Since its founding, the IBEW has firmly believed that improvements in the workplace and one's service to the community go hand in hand.

The first Constitution in 1891 contained a lengthy Preamble outlining the goals of the new organization that included this passage: "We formed this brotherhood, having for its object the elevation of our social and moral standing, not only among other branches of industry, but in the community at large."

In 1929, the Preamble was replaced by the Objects, but the belief in community empowerment remained. To this day, the last of the Objects reads: "to elevate the moral, intellectual and social conditions of our members, their families and dependents, in the interest of a higher standard of citizenship."

Here are a few examples from the IBEW's history that show that principle of community service at work:

 1937 IBEW Radio Joins the Red Cross

In January 1937, a massive rain and ice storm struck Cairo, Ill., which sits at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. When the levees holding back the Ohio River broke, it unleashed a devastating flood displacing tens of thousands of people in an instant. The Red Cross was first to the scene, setting up headquarters at the courthouse in nearby Charleston, Mo.

On Jan. 23, the radio crews of several St. Louis stations — Local 1 members — took up shop at the courthouse, assisting the Red Cross 24 hours a day for the next 13 days. "The engineers were doing their best to provide firsthand and up-to-the-minute conditions in the danger zone," wrote W.J. Keller of Local 1 in the March 1937 Electrical Worker. "These men did great work relaying messages for the disaster administrator and the Red Cross over our lines."

Eventually, a 36-ton barge named the Sara McDonald helped ferry flood victims to safety, and on board were Local 1 members who had installed two 100-watt shortwave transmitters to coordinate the rescue.

 1940 Local 40 and the March of Dimes

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt founded what we now call the March of Dimes in 1938 with the goal of developing a vaccine to polio, a disease that could lead to paralysis and that afflicted the president himself.

The call was heard by unions across the country. By the end of 1939, Hollywood, Calif., Local 40 had raised $16,000, the most of any local. Leading the effort were Business Manager Al Speede and office secretary Lucille Lynch, and in recognition of this achievement, Speede was appointed to the executive committee of the AFL in California.

Drawing on the enthusiasm of IBEW members, the committee brought in $30,000 the next year. "Here is a chance to show everybody that unionism is doing all in its power to ameliorate conditions for all mankind," Speede said in the May 1940 issue of The Electrical Worker. His slogan of "Today it hits the other fellow; tomorrow it may be you," applied directly to Local 40. Thanks to Speede's fundraising efforts, the son of a fellow Local 40 brother, M.E. Donegan, was able to receive life-saving treatment for his battle against polio.

 1959 Teaming Up With the United Way

"IBEW members and locals have always responded spontaneously and wholeheartedly when community emergencies arose," International Secretary Joseph Keenan said in 1962 at the 27th Convention. "Which is why in 1959, I appointed a member of my staff, Donald H. Fancey, as coordinator of community service activities."

Fancey's mission was to bring to members' attention the needs of the nation and available services that addressed them. One of his efforts bore fruit in 1962, when the IBEW and the United Way joined forces to offer training seminars to local unions so members could find and help service programs in their communities. Fancey led several of these initial seminars, including a joint conference of United Way directors as seen in the bottom photo at right.

 1987 The Union of Hearts and Minds

Shortly after his appointment as international president in 1987, J.J. Barry launched an initiative called The Union of Hearts and Minds that encouraged locals and industry partners to work together to strengthen their communities.

"IBEW members go beyond providing heat and power for the public," Barry said. "We have a heart. Our members volunteer their skills to renovate schools, hospitals, and buildings for the homeless; we donate to blood banks and food banks; we light up cities for the holiday season. Hearts and Minds is a salute to the brothers and sisters throughout North America who are always ready to lend a hand."

An example of a successful collaboration was the creation of Kid Kare in the U.S. and Smart Fox in Canada, two community-watch programs for children in need. The goal of each program was to teach children that utility trucks were safe places to go if they needed help, especially when police or other public authorities weren't nearby.

The program consisted of a training course taken by utility employees and IBEW truck crews. Once completed, these members partnered with elementary and middle schools to present the program to students and offer educational materials for teachers and parents. If a child needed help, the union workers would use their radio to contact emergency services. The slogan for the program was "Kids have friends in high places." Local 602 in Amarillo, Texas, was one of the first to adopt Kid Kare in 1989, partnering with Southwestern Public Service Co. In 1991, Smart Fox was launched in Canada at Local 339 in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

 1991 Convention Proceeds

At the Centennial Convention in 1991, delegates passed a resolution recognizing the Hearts and Minds campaign and its legacy of service. "The IBEW has always contributed to organizations that enhance the general well-being of the community," stated Resolution No. 32. "And we urge our local unions to appoint a community service committee to … assist members and their families in the communities in which they reside." Hundreds of local unions have since formed these committees, solidifying the IBEW's commitment to service at every level of the organization.