A Caring Hand

During the Christmas Seasons our hearts go out to those in need. Too often, though, its just a fleeting thought. The hustle & bustle of the holidays drowns out the cry for help. Take a moment and bring life into perspective. Lights and tinsel will pass, but to a hungry child, a homeless man, or a lonesome senior, Christmas is a grim reminder of their state of being. Follow your heart and offer a caring hand to those in need.

Below is a list of organizations to which you can share your life with others less fortunate. Give a Caring Hand and have a very Merrry Christmas.

See how others are helping

Members of the Yosemite Corvette Club of Merced
gathered in the Save Mart parkinglot to start the day

Inside the store, they bought hams
and other food as well as toys

Cans of food were dropped into the container for the Food Bank inside the Save Mart grocery store.

Loading up the corvettes with food and toys

First stop - Toys For Tots... to give toys for needy children in Merced County

Then on to the Rescue Mission to deliver Hams and other food for the Rescue Mission's Christmas Dinner

The Yosemite Corvette Club of Merced did their part, now its your turn. Please give generously to those in need.

December 14th - 7:00am to 6:00pm
15th Annual Flanagan Realty Drive-Thru Donation
Drop off canned goods, coats, blankets, or new unwrapped toys
Flanagan Square - 2098 G Street, Merced
For more information, call 722-4337

BBVA Compass Bank
3065 G Street

Salvation Army
For information, call 383-4225

Firefighters & Kops for Kids
For information, call 384-4185

Merced County Food Bank
For information, call 726-3663

Merced Rescue Mission
For information, call 722-9269

BloodSource
724-0428

Or Contact Your Home Church

See how others are helping

U C Merced club, American Women Making a Difference,
collected a boxed food enough to feed 520 people for the Holidays.

Scholle Packaging, one of United Way’s strong partners, showed their generosity again when they so graciously donated 15 huge Thanksgiving Baskets to Valley Crisis Center.

Travis Credit Union Brings Holiday Joy to the Merced and Atwater Communities

This holiday season, Travis Credit Union members and employees are reaching out to the community and people in need by taking part in the Merced County Food Bank’s Annual Food Drive, Merced Rescue Mission Thanksgiving Dinner, Fire and Kops for Kids Toy Drive 2011, Adopt a Family and Adopt a Senior Program, Coats for Kids and the 2011 Children's Miracle Network Holiday Stocking Campaign.
Each year Travis Credit Union helps the working poor, seniors, single parents and the homeless in Merced County through their annual food drive. Credit union employees, members and the general public are encouraged to bring non-perishable foods to the Travis Credit Union branch located at 1194 West Olive Avenue in Merced and 981 Bellevue Road in Atwater, Monday, November 23 through January 31, 2012.
Another way Travis Credit Union is helping others this holiday season is through the 2011 Fire and Kops for Kids Toy campaign and Coats for Kids campaign. A specially marked barrel to collect the donations of clothes blankets and toys for needy families throughout the city can be found in the branch until December 24, 2011. Donations from the coat drive go to local families in Merced County.
Additionally, the branch is supporting the Children's Miracle Network Holiday Stocking Campaign. Travis Credit Union employees and members can purchase and sign as many paper stockings as they want for $1 each to support the health needs of children. The stockings are available for sale and will be displayed at Travis Credit Union branch from November 24 through December 23, 2011.

Travis Credit Union Brings Holiday Joy to the Needy

Proceeds from this year's campaign will go to Children's Hospital Central California in Madera County. Last year members and employees donated more than $6,200.
The Atwater and Merced branches will also be participating in Adopt a Family and Adopt a Senior programs, in which branch staff will sponsor a family and senior for Christmas and purchase gifts from the family’s wish list. Additionally they donated turkeys to the Merced Rescue Mission for Thanksgiving.
“Through these programs and others like them, we’re reaching out to people in need,” stated Loretta Villegas, Merced branch manager of Travis Credit Union.
“We are proud to be helping the community and at the same time making a difference in people's lives,” said Andrea Baptie, Atwater branch manager of Travis Credit Union.
Headquartered in Vacaville, California, Travis Credit Union is a not-for-profit cooperative financial institution serving those who live or work in Alameda, Colusa, Contra Costa, Merced Napa, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, and Yolo Counties. Currently, Travis Credit Union is the 12th largest credit union in California with more than 175,000 members and more than $1.8 billion in assets. As one of the leading financial institutions in Solano, Contra Costa, Yolo, Napa and Merced Counties, Travis Credit Union’s strength lies in its faithful commitment to its members and the community; its solid, secure history; and its long-standing track record of dedicated service.