Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1367665
80 SAG-AFTRA | Spring 2021 | sagaftra.org Bob Butler E arly mornings are nothing new for SAG-AFTRA National Broadcast Vice President Bob Butler. As a U.S. Navy veteran and a longtime reporter for KCBS, Butler rises early to cover stories, ranging from politics to economics to natural disasters. So, when quarantine began, out of concern for his San Francisco Bay Area neighbors, he rose earlier to be one of the first in line at Costco to compete for the precious necessities that suddenly became impossible to get. "I offered to pick up things for people who needed it, and I wasn't going to charge them; just pay me whatever it cost," Butler said. He has helped hundreds of senior citizens, those with compromised immune systems, parents with small kids and others in his community, connecting through Neighbors Helping Neighbors on Facebook. "I just wanted to make a difference," Butler explained. "The reward is the thanks I get, and especially hand- drawn cards from little kids." This isn't the first time Butler has set out to make a difference. He currently operates Butler Media, a nonprofit that conducts training projects for young journalists in Africa. He has also served as director of diversity for CBS corporation, sat on the board of directors for the National Association of Black Journalists, serving as president from 2013–2015, and contributed to the important work of the award-winning Oakland-based Chauncey Bailey Project. On Jan. 27, Butler was honored as a 2020 Jefferson Award recipient for his volunteer service to the Bay Area during COVID lockdown. A former Local Board member, Butler's lifetime of commitment has truly enriched the community. San Francisco- NorCal Margaret Ann Brady I n March 2020, SAG-AFTRA New England member Margaret Ann Brady found herself out of work for the first time in her life. Prior to COVID-19, she actively worked as an Equity actor in Greater Boston and as a tour guide with the Freedom Trail Foundation. With her professional world shut down and a desire to be active, Brady answered the call to service with mass mask-making. Dusting off her sewing machine, she produced hundreds of masks for the Greater Boston healthcare community, including the Cambridge Health Alliance and the Boston Medical Center, as well as public health clinics serving the homeless. She sewed for friends, neighbors and strangers. Any unsolicited financial contributions were directed to community-based organizations. As a board member of both StageSource, a New England arts service organization, and ImprovBoston, a nonprofit improvisational theater, Brady took a leadership role during the pandemic in advocating and fundraising to keep performing arts and improvisational comedy financially afloat in Greater Boston. Through these organizations and through the Boston chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice, Brady also engaged in political action and community organizing. "Making masks gave me a sense of purpose," she said. "Being put out of work, having no occupation was really hard. For me, making masks gave me a feeling of usefulness, and the fact that it was really needed was an added benefit. I love the feeling of knowing that people all around the community were wearing my masks."