative — which includes The University of Texas Medical Branch and The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center — is the newest hub in the Prematurity Research Center network. The Texas Collaborative combines cutting-edge technology with population health research to discover, validate and advance new approaches to preventing and treating preterm birth.
Specifically, researchers are studying how nutrition may affect pregnancy outcomes and using new technologies to identify and test potential treatments for preterm birth. March of Dimes also champions policies like the PREEMIE Act to improve health equity, reduce preterm birth, and prevent maternal mortality, just one of the many bills the organization advocates for, 65 of which have been signed into law.
At the grassroots level, March of Dimes’ Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Family Support programs provide family education, staff training on patient-centered care, and emotional support to 50,000 families each year at sites across the country as they navigate a NICU stay.
These programs have helped UFCW members directly, including Daniel Scott of UFCW Local 1996, Patrick Nuzum of UFCW Local 655, and Dylan and Kristin Gustus of UFCW Local 2008.
Be part of the partnership to give working families the best possible start. The March of Dimes and the UFCW partnership guide has info about volunteer opportunities and advocacy tools.