Benicia Women's Club nearing 78 years of serving local welfare

(Originally published in the 12/23/15 edition)

   The Benicia Women’s Club capped off a productive year by donating toys to the less fortunate for the holiday season. The toys were donated to the Toys for Tots program and will be distributed through the Benicia Fire Department.

  Children of lower-income families will now be able to enjoy a variety of toys this Christmas, including books, teddy bears, remote-controlled cars, a Captain America shield and a “Frozen” backpack.

   The donations were just one of the many activities the club took part in during the year. Since its inception in 1938, the Benicia Women’s Club has worked to “serve the general welfare of the community,” as member Mary Marino put it. The club has been very active in the community, having planted flowers along First Street and dedicating benches on First and at the Benicia Historical Museum. 

   Marino said the club planted several trees along Military East and East Second Street where a church was operating. Eventually, the church gave way to the Davies Square shopping center- home of Buon Appetito and Nation’s Giant Hamburgers, among other businesses- and the trees were cut down.

   “The Women’s Club got in touch with them and said ‘Hey, you took those trees down,’ and they replanted them,” Marino said. “It was a David and Goliath kind of moment.”

   The club has also provided scholarships to graduates of Liberty High School and Benicia High School and started the Junior Organization in 2014 to get middle school girls involved in the community. 

   “A small group of them went out last weekend to do Christmas caroling around neighborhoods,” Marino said. “They also have fundraisers and support projects.

   Members have also partnered with the Benicia Community Action Council and meet once a month at the Union Hotel, often with a guest speaker. In 2016, the club will mark 20 years of supporting the California reforestation program Pennies for Pines. In that time, the club has planted over a thousand trees. Additionally, 2016 will mark 78 years of the Benicia Women’s Club taking on projects to improve the lives of people in the community.

   “We started in 1938 and are still going strong,” Marino said. 

Benicia Women's Club members pose with toys they donated at December's monthly meeting at The Union Hotel. (Photo courtesy of Mary Marino)

Santa to stop at Fire Department

(Originally published in the 12/4/15 edition)

   Santa Claus is coming to town.

   For the sixth year in a row, Saint Nicholas will be taking a break from supervising his elf workers up in the North Pole to pay a visit to the Benicia Fire Department on Dec. 19, giving children an opportunity to have their pictures taken with the jolly Christmas figure. This event has proven to be a big hit with children and parents alike.

   “Last year, we had approximately 400 people attend the event and we took approximately 170 pictures,” Fire Chief Jim Lydon said. 

   In addition, the Fire Department will be providing crafts to keep kids entertained as well as light refreshments. There will also be an opportunity to donate toys to those in need.

   Benicia Fire Department will be participating in Toys for Tots, the nonprofit organization founded in 1947 to give toys to children whose parents can not afford to buy them Christmas presents.

   “We do encourage people to support our toys program by bringing a toy to that event,” Lydon said.

   The toys must be newly purchased and unwrapped. The toys can be dropped off throughout the Christmas season at Fire Station 11 on 150 Military West, as well as Fire Station 12 on 601 Hastings Drive, The Benicia Senior Center on 187 East L St. and the Family Resource Center at  200 East L St.

   The Pictures with Santa event will take place from 4 to 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 19, in the garage area of Fire Station 11, located on Military West. Additionally, Santa will be in between the AT&T Store and Sport Clips at the Southampton Shopping Center from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays, Dec. 5, 12 and 19. Santa will also be at Pizza Pirate from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 16 and Sunday, Dec. 20. Pizza Pirate is located at 72 Solano Square, off Military East.