Warm coats, cuddle toys and nourishing food were among the gifts that UCOP staff gave back to the community over the 2013 holiday season. From Franklin’s Let There Be Warmth drive to UCPath’s Going to the Dogs fundraiser, here’s a wrap-up of the contributions you made to keep spirits bright for those in need:

UCOP staff came out to support the 28th annual pre-Thanksgiving bake sale and raffle, hosted by the Office of General Counsel (OGC) on Nov. 27. The sale, raffle and silent auctions netted more than $4,500 for local charities, including:

• Alameda County Community Food Bank: $2,063.15
• First Place for Youth: $2,063.15
• East Bay SPCA: $429

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The Giving Tree drive, hosted by UCOP’s Latino Staff Association, brought in gifts and smiles to 227 very low-income children who otherwise would not have had any gifts for the holidays. The kids submitted their gift wishes for posting on the Franklin holiday tree (thanks to Christmas Home) which OP staff then plucked off the tree and brought in gifts to match their requests. Find lots of photos of happy kids on the Family Giving Tree’s Facebook page.

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The annual UCOP holiday party Let There Be Warmth drive collected hundreds of sweaters and coats for the City of Oakland Holiday Dinner, held on Dec. 23 to support the homeless and low-income families. Organizers Michael Kusiak and Ethan Davis estimated that UCOP staff donated about 500 coats and sweaters. That’s a lot of warmth.

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Employees at the UCPath Center in Riverside also got in on the charitable action, holding two holiday drives. They raised $166 for the Animal Friends of the Valley in Lake Elsinore. Staff from each of the five UCPath Center departments also adopted a needy area family and delivered bikes, dolls, scooters and other toys to them through the Riverside-based Salvation Army.

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Franklin’s holiday food drive collected a whopping 516 pounds of food during November and December. These donations also went to the Alameda County Community Food Bank, which serves one in six county residents through its network of 275 soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters and other community organizations located in every corner of Alameda County.

Thanks to the entire UCOP community for your holiday giving spirit.

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