Charitable giving isn’t only reserved for the holiday season, as local young adults of the Active 20-30 Club of Turlock are making significant year-round efforts that culminate in their wintertime Kids Shopping Trip.

Each December Turlock’s chapter of the Active 20-30 Club takes students in need in the local community on a shopping trip to provide them with wintertime necessities. On Wednesday evening 50 volunteers congregated in front of Target at Monte Vista Crossings anxiously waiting to be paired up with a student in need to take shopping. Each volunteer is charged with the task of finding warm clothing for their student with the allotted $150 they are given on behalf of the club. The spirit of generosity was palpable as even adults who were not members of the club volunteered for several hours to ensure that each child’s needs were met.

“We have 50 kids signed up each year and we mail home checklists beforehand to find out their needs before they arrive. Mainly kids need the basics like jackets, pants, pajamas and underwear,” explained Megan Bernard, President of Turlock’s Active 20-30 Club.

The annual shopping trip is made possible through the club’s partnership with local principal Linda Murphy-Lopes of Julien Elementary. Murphy-Lopes has been involved with the local 20-30 chapter for 19 years and generates the list of students in need for the club by contacting principals in the Turlock Unified School District. She identifies the students that are most in need and most likely to be able to attend the event. Most children are between the ages of 4 and 12 and come from each school in the district.

 “Our concern is always the kids who need the basics, coats and shoes for instance. It makes Christmas for all of the adults involved but really for the kids too. They are really, truly getting the warm clothing that they need,” said Murphy-Lopes, who largely credited the Active 20-30 Club of Turlock for making the annual event possible even in tough years.

The Active 20-30 Club of Turlock fundraises throughout the year to afford the annual shopping trip — mainly raising funds through their margarita booth at the Stanislaus County Fair and their Wine and Screams wine tasting event in the fall. The club also donates to local organizations including the Boy Scouts of America and gives scholarships to underprivileged students in the area.

The Active 20-30 Club of Turlock meets every second Thursday of the month and includes annual dues. Those interested in joining the Active 20-30 Club of Turlock can contact Jessica Chang-Irish at 262-0770 or by emailing jessjchang@gmail.com.