Last week, Altagracia, a much loved Leo's employee who works swiping GoCards, experienced a serious house fire, forcing her to live in a hotel with her husband and three children. A number of Leo's workers asked GSC members to gather donations of money and food, so we began collecting online donations and reaching out to other student groups to help.

Due to an absolutely incredible response by the student body, in less than a week, we've already exceeded our fundraising goal! (We've ended online donations, but we're still counting on the cash and food you've been collecting.) GSC members will bring your donations to Altagracia on Friday. Thanks for all of your support -- it is truly inspiring to be part of a community that responds so quickly and generously to the needs of one of its members.

If you have collected money or food, please contact Sara sew47(at)georgetown.edu as soon as possible to set up a time to pass on the donations.

GSC wants to especially recognize the work of those who helped greatly in this effort. HOPE (Hoya Outreach Program & Education) immediately sprung into action and organized a collection in Red Square throughout the week. The Corp's stores put out donation boxes as soon as heard the news. Outdoor Ed made delicious crepes to fundraise in Red Square. Also working behind the scenes to spread the word were Nomadic Theatre, the Latin American Student Association (LASA), Eco-Action, many other student groups, and even a few professors who announced this to their classes. (If you've been involved and we forgot to mention you, let us know!)

We look forward to working with all of your in the future to continue building a campus community of respect for service workers.

Thursday, March 13, two workers from the TOS Dominicana factory in the Dominican Republic came to Georgetown. Manuel Pujols and Julio Castillo discussed the fight for better conditions and wages they have been waging at the TOS factory. Workers have experienced intimidation, verbal abuse, forced and unpaid overtime, while Hanes management refuses to address the problems in the factory. Take Action: Write to Hanes!

[This piece was submitted as an Op-Ed to The Hoya]

This Thursday, GSC is honored to host Manuel Pujols and Julio Castillo, two union activists among the many workers fighting for justice at the TOS Dominican, a Hanes t-shirt factory. Click here for more info on the event! Last week, all 15 students in "Sweatshop At Home And Abroad" (a 4-credit course designed & run by GSC members) traveled to the Dominican Republic to meet with workers organizing at TOS and across the country. Check back soon for a full report and photos on the trip!

On Friday 22 February 2007, a group from Georgetown Solidarity Committee and other Georgetown students braved forecasts of freezing rain to inform K Street of Burger King’s misdeeds towards farm workers in Immokalee, Florida. The students were protesting a Burger King on the 1600 block of K Street as part of a larger campaign against Burger King orchestrated by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW). Recently, the CIW brought Burger King a proposal in which Burger King would use its leverage as a major purchaser of tomatoes to pay one cent more per pound of tomatoes picked by a farm worker.