Around Town, (12-16-14)

Clothes giveaway

The Bethesda Apostolic Faith Church will hold a Community Clothes Giveaway from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at 1822 Canal St. in Merced. There will be clothes for men, women, boys and girls available, and each family will receive a bag of food. Call (209) 726-0533 if you have questions.

Spirit of Christmas luncheon

The 23rd annual Spirit of Christmas luncheon will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Boys & Girls Club, 615 W. 15th St. in Merced. The dinner is free and open to all. Participants will also receive free groceries. To donate or for information, call Joe at (209) 726-5251.

Blood drive

BloodSource Merced is hosting its 2014 Season of Giving drive until Dec. 31. Blood donors will receive a commemorative T-shirt and other items. Last year more than 900 people gave blood, helping to save more than 2,700 lives. The group hopes to collect more than 1,000 donations this month to help 3,000 local patients in need. BloodSouce is at 382 E. Yosemite Ave., Merced, and 1040 W. Monte Vista Ave., Turlock. For more information, go to www.bloodsource.org or call (866) 822-5663 to schedule a donation appointment.

United Way needs coats

The United Way is sponsoring a coat drive to benefit those in need in the community. New or slightly used coats can be dropped off between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at United Way of Merced County, 658 W. Main St., Merced.

Christmas Eve service

The Christmas Eve Service of Candlelight and Carols will be 6 p.m. Dec. 24 at the Le Grand United Methodist Church in Le Grand at the southwest corner of Washington and Adams streets. The public is invited to share in the celebration.

No Tea Party meeting

The Merced-Atwater Tea Party will not hold a meeting this month. The next regularly scheduled meeting is Jan. 15 at the Atwater Memorial Building in Atwater. The program will be announced at a later date.

World Dance course

A World Dance course is being offered through Merced College Community Services on Wednesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Merced College in Gym 4. The cost is $40 per person per six-week session, the first of which begins Jan. 14. Applicants can register for free online at www.mercedcommunityservices.com.

Fundraiser for crime walks

Feet Changing Lives, the organization that maintains Merced Ceasefire walks, plans its second annual fundraising dinner at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 21 at the Merced Senior Center, 755 W. 15th St. Tickets are $25 per person. The doors open at 5:30 p.m. For details or to buy tickets, call (209) 676-9824, (209) 600-9458 or (209) 769-3050. Or email feetchanginglives@gmail.com.

This story was originally published December 15, 2014 at 7:40 PM with the headline "Around Town, (12-16-14)."