Plumbing Industry Council Assists 59 Families

Fifty-nine families benefited from the time, talent and donations of local union plumbing contractors as part of the annual "Rebuilding Together St. Louis" event held on April 19.  Plumbing Industry Council (PIC) contractors, supplier members and members of Plumbers’ and Pipefitters’ Local 562 joined together in providing plumbing repairs and home renovations for elderly, low-income and disabled residents in the St. Louis area.
 

Rebuilding Together St. Louis 2008 is a special event the Plumbing Industry Council and Plumbers’ & Pipefitters’ Local 562 are proud to take part in as way to give something back to the community.  Contractor members of the Plumbing Industry Council donated sixty plus service trucks loaded with tools.  A wide array of plumbing products (sinks, faucets, toilets, etc.) was also donated by Plumbing Industry Council affiliate (supplier) members.  Finally, over 300 members of Plumbers’ and Pipefitters Local #562 donated their time and talent to assist those in need.

“The generosity of the local union plumbing industry is an integral part of the success of Rebuilding Together St. Louis,” said Lynne Rajani, Executive Director of Rebuilding Together St. Louis. “It is inspiring to know that we can count on them every year to step up and help.”

The homes for Rebuilding Together St. Louis are selected after being referred to the program by churches, neighborhood and community service organizations. Individual homeowners can also request services of the program. Applications are prioritized based upon needs and qualifications before final selections are made.

“Rebuilding Together is so much more than just cosmetic work — some of the people we help are living in unhealthy and unsafe conditions,” said Marty McClimens, journeyman member, Plumbers’ and Pipefitters’ Local #562, coordinator of the plumbing portion of Rebuilding Together.  “Our members readily volunteer their time, and in some cases when the work is not completed on Rebuilding Together Day, they go back and make sure the project is finished.”

G. Raymond Hefner, Executive Vice President of the Plumbing Industry Council echoed McClimens sentiments stating “this is just another way that licensed, union plumbing contractors give something back to the community by providing quality repairs and installations to those who are in some cases living in unsafe conditions.  We are proud to participate in this worthwhile event and assist those St. Louisans who would otherwise not be able to afford quality plumbing repairs.”
Rebuilding Together is made possible by the extensive volunteer work of many contractor members of the Plumbing Industry Council and Plumbers’ and Pipefitters’ Local562.

Initially, retired tradespersons go to the properties and evaluate the situation and identify the needs of the homes chosen for the event. A tradesperson is then assigned to each home being renovated as the captain. The captain is charged with buying the materials for the work, ensuring it is delivered on time and supervising the volunteers completing the repairs and renovations.

The Plumbing Industry Council is a local, union trade association affiliated with the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors National Association. The Council represents 165 licensed, union plumbing and mechanical companies in St. Louis.  For more information on the Plumbing Industry Council, visit http://www.picstl.com.

Columns