News Release -- Reliant Community Credit Union Donates $1,000 worth of Books and Bears to City, Invites Community to Match Gift

City of Rochester

News Release

Update - Dec. 9, 2016: Reliant concluded its collection campaign December, and donated more than 1,000 books and bears to the Rochester Police Department. View images of the donation here>>   


Reliant Books and Bears donation(Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016) – Reliant Community Credit Union made a donation of $1,000 worth of new children’s books and stuffed animals to Mayor Lovely A. Warren’s Books and Bears program today and announced the start of a one-month campaign for community members to make their own donations at local Reliant branches.

“The Books and Bears program is a wonderful example of how a small gesture can lead to great things – which is the essence of community policing,” said Mayor Warren. “When officers take the time during a busy and hectic event to acknowledge the presence of young children, they are showing those children that they are not invisible, that they matter and that we care about them. I want to thank the Reliant Community Credit Union for supporting this wonderful program. This gift will make a huge impact in the lives of our most vulnerable children.”

“At Reliant, giving back to the communities we serve is a big part of who we are and Books and Bears is a great example of a program that gives back to those who are at the heart of our communities: children and families,” said Pamela Heald, Chief Executive Officer and President of Reliant Community Credit Union. “We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with this worthwhile program, and we’re excited to be able to offer Reliant’s branches as locations where the community can come together to make a difference

Police Chief Michael Ciminelli accepted the donation on behalf of Mayor Warren.

Books and Bears collects donations of new children’s books and stuffed animals, which patrol officers carry in their cars to give to young children whom they might encounter at a crime scene or some other traumatic event.

The Reliant donation comes at a time when the City’s supply of books and stuffed animals is nearly depleted.

In addition to the Tuesday’s donations, Reliant will host collection boxes at each of its nine area branches through the end of November. Members of the public will have an opportunity to use these boxes to make a donation of new children’s books or stuffed animals in their original packaging to the Books and Bears program.

The Reliant branches are located at:
• Brockport branch: 6265 Brockport Spencerport Rd (located within the Brockport Walmart Supercenter), Brockport, NY 14420 

• Canandaigua branch: 3255 County Road 10, Canandaigua, NY 14424 

• Geneva branch: 990 Routes 5 and 20 (located within the Geneva WalMart Supercenter), Geneva, NY 14456 

• Henrietta branch: 1200 Marketplace Drive (located within the Henrietta Walmart Supercenter), Rochester, NY 14623 

• Irondequoit branch: 625 Titus Ave., Rochester, NY 14617 

• Macedon branch: 1520 Victor Road, Macedon, NY 14502 

• Newark branch: 205 N. Main St., Newark, NY 14513 

• Sodus branch: 10 Benton Place, Sodus, NY 14551 

• Webster branch: 870 Holt Road, Webster, NY 14580

To learn more about Books and Bears, visit www.cityofrochester.gov/booksandbears/.