76°F
weather icon Cloudy

Emergency Aid seeks holiday spirit — in July

The season of giving is typically reserved for winter, but Emergency Aid of Boulder City is hoping that residents have saved some charity for the summertime.

While the demand for food goes up and the funding goes down, Emergency Aid has partnered with the Boulder Dam Credit Union for its inaugural Christmas in July food drive.

For the entire month of July, Boulder City residents and credit union members are encouraged to drop off canned foods and other nonperishables to the credit union, at 530 Avenue G, to help those less fortunate.

“It’s a community-driven organization of Boulder City,” credit union CEO Eric Estes said of Emergency Aid’s objective. “I’d stack their efforts up against any food pantry in the state for what they do for the community.”

The push for more donations during the summer comes less than two months after the pantry lost $45,000 in state funding. For the past two years, Emergency Aid and the Senior Center of Boulder City split a $90,000 grant for their respective food pantries.

The state denied their application for the upcoming year and designated just 30 percent of its funding for Clark County.

The loss of funding forced the senior center to close its pantry altogether, but Emergency Aid President Marylyn Phillips said Emergency Aid is working hard to find solutions to make up for the $45,000 loss.

“We’ve had to brainstorm to come up with some other ideas to help,” she said. “You never rely on one source.”

One of those ideas was the Christmas in July food drive, although Phillips said she’s also been in contact with staff at Boulder City High School for other alternatives.

“I suggested that we work together with the groups at the high school to do a food drive at the football games,” she said. “Homecoming would be ideal because you have the majority of people show up.”

From January through March, Emergency Aid’s food pantry provided assistance for 1,360 families. That’s a typical first-quarter average, according to Phillips, who said the number of families using the pantry during the first quarter hovers from 1,200 to 1,500.

“Our people are very, very supportive about what needs to be done,” she said.

Phillips said the summertime donations fill in the gap between the holiday season and the pantry’s first-of-the-year food drive. She said the Boulder City community typically provides year-round assistance for those who have a difficult time putting food on the table.

“I have never seen a community that comes together that helps all year-round,” she said.

Donations can be dropped off inside the Boulder Dam Credit Union from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays.

Contact reporter Steven Slivka at sslivka@bouldercityreview.com or 702-586-9401. Follow him on Twitter @StevenSlivka.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Afterschool clubs at Garrett Junior High

Editor’s Note: Class in Session is a new column in which Boulder City schools submit articles written by the principals, faculty or students. It will focus on programs, classes and activities within the school.

BCHS homecoming week filled with activities

Editor’s Note: This is a new weekly column submitted by Boulder City schools, written by principals, administrators, faculty or students. It will focus on events, programs or new classes at the various schools.

Runion excels at both sales and trails

Bret Runion has an uncanny knack of remembering a house he sold 30 years ago, who bought it, who sold it and in what year. And if you give him a few extra seconds, he could probably tell you the coloring of carpeting in each.

Grass removal, water waste prevention offer incentives

Walking my dogs around the neighborhood, early in the morning to beat the heat, I’ve noticed residents being mindful of water usage, taking steps to conserve in multiple ways. Several homes within a six-block radius have removed or are in the process of replacing their grass with desertscape (xeriscape) or artificial grass. Early morning watering schedules are being adhered to – before 9 a.m., for optimal lawn health and water conservation.