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Food Drive Helps Area Care Homes
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Central Valley Community Resources (CVCR) held a Thanksgiving Can Food Drive to provide meals to three Residential Care Homes in Riverbank. According to Darlene Barber-Martinez, CVCR Board of Directors, the CVCR effort collected enough food to feed approximately 35 people. A turkey was donated to each home. An employee from SaveMart in Riverbank donated a turkey so the CVCR could give it away to a family in need after hearing about the Food Drive. The members of the following organizations also assisted with the drive: the Women’s Democratic Club, Stanislaus County Democratic Central Valley Committee, and The Riverbank Chamber of Commerce.

CVCR makes resources, knowledge and expertise available to help coordinate services and programs for individuals, families, and seniors. The CVCR works to develop partnerships that serve the needs of the diverse community, with the goal of empowering all to be self-sufficient.

Board of Directors members for CVCR include Arlene Figueroa, Silmia Thorn Sermeno, Miranda Morales, and Deonna Smith. The organization is located at 3218 Santa Fe, Suite B, in Riverbank.

Meanwhile, a couple of other holiday drives are continuing and are also working toward a goal of helping community residents in need. To that end, the Riverbank Cares organization is hosting a food drive through mid-December.

Residents are asked to drop off food donations at one of the following Riverbank sponsors: Riverbank City Hall, WestAmerica Bank, O’Brien’s Markets in Riverbank and on Roseburg in Modesto, Riverbank Galaxy Theatre, St. Frances of Rome Catholic Church, Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Department, Riverbank Library, Fair Deal Market, Riverbank Suave Dental and Riverbank TSW Financial Services. Donations are being accepted now through Wednesday, Dec. 18.

All donations received will be distributed to local residents in need on Friday, Dec. 20 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Riverbank Community Center, 3600 Santa Fe. There is no registration required and senior citizens and disabled residents can call by Thursday, Dec. 19 for home delivery.

If you or someone you know is in need this Christmas season, contact Riverbank Cares at 209-480-6548 or 209-863-7153.

The Riverbank Cares Committee, WestAmerica in Riverbank and O’Brien’s Market are also joining forces to offer the Adopt a Grandparent holiday effort.

The program will work as it has in previous years: visit O’Brien’s Market or the WestAmerica Bank branch in Crossroads Shopping Center between now and Tuesday, Dec. 10 and you will find “ornaments” on the Christmas tree giving you information for a senior resident of the Riverbank Care Facility; their needs or wants are also included. Once you select the senior you want to ‘adopt’ this holiday season, it is important to record your choice with the staff of the market or the bank. This will allow for tracking so no one is left out. As you go about your holiday shopping, purchase the gifts and return them to the market or the bank, unwrapped, in a gift bag (remember to return the “ornament” with the gift so recipients can be checked off the list). Gifts should be returned no later than Tuesday, Dec. 10.

For those who do not have time to do the shopping, cash donations are accepted as well and the organizers will do the shopping for you. For additional information, contact WestAmerica Bank at 209-869-2469 or stop by O’Brien’s Market in Riverbank.