See the Photos from last year’s Golf Tournament.

The event features a 9-hole golf tournament as a four-person scramble with a BBQ Dinner to follow.

• Check-in at 12 pm
• Tee off at 1 pm
• Four-person scramble / 9-hole
• $100 per player
• Lunch on the course
• BBQ Dinner
• Beer, Wine and Cigars
• Great Prizes!
• Putting Contest
• Raffle & Live AuctionExtra Dinner Tickets available for $20

Buy Online

Player Entry Fee

$100.00

Includes:

• Entry fee
• Golf cart
• Lunch
• Beer, Wine and Cigar
• BBQ Dinner
• Putting Contest

$20.00

One ticket for BBQ Dinner following golf tournament. To start at around 5pm pending completion of play.

$100.00

$1,000.00

Includes:

• Four golf entry fees
• Four extra dinner tickets
• Hole sponsorship
• Four mulligan packages
• Special Acknowledgement during event

SOLD OUT!

St. Joseph’s Family Center hosts a St. Patrick’s Dinner fund raising event each year. The proceeds of this fund raiser go to support the various food and nutrition programs of SJFC.

The event features a wonderful meal, silent auction and raffle. During the evening, St. Joseph’s Family Center also recognizes special volunteers who have helped make our service delivery compassionate and productive.

This year’s event will take place on Saturday, March 17, 2012. Please save the date!

Cost: $30
Where: St. Mary Auditorium, 11 First Street, Gilroy, CA 95020
When: No Host Bar at 6:00pm / Dinner at 7:00pm
Download Flyer

Check out the story here:

VIDEO: Food Bank Partners with Public Food Assistance Programs to End Hunger

St. Joseph’s Family Center hosts a St. Patrick’s Dinner fund raising event each year. The proceeds of this fund raiser go to support the various food and nutrition programs of SJFC.

The event features a wonderful meal, silent auction and raffle. During the evening, St. Joseph’s Family Center also recognizes special volunteers who have helped make our service delivery compassionate and productive.

This year’s event will take place on Saturday, March 12, 2011. Please save the date!

Cost: $30
Where: St. Mary Parish auditorium, 11 First Street, Gilroy, CA 95020
When: Doors open at 6:00pm / no-host cocktails/ Dinner @ 7:00pm
Download Flyer

Roger and Carol Bennett

Roger and Carol Bennett started volunteering at St. Joseph’s Family Center about six years ago, when a discussion at a bible study prompted them into taking action to fend off poverty in their community. “As our group discussed many scriptures regarding not forgetting the poor, it became very clear that serving others needed to become a priority in our lives” Carol said. Carol and Roger both show up every Wednesday afternoon at the food pantry, doing everything from packing grocery bags and hygiene kits, to handing out sack lunches to those living on the streets.

“I enjoy volunteering because I can give back to my community,” Roger said. Roger, now retired, has been “giving back” to his community his entire professional career. He worked as an educator for 30 years, including nine years as a principal in Morgan Hill. Volunteering is just one of many projects Roger enjoys doing in his retirement. Roger says, “The people who come to the food pantry are always grateful for whatever is provided, which makes it all the more gratifying to be there to serve.”

Carol, a semi-retired manager of Pacific Bell for 22 years, is still employed part-time by Edward Jones and loves it. The office administrator position leaves her time to do what she enjoys and that is being the number one fan of all their grandchildren’s sporting events! Carol loves to stay active and finds time to volunteer in the choir at St. Mary Parish and hold her faithful, weekly commitment to St. Joseph’s. “I love to interact with the people who we serve,” explains Carol. “Even though it is often a short conversation, I enjoy making people feel cared for, instead of being just a number in a line.”

Roger and Carol are very aware that their time and commitment on Wednesdays helps keep the administrative costs low at St. Joseph’s so that a larger percentage of financial donations can be spent to help families in need in our community. Food Pantry supervisor, Vicky Martin, is grateful for the commitment and stability that Roger and Carol provide. “The example they display every Wednesday afternoon, as a couple joined in a common desire, makes a difference in the lives of others. It is a wonderful thing to witness,” praises Martin. “They are two of the most easy-going people to be around – volunteers that I am privileged to work with,” Vicky stated. “I count myself blessed to have them represent St. Joseph’s Family Center with such compassion and joy!”

