OTHER WAYS TO HELP
UC Davis Children's Hospital toy drive
The hospital is seeking toys to give to children who are spending the holidays at the UC Davis Health System — in the children’s hospital, pediatrics emergency department, outpatient clinics, Comprehensive Cancer Clinic and MIND Institute.
And some of the toys will go into the hospital’s playrooms and waiting areas, for use throughout the year.
The toy drive is a drive-up affair in the circular driveway at the MIND Institute, 2825 50th St., Sacramento. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday (Dec. 19-22), and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 23.
Due to infection control policies, all items must be brand new.
Here’s a wish list for suggested donations. Or, if you’d prefer, you can purchase items online through the Starlight Children’s Foundation, and they will be shipped directly to UC Davis Children’s Hospital for free.
‘Warm Your Heart Winter Drive’
The Davis campus’s Community Service Resource Center is taking donations of coats, blankets, socks, umbrellas and more to give to Davis’ homeless population this winter. Items collected in the “Warm Your Heart Winter Drive” will go to the Interfaith Rotating Winter Shelter of Davis.
The nighttime shelter moves from church to church nightly until mid-March. The “Warm Your Heart Winter Drive” is expected to wrap up around the same time.
The Community Service Resource Center, a program within the Internship and Career Center, connects campus members to the community at large, while promoting commitment and dedication to service.
The “Warm Your Winter Heart Drive” seeks the following (items can be used, except for socks and personal hygiene items):
- Coats and sweatshirts
- New socks
- Throws and blankets
- Raincoats, ponchos and umbrellas
- Personal hygiene items like toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, etc.
- Sleeping bags
- Cots
Drop-off location is the Community Service Resource Center, 106 South Hall. Normal hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, but check the website for changes.
With this new website, Student Affairs brings together the various ways in which students can receive food aid, and how we as staff and faculty can give and volunteer.
Dozens of Yolo County families will have a brighter holiday season thanks to donations from UC Davis faculty, staff and students.
Thirty-five departments and organizations adopted families through the Short-Term Emergency Aid Committee, or STEAC, with members of the campus community donating groceries and gifts.
“I’m so grateful for what I have and I want to share some with people who aren’t as fortunate,” Lynn Daum, an executive analyst in Academic Affairs, said last week as she and a co-worker sorted a pile of canned vegetables, sugar, stuffing and other groceries for the two families adopted by the Offices of the Chancellor and Provost.
Other volunteers in the Mrak Hall basement filled stockings with candy, gift cards and toy mustaches, and wrapped pajamas, games and puzzles.
“I would love to see his face when he opens this,” one volunteer said as others prepared to wrap a scooter.
The Davis-based STEAC, a nonprofit organization founded in 1967, provides emergency rent and utility assistance, clothing for job interviews, money for prescriptions, and more.
"We at STEAC are profoundly grateful for the participation of the UC Davis departments, offices and student organizations in our Adopt-A-Family program," STEAC volunteer Lynne Rumery said. “I don't believe we could manage without their support year after year. The kindness and generosity shown by the various individuals and departments are very uplifting to experience, and we truly appreciate everything they do."
Holly Guenther, who works in graphic design for Student Health and Counseling Services, said her department has been adopting families since before she came to campus 11 years ago.
“It just feels really good to be able to help out these families in need, and we have the resources here to help provide for them,” she said.
This year, her department adopted four families — one for each floor of the Student Health and Wellness Center and one for North Hall, where the department also has offices.
Here are the campus departments and organizations that sponsored families:
- UC Davis Extension
- Agriculture and Natural Resources Operations Committee
- Veterinary Medicine Dean's Office
- Student Health and Counseling Services
- Accounting and Financial Services Education and Support Services
- Department of Plant Pathology
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology
- Safety Services
- Psychology Student Association
- Departments of Food Science and Technology, and Viticulture and Enology
- Staff Assembly and Human Resources
- Services for International Students and Scholars
- Information and Educational Technology
- Metro Clusters
- MIND Institute
- College of Letters and Science Deans Office
- Accounting and Financial Services
- Office of the Registrar
- Pre-Med American Medical Student Association
- Department of Environmental Toxicology
- Cal Aggie Alumni Association
- Department of Chemistry
- Division of Mathematical and Physical Sciences Center for Undergraduate Advising
- Shields Library
- Biology Academic Success Center
- Office of Research
- Staff Development and Professional Services
- Carlson Health Sciences Library
- Offices of the Chancellor and Provost
- Division of Student Affairs
- University Writing Program
- Department of Plant Sciences
- Biomedical Engineering Student Association Outreach
- Shared Services Center
- Organizational Excellence
Media Resources
Dave Jones, Dateline, 530-752-6556, dljones@ucdavis.edu