Seasonal Campaigns >
ORGANIZING YEAR-ROUND
Eastern Service Workers Association (ESWA) runs a series of seasonal campaigns to address the changing needs of ESWA members. South Jersey’s seasonal workers say, “Three months of hurry and nine months of worry” to explain their changing conditions as work hours fluctuate but bills, health conditions and other expenses stay the same. The campaigns are demonstrations of the common interests of all workers with small business owners, students and other community members who participate in them.
Winter Survival Campaign
Statistically, ESWA’s budget-saving Winter Survival Campaign saves at least six lives each winter when our members mobilize to aid one another in preventing disasters, such as utility shutoffs, house fires caused by unsafe heating methods, or fatalities from untreated illness, inadequate nutrition and lack of shelter.
How you can help:
Collect and distribute blankets, jackets, winter coats, scarves, hats, gloves and boots for ESWA members and their children.
Join the winter canvass campaign to reach members and potential members in their homes, where many risk no-heat situations or other emergencies.
Collect safe space heaters for loan and distribution.
Collect high-protein and other staple foods for distribution: peanut butter, cereal, rice, soups, vegetable oil, eggs, beans, lentils.
Join the Winter Watch phone tree to keep in contact with members in vulnerable situations.
Spring Expansion Campaign
Springtime in South Jersey means the end of the state’s winter moratorium on the termination of gas and electric services, and the beginning of a wave of utility shutoffs for low-paid workers. ESWA’s Spring Expansion Campaign organizes additional collections of high protein foods and weekly supplemental food distributions and conducts utility advocacy to keep members’ lights and heat on.
How you can help:
Help run ESWA’s annual Spring Family Brunch & Children’s Egg Hunt to build unity among members and allies in the community.
Help run food drives to collect cereal, rice, beans, tomato products, eggs, cooking oil and vegetables to offset expenses for food so members can pay down debts acquired during the winter.
Advocate to stop deadly utility shutoffs.
Host speaking engagements in your classroom, house of worship, club meeting or other assembly to spread the word.
Summer Survival Campaign
New Jersey officials said at least 29 people, ranging in age from their mid-30s to their 80s, died from heat-related illnesses over just one Fourth of July weekend in 2026. Every year, heat kills more people than all other natural disasters combined. ESWA volunteers and delegates mobilize Summer Watch Phone Trees during heat waves to check on members especially vulnerable to heat-related illness — due to substandard housing conditions and inadequate cooling — and make benefits available.
How you can help:
Join Summer Survival canvasses and go door-to-door in low-income neighborhoods where members have invited ESWA to sign up new members.
Help organize medical education and information sessions with volunteer professionals about how workers can stay safe in the summer heat.
Collect and distribute water, lightweight clothing, fans, window AC units and dehumidifiers to help members keep cool during heat waves.
Provide transportation to cooling centers, including ESWA’s Office Central.
Back-to-School Campaign
The expenses low-income working parents face for back-to-school clothes and supplies can break an already over-stretched budget. Our Back-to-School clothing and supply distribution can save ESWA membership families up to $600 — money that can be used to pay for rent, utilities, food and medicines these families will otherwise be forced to do without.
How you can help:
Help collect and distribute school supplies and new and like-new school clothing and children’s coats for ESWA members and their children.
Learn to advocate for members to overcome barriers to enrolling their children in school.
Volunteer on outreach at local college and university campuses to recruit students who want to get involved.
Holiday Campaign
ESWA volunteers have created budget-saving programs for members to help other members meet seasonal needs such as holiday food basket distributions for Thanksgiving and Christmas time, and holiday toy distributions to parents for their private family gift giving to their children.
How you can help:
Help organize a Trick-or-Treat for Service Workers neighborhood food drive and a Safe and Sane Halloween Party.
Collect turkeys, all the fixings and other holiday food for Thanksgiving and Holiday Food Basket Benefit distributions in November and December and deliver them to members.
Collect toys for distribution to members for their children for private family gift giving.
Join ESWA in organizing a Family Holiday Party for member families.