DOING GOOD

By KRISTINA HACKER

Preparing to spend the holidays with family and friends often leads to thinking about those who may be alone, without basic necessities or struggling with a physical or mental illness at this time of year. There are a number of organizations throughout the 209 area that are seeking both monetary donations and volunteers to help make the holidays a little bit brighter for those most in need. Below are just a few of the groups helping to make a difference in local communities year-round.

Amador Tuolumne Community Action Agency

This foothills food bank is celebrating 40 years of helping individuals in Amador and Tuolumne counties find self-sufficiency. ATCAA provides assistance to individuals and families in seven program areas that offer a variety of services to the vulnerable members of our community including: Housing, food, energy assistance, family resource services, youth, early childhood education and additional community services like clothing drives and computer literacy. Get involved by volunteering at the Jamestown Food Bank. Family volunteer night is the third Monday of each month. Show up at 6 p.m., work for an hour or two. Bring the entire family. All ages welcome. For more information on the food bank, call 209-984-3960. For more information on all the programs and services offered by ATCAA, visit atcaa.org.

Merced Rescue Mission

Since 1991, the Merced Rescue Mission has led an effort to permanently improve the lives of those in Merced County who are homeless, those who have been incarcerated or have been imprisoned by their own addictions. The Mission offers shelter for veterans, families, individuals sober living houses, respite care for those experiencing homelessness who are discharged from the hospital, senior meals and more.

For a list of current needs or to make a monetary donation, visit mercedcountyrescuemission. org. The Merced County Rescue Mission is once again coordinating banquets to serve people who are experiencing homelessness on both Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Eve. Both of these events will be held outside in the Behavioral Health Department parking lot between New Directions and the D Street Shelter (200 E. 15th Street). Food donations and meal service volunteers are needed for both Thanksgiving and Christmas to volunteer, call 209-7229269.

Sierra HOPE

This Angels Camp-based nonprofit seeks to instill hope, foster knowledge, encourage sensitivity and provide support in local communities for HIV/ AIDS, other chronic diseases and related social issues. The organization provides HIV testing, HIV/AIDS case management, housing opportunities for people with AIDS, emergency financial assistance, community food pantry, supportive housing for people who are homeless or are unable to afford housing due to a physical or mental disability and HIV and Hepatitis education presentations. There are volunteer opportunities for those to help with community outreach, fundraising projects, marketing, office support and in the food pantry. To learn more about volunteering or to donate, visit sierrahope.org or call 209-736-6792.

Letters to Santa Charity

The Letters to Santa Charity was originally the “wild” idea of Turlock resident and Modesto firefighter Justin Crone. The effort has grown exponentially since its beginning in 2009, with the charity helping over 2,200 local children last year at 16 schools throughout Stanislaus County. Through the program, in-need students are gifted with a new coat, shoes, socks, underwear, pants, a shirt and a toy, and a turkey dinner for their families.

To sponsor a child, visit letterstosantacharity.com or donate via Venmo.

Second Harvest of the Greater Valley

Before the pandemic hit, food that flowed through the Second Harvest food bank warehouses in Manteca were reaching 35,000 individuals a month in an eight-county region. Those being helped ran the gamut from working families slammed by housing cost, struggling single parent households, the elderly on fixed income, families in crisis such as major medical bills and those without jobs. Then COVID-19 hit in March 2020 and the need went up 200 percent. Food being shipped out of the Vanderbilt Circle distribution center in the Manteca Industrial Park to roughly 100 food pantries throughout the region went from 230,000 pounds a week to 400,000 pounds a week. The food bank has been serving as the distribution center for large quantities of donated food from firms as well as items bought through monetary donations for a number of years for San Joaquin County as well six other counties as well — Merced, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Calaveras, Amador and Alpine. The Manteca-based food bank is among 200 similar operations nationwide affiliated with Feeding America.