City of Rochester
News Release
(Friday, Dec. 9, 2016) – Reliant Community Credit Union completed its November campaign to collect items for Mayor Lovely A. Warren’s Books and Bears program, resulting in the donation of more than 1,000 new books and stuffed animals to the program.
“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, its members and all the people who contributed to this campaign for supporting this wonderful program. These gifts 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, President & Chief Executive Officer of Reliant Community Credit Union. “We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with this worthwhile program, and we were glad to be able to offer Reliant’s branches as locations where the community could come together to make a difference.”
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.
In October, Reliant kicked off a campaign to host collection boxes at each of its nine area branches through the end of November after donating $1,000 worth of new children’s books and stuffed animals to the Rochester Police Department. Police Investigator Frank Camp and Tracey Miller, Assistant to Mayor Warren, accepted the items collected at the branches this week.
To learn more about Books and Bears and to see an image gallery of the Reliant donation, visit
www.cityofrochester.gov/booksandbears.
### News Media: For more information, contact Press Officer Jessica Alaimo at 428-7135.