NOTE FROM THE LECTURER DAWN TROOK: Writing 10 is a required freshman composition class at UC Merced, one that causes many groans. During Spring semester I had my students perform community-engaged research. My goals were to connect students with the city of Merced and to encourage them to see their writing as impacting and reaching an audience beyond the classroom. The Downtown Project started when I took my morning section on a downtown tour. One of the most striking things we realized was how many helping agencies are located within this shopping district. These students' essays celebrate the diversity and persistence of this locale.

Words by Julie Cordova

It is a Friday evening; a father goes home to his growing family with news that will shake the family’s foundation at its core. He has lost his job, as many others have over the past couple of years here in Merced County, unemployment reaching a peak of 27.1% this January (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). As the sole provider for his family, he worries about what may happen to his two sons, daughter and lastly his wife carrying their unborn child. He knew being fired was inevitable, as his hours began to get cut back and the employee-count at the factory was diminishing before his very eyes. He had been loyal to the company, so he thought he had more time to find a job elsewhere before this happened. He goes home feeling defeated and hopeless, how would he get his family through this, what would become of them? Announcing the news to his family, the wife begins to worry. Their family has been growing so rapidly there had been no time to save money for a case such as this one. The bills needed to be paid and with the baby coming, all hope seemed to be lost within the young family. They saw their future plans crumble and quickly began to worry what the next thing would be they would lose. Little did they know that by simply visiting downtown, the much-needed help this family would soon need could easily be found.

Catholic Charities and Saint Vincent de Paul Society Thrift Store are among two of many agencies downtown ready to help those who have lost it all during these tough economic times in Merced. Both organizations, equally important to the community, have helped keep hope alive in those that have lost it all due to these hard economic times. Merced, once seen as a Mecca for unlimited expansion, has been facing and fighting to keep what the community has so long tried to establish as stable. By simply walking down Main Street, one can clearly notice the varying amount of “mom and pop” shops that fill the street not to mention the number of vacant stores that have been closed down in the same area. Yet, despite the economic crisis, both of these religiously run storefronts are dedicated to help those in the most need.

St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store serves as more than just a second hand store especially to the regulars that frequent it. The supervisor at St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store assured that although the thrift shop had seen a decrease in donations in past months, the shop has recently seen donations begin to rise once again. Moreover, the timing could not be any better; apparently, the increase in unemployment has raised their clientele quite a bit. Looking around the shop it was not hard to notice the little amount of clothing the store actually held within its dull, lifeless walls. Since the increase in unemployment began an increased number of clients have begun to shop at the thrift store due to its lower, affordable prices, yet that was not the only reason. When asked about the lack of clothing in the store the supervisor smirked and stated, “Yesterday was giveaway day…” apparently, there had been a big turn out, which was no surprise to him. The store hands out free clothing to the residents of Merced once a week when “each person is allowed to take two outfits,” the supervisor informed us contentedly.

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