Helping Hand fund drive aims to support Mercedians in need

It can be a hardship for anyone to have their purse stolen. For Lilian, it was a disaster.

The Merced woman not only lost all of the personal belongings in her purse. She lost a $1,000 money order she was going to use to pay her rent and take care of other necessities.

Lilian, whose daughter, Shawana, has Down syndrome, was at a loss as to what to do. So she turned for help to The Salvation Army.

“She was such a sweet lady,” Salvation Army board member Elaine Gale said. “I felt so bad for her. This is something that could happen to anyone. I was really glad we could help.”

The Salvation Army is now working with Lilian to help pay her rent and keep her and her daughter housed, said Capt. Joel Boyd of the local organization, which withheld Lilian’s last name to protect her privacy.

Every year, The Salvation Army partners with the Merced Sun-Star to raise money through its A Helping Hand at Christmas campaign, a drive that supports local Mercedians in need. This year, the 30th for the annual drive, organizers aim to raise $55,000 to help the community.

“We all need a little help sometimes,” Boyd said. “That’s why I love the Helping Hands program. This is the most important time of the year for us as a community to gather together and help one another, and there are so many out there with difficult circumstances who need our help.”

Supporting the fund is easy. A payment slip, such as the one printed on the front page of Thursday’s Merced Sun-Star, can be used to mail in a contribution or to drop one off at the Sun-Star office.

For supporters who want the ease of donating electronically, the Army has a website to gather funds designated specifically for the Helping Hand drive. The URL for donations is salar.my/helpinghands.

Helping Hand distributes charity awards of about $400 to each family in need – “some a little more, some a little less,” Gale said. All families seeking help are required to meet with Gale and to provide evidence of their financial situation – utility bills and rent receipts, she said.

Money donated to the campaign also pays for 350 food baskets that allow families to celebrate the holiday with a warm meal.

This story was originally published December 14, 2016 at 5:22 PM with the headline "Helping Hand fund drive aims to support Mercedians in need."