Nancy McCurrach of Local Union 1944 is the District 3 USW Jefferson Award winner and the USW Champion Volunteer. She will represent the Steelworkers at the Jefferson Awards National Ceremony on June 22 where she will be eligible to win one of their top awards.
In December 2015 while attending an Amnesty International fundraiser, Nancy heard heart-breaking, first-hand stories from people of foreign countries, including a man named Mohamad Khadmyani, who were imprisoned and tortured for years because they protested civil injustices or had opposing political views.
Around that time, she heard news that thousands of Syrians would arrive in Canada as they fled their war-torn homeland -- 2,400 people were destined for sanctuary in British Columbia, 680 of whom were government-assisted refugees.
Nancy and her friends who are active in the community were moved by the stories they heard at the fundraiser and knew they had to find a way to help the ~20 Syrian & Turkish families taking refuge in and around Port Couquitlam, Nancy’s hometown.
Through their efforts, the Tri-Cities Refugee Welcome Wagon was established. The group tries to make displaced people feel welcome in Canada by integrating them into the culture and lives of their community members and providing them with basic essentials.
For their first fundraiser, they invited local politicians to speak and share information about what different levels of government are doing to support refugees entering Canada. They raised $4,500 which paid for urgent medical treatment and staples for the families, including car seats, transit passes, food, etc. Beyond that, the group takes time to befriend and support their new neighbors by eating meals with them, driving them to school, and teaching them English.
Khadmyani, who now works for an immigrant and refugee settlement agency in British Columbia, acts as Nancy’s liaison to the refugees; he connects Nancy with those in her area who would be receptive to help from the Welcome Wagon.
Currently, the group is building a network of people who get refugees involved in the community and who refugees feel comfortable going to for help.
Nancy is a 4-time cornea transplant recipient due to a rare disease called Keratoconus, and despite her own adversity, she works tirelessly as a volunteer, leader and member to many community and labor organizations outside of the Welcome Wagon.
She is a 7-time Community Spirit Award and belongs to a women's group that supports young women who struggle with poverty and addiction. Once a month, she prepares meals to feed more than 60 women and children at a women’s shelter called Warm Place. There, she also plays games, converses and shares compassion with those who are suffering in her community.
UPDATE: Nancy won a National Jefferson Award at the ceremony on Thursday, June 22. For more information, click here.