LOCKPORT, N.Y. — It's another week of strikes by the United Auto Workers union.

While strikes were not expanded at the end of last week due to optimism with negotiations, the impact of strikes have been felt in New York.

Dozens of employees at a plant in Lockport were temporarily laid off by General Motors about two weeks ago.

Now, they’re finding other ways to support the cause.

"We would normally be doing some strike duties, but there's nobody striking that's anywhere near us. The closest people are 5.5 hours away," said Paula Cescon. "We decided to give back to our community."

Cescon has some time on her hands. She’s one of 47 GM workers in Lockport temporarily laid off because of ongoing strikes.

“I have to watch what I’m spending now because we don’t know how long the strike is going to last,” she said.

Instead of sitting around, they’re giving back.

“We're just trying to show our presence out in the community, so the community doesn't think the same stereotypical thing that we're greedy auto workers,” said Michael DeLucas, the president of UAW Local 686.

They teamed up with A Hand Up, Inc., a group that’s helped them in the past.

“A lot of our families, because of our wages, needed food from the food pantries," said DeLucas. "They’ve always blessed us with peanut butter and jelly, as little as it seems, but it goes a long way.”

The laid off workers did some clean up in the community, spreading the message about their fight at the same time.

“They don't know or they don't understand what we go through," said Tacshema Truitt, a team member at GM Lockport. "We are literally going to work every day to break our bodies down and they have not given us our fair share.”

GM previously said in a statement, “Our goal remains to reach an agreement that rewards its employees and allows GM to be successful in the future.”

The local UAW says if its members called on to strike, they’re ready.

“Nobody wants to go out on strike, but we need to prove a point and get what we’ve earned,” said Cescon.

The union says if they’re called on to strike, they hope to see community support, whether showing up on picket lines or helping with food and supplies.