Olivia Altamirano

For 18-year-old Olivia Altamirano, life is more than just going through the process of college and finding a job.  This young lady has taken that extra step in helping the community around her through volunteer work as well.

Olivia volunteers for St. Joseph’s Family Center, assisting at the Wheeler Manor hot meals program.  She helps with the dinner preparation, washes dishes, chats with the local residents and anything else that is required.

Olivia has put so much time and effort into her volunteering that it has become one of the foundations and priorities in her life.

“Everything else [activities] is built [and timed] around my volunteer work,” explains Olivia.

She knows that volunteer work does not pay like a job would, but that is not what she is looking for.  Olivia looks for the personal satisfaction of seeing someone in need get that help.  She also finds it important to be consistent while working at Wheeler Manor because then people can begin to build a relationship with her.  Olivia has enjoyed getting to know many of the seniors residing at Wheeler Manor.

Olivia enjoys hanging out with friends and family in her free time and attends college in hopes of being a psychologist someday.

“My ultimate goal is to get my Ph.D in psychology at UC Santa Cruz,” describes Olivia. She understands that the “people skills” that she develops will help her in her dream of becoming a psychologist. Olivia intends to continue her volunteer work up until she has to transfer schools.

Here, Cindy McCown—Director at Second Harvest Food Bank—shares about the importance of relationship at the partnership level as well as the personal.

“It’s all about relationships,” says McCown.

 “The [important relationship is] between the food bank and organizations such as St. Joseph’s [who are] able to respond to the need,” continues McCown, “They, in turn, are critically important to the fabric of communities because they have relationships within the community with individuals and families who are seeking assistance.”

These partnerships are part of what makes Cindy’s work both challenging and rewarding.

I love having a challenge and stepping back and saying, ‘What can we do to solve this problem?’” explains McCown.

What got McCown into this type of help? Cindy would help out migrant workers when she first got out of graduate school. She loved it so much, that she decided to continue helping around communities near her.

She explains, “Did I ever think I would be doing this out of graduate school? No. I used to work with migrant families… and I realized that I really liked that. When I came to the food bank, I never thought I’d be there that long, but what… has made me stay is that it’s ever changing. We are constantly looking at how we can have that broader impact.[And with our partnerships,] we are never doing it alone.”

While Cindy finds personal purpose in having a “broader impact”, she also sees great value in the smaller, more personal aspects of her work with partners such as St. Joseph’s.

“It may be as simple as [getting] a load of watermelons… and at first we thought it was a curse. They were so huge and it was so hot, it was like a 100 degrees out, and then we called some agencies, and they said, ‘Oh this is wonderful.’ There is great joy in knowing they would have been dumped but we saved them. It’s very tangible; you can see the result of your labor,” states McCown

Challenges we face for 2011…

Cindy says that, “Last year we had record high numbers for people seeking help with food assistance”. With help from the Economic Recovery Funds, Second Harvest was able accommodate the increase in need. It was only possible to receive these funds when agencies like St. Joseph’s who were willing to work together to muddle through the administrative processes it took to take advantage of these monies. This work paid off last year but this year it will not be available. “The reality is we are just trying to meet the immediate needs. As we go into the winter months it will be difficult. Anything people can do would be helpful.”

Even with all these challenges, Cindy has the best attitude one could ask for when it comes to helping out. Even though she is one person, she is and will continue to make a difference. She loves what she does.

“The small things make your day,” says McCown.

Miguel Gomez

“I lived under a bridge most of the eight years I was homeless. I panhandled regularly, recycled cans and bottles when I was able and was addicted to various drugs.” It was a way of coping with the reality of having no self-respect and no hope. I really didn’t give a shit about my life or anyone else for that matter. My life was out of control.”

Miguel found a new beginning when he met Marty Estrada, St. Joseph’s Family Center’s Homeless Outreach Coordinator.

“Marty told me of a program that St. Joseph’s was starting. He thought I would be a good candidate for their housing program.”

After qualifying and enrolling in the permanent housing program, Miguel said he spent the first few weeks sleeping on the floor. “I did not grasp that the apartment was mine. I could not grasp that the new bed was for me and it took some time to deal with my new found identity.”

“I have been receiving counseling and support services that help me deal with my addiction to drugs and alcohol. I can see the changes that are happening in my life. I take it day by day, little by little.”

Miguel is currently enrolled in classes at Gavilan College that will help him achieve his GED. Miguel worked for over a year on the Gilