January 23 Soroptimist International Crab Feed Benefits Group's East Bay Programs

By Jay Hipps, Hacienda Network Staff Writer

California's crab season may still be on hold but that's not stopping the Soroptimist International 24-680 Crab Feed, to be held Saturday, January 23 at 5:30 pm at the Shadelands Art Center, 111 N. Wiget Lane in Walnut Creek.

"We were afraid we weren't going to be able to find fresh Dungeness crab, but we found it in Washington," says Mary Hanson of Hacienda's Horizon Wealth Solutions and vice president of Soroptimist International 24-680.

The evening will feature prize raffles, a wine raffle, a dessert auction, and a silent auction, in addition to some delicious food. "It's just a fun event," says Hanson. "It's all-you-can-eat with crab, pasta, salad, bread, and dessert."

Soroptimist International is a global volunteer movement working together to transform the lives of women and girls. The organization's network of around 80,000 club members in 132 countries and territories works at a local, national and international level to educate, empower, and enable opportunities for women and girls. Although the organization has a worldwide reach now, the first Soroptimist club was founded in Oakland in 1921.

Proceeds from the event go to the Soroptimist International 24-680 chapter's programs of service and community programs in the East Bay. "If somebody is buying a crab feed ticket they're supporting local women in a couple of areas, including providing recognition to women who are already serving in the community by helping other women, and for high school girls who are involved as volunteers, recognizing them with financial rewards that are typically used for scholarships," Hanson says. "We also help women who are rebuilding their lives - typically heads of households who are going back to school, giving them some money to help them make that transition."

Another regional program of the Soroptimists, though not specifically supported by the crab feed, is Get Real Academy. "We invite senior high school girls to come to an all-day event where they learn about life - how to balance a checkbook, how to interview for a job, how to dress for an interview, how to avoid domestic violence," says Hanson. "These are skills that seniors in high school should have but they don't, and they walk away from this day and send us these amazing thank you notes."

Tickets for the crab feed are $55 and are available by calling Mary Hanson at (925) 785-1415. "We have a capacity of 275 and we're expecting at least 250," she adds. For additional information on the 24-680 chapter of Soroptimists International, including additional information on how the group's programs benefit women in the East Bay, access www.soroptimist24-680.org. Other Soroptimist International chapters in the area are Tri-Valley (contact Lisa Foster at 925-360-9186) and San Ramon Valley (contact Teresa Karlson at 925-719-7117).

For information on the parent organization, go to www.soroptimistinternational.org.

Also in this issue...