With Special Thanks to Our Members, the New Britain Police: AFSCME Council 4 Celebrates a Season of Giving, Service, and Solidarity

With Special Thanks to Our Members, the New Britain Police: AFSCME Council 4 Celebrates a Season of Giving, Service, and Solidarity

Every holiday season, AFSCME Council 4 proudly joins with our members in the New Britain Police Department to gather toys for the New Britain Recreation and Community Services Department’s annual holiday toy drive—to bring joy, comfort, and hope to children and families in need across the city we call home. While the New Britain Police Department and the New Britain Fire Department hold their annual Stuff-A-Cruiser event, our union gathers donations from our 30000 members, as well as from our AFSCME Retirees Chapter, our dedicated staff, and their families.

As the holiday season progresses, our office fills with brightly colored toys, gift cards, games, books, arts-and-crafts kits, and winter essentials. Together, our union and all of the proud AFSCME members in the New Britain Police Department collect hundreds of presents that directly support children in our New Britain community, during a season that can be especially difficult for many working families.

At AFSCME Council 4, we believe that the work we do in the community is just as important as the work we do at the bargaining table, in the legislature, and in our workplaces. We believe that the labor movement, at its core, is about lifting each other up. At AFSCME Council 4, we believe that the labor movement cannot succeed if workers’ commitment to solidarity stops when they clock out. Working-class solidarity cannot be limited to the workplace; our solidarity must extend everywhere working people live, raise families, and face hardship. That’s what this toy drive represents: each gift is a gesture of solidarity from neighbors who believe in community, compassion, and dignity for all working people.

This annual toy drive has become one of our most meaningful traditions—an opportunity to give back to a community that shows our union so much support throughout the year, and a reminder that public service extends far beyond the walls of our workplaces.

As we mark another year of this tradition, we extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who made it possible—our dedicated members, their families, our retirees, and especially our members and partners in the New Britain Police Department—all of whom gave their time, resources, and generosity. You made this possible, and together, we made a tangible difference for families in New Britain. This effort reflects the very best of public service: working people standing together to care for the communities they serve every day.