The Soultown! Volume III: Issue 11 NOVEMBER 2019 | Page 20

COMMUNITY SERVICE
Photos by Veridian Credit Union
UAW Retirees Serve 787 Free Meals
IOWA: Veridian Credit Union joined United
Auto Workers Local 838 to host the 38th annu-
al Mike and Leona Adams Thanksgiving Dinner
on Monday, Nov. 25. Volunteers served a tradi-
tional Thanksgiving feast at the UAW Local 838
Union Hall in Waterloo, Iowa for 535 people. The
Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging delivered
an additional 252 dinners to its current Meals on
Wheels recipients. In total, the event served a free
meal to 787 people this year.
The event is named for former Veridian board
member Mike Adams and his wife, Leona. The
late couple built a partnership between the cred-
it union and the local UAW to offer the first free
Thanksgiving dinner in 1982, when many Iowans
“Mike and Leona built a legacy of service-oriented
leadership. We’re grateful for their example,
and it’s our honor to help carry it forward.”
~ Veridian President and CEO Monte Berg.
were impacted by tough economic times and
struggled to make ends meet.
“Mike and Leona built a legacy of service-ori-
ented leadership,” said Veridian President and
CEO Monte Berg. “We’re grateful for their exam-
ple, and it’s our honor to help carry it forward.”
Although both Mike and Leona have both
passed, the tradition that still bears their names
has grown. Each dinner includes turkey, mashed
potatoes and gravy, stuffing, corn, dinner roll,
Nov. 2019 • The Soultown International Magazine • Celebrating 2 years • Connecting Our Cultures to Our Cyber & Conscious Communities • thesoultown.com
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