This article was provided by Maureen Serafini with the Hollister Women’s Club.
The Hollister Women’s Club was started in 1913. We are a service organization and thanks to our fundraising efforts and generous donations by our club members and local businesses we are able to give back to our community with financial assistance and volunteer support. Our budgeted items include Community Food Bank of San Benito County, Emmaus House, Girl’s Inc., San Benito Arts Council, Small Steps, Sueños House, NCYLS Leadership Conference, and Holte Dinners.
We are members of Loma Prieta District-Area B in the California Federation of Women’s Clubs and General Federation of Women’s Clubs. We are a service organization and one of the largest and oldest international women’s organizations founded in 1890.
We also have a high school scholarship program and have put forth many fine young ladies from our community and aided them on their way to college.
Some of our Special Projects are, Laundry to Literacy, (L2L), a project in 2014 by our then President Laura Lee. This project was started to put thousands of books into the hands of children every year. Three local laundromats serve as “libraries” for the stacks of books our volunteers leave for the children to read or take home, free. We accept new and gently used books in both English and Spanish. Pacific Scientific has graciously donated funds from their employees for this cause. In conjunction with this, our own Krystal Lomanto (Superintendent of Schools), incorporated a program entitled Footsteps2Brillance, a literacy program that allows families of children through third grade, to access an array of interactive games, fun and engaging e-books and activities. The app is free and after downloading it will not require an internet. It is on Apple as well as Android phones. Schools are able to track the progress of the child. A sticker is put in all our L2L books that has a QR Code that opens new worlds to these children.
Our Flamingo Project is the first two (2) weeks in April, when, under cover of darkness, teams of “Flockettes” place a flock of flamingos in front yards. Funds are donated to continue flocking someone else. This is our most popular and largest fundraising effort.
The Comfort Care Backpack Project provides brand new backpacks filled with items needed for two days (toiletries, books, clothing, school supplies, personal items) and used for children ages newborn through high school who need to be removed from their homes. Backpacks are distributed by CPS, Kinship, Emmaus House, and Chamberlain’s Children Center. Materials and money are donated by Women’s Club Members and individuals in our community.
Trim a Tree is a project put on by the Hollister Downtown Association. The HDA gives us a “theme” prior to the morning of the Lights on Parade and our Club decorates a Christmas tree that is judged and then donated to a family for the Holiday Season.
Just for more fun, the Women’s Club has a Bunco Group and a book club.
Behind every successful woman is a tribe of other successful women who have her back.
We have a terrific bunch of members! Our lunches are the 2nd Wednesday of the month, September through May at Paines Restaurant. Reservations are required the Monday before by noon by emailing womensclubofhollister@gmail.com or calling (831) 673-9056.