This is what we union THUGGS do for each other in times of need...

Nance Prendota (L) and shop steward Darlene Gonzalez.

...we help them.

When Nance Prendota and her family were burned out of their home, her Teamster brothers and sisters came to the rescue.

Nance is a Teamsters Local 777 school bus driver for Illinois Central School Bus in Aurora, Ill. In mid-January, she woke up to a glow in the hallway. It was a fire that quickly destroyed her family's mobile home..

Nance, her husband and their two sons were all inside when the fire broke out. Nance’s husband, Brian, tried fighting the fire himself, and ended up with severe burns on two-thirds of his body. He is currently at Loyola Medical Center in Maywood, where he is being treated for burns and smoke inhalation.

Teamsters Local 777 reached out to Teamsters international union organizers in the Aurora area for their help. In just days, staff organizers (and former school bus drivers) Shelley Goodman and Dean Phinney collected 14 nights worth of points at the Hampton Inn from their colleagues so that Nance and her family would have a place to stay. Money has also been donated to Nance and her family for travel to and from the hospital to visit Brian.

Courtney Bell, business agent for Local 777 in Lyons, Ill., writes:

The Teamsters are a family; we support one another. We are resilient, strong and overcome the challenges we face in life. A BIG thanks to all the International Brotherhood of Teamsters organizers for reaching out a helping hand during this Teamster’s time of need.

To read more about the Teamsters' work to raise the safety standards of school buses and the living standards of their drivers, check out http://driveupstandards.org/.

And remember, THUGGS stands for 'Those Helpful Union Guys and Gals.'