Alcoa workers raised $13,000 to feed needy families

A Christmas ham and all the fixin’s. That’s what more than 500 needy Davenport-area families are getting today, thanks to employees at the Alcoa plant in Riverdale. Annette Trnka of Alcoa says she and her aluminum-making co-workers have been saving all year for the charity program. Workers have been saving their pop cans all year for the deposit or the metal itself and the money goes into the kitty. Employees also donate their coffee money throughout the year. This year, it was $13,000. Trnka says the employees suggest names of people that need help during the holiday season. She says the needy families are in all sorts of difficult situations, living alone, raising several kids and grandkids, or taking care of a relative with a terminal illness — the stories make you grateful for what you have. The boxes were assembled this week, complete with big hams and a variety of goodies.