Multiple business, organizations work to help longshoremen waiting to get back to work

BALTIMORE — One month following the collapse of the Key Bridge, Baltimore continues to come together to help those who’ve been impacted. 

This includes many longshoremen who are still waiting to get back to work at the Port of Baltimore.

“You never think it’s going to happen to you,” said Baltimore longshoreman Michael Heckner. “We were planning summer vacations and everything. Everything has been put on hold.”

Heckner is one of thousands of longshoremen whose jobs have been put on hold due to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

“You know it has been a struggle. I personally have only received two unemployment payments and that’s it. Everything has been on hold and it has been a nightmare getting money together,” Heckner explained to WJZ. 

Ronald Bird has been a longshoreman for more than two decades. He told WJZ that financial assistance has been inconsistent for the last few weeks. 

“This is the first time I have ever experienced something like this. Unemployment and dealing with hardship,” said longtime longshoremen Ronald Bird.  

Saval Foodservice and their suppliers saw their needs and teamed up with the International Longshoremen’s Association Local 333 to make sure they receive continued support. 

They invited hundreds of other Baltimore Longshoremen affected by the bridge tragedy for lunch, and to pick up free groceries. They supplied enough groceries to feed nearly 1,000 families. 

“When something like this hits so close to home we try to help out in any way we can,” said Brian Saval the VP of Saval Foodservice. 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is also chipped in to help.

Friday, the church teamed up with the Maryland Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) to donate and deliver $10,000 worth of supplies including diapers and baby formula for families with young children.

“To be able to help in any way that we can to kind of lessen the burden and ease the load on these individuals and families,” said one leader a part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

“We sought out different resources and have been doing a number of things,” said Christia Harris with the Maryland VOAD. 

“Everyone donating their time to put this together for us is huge. We are all grateful,” said Heckner.

“I really want to say to the longshoreman family– we have to hold on until this economy gets better,” said Bird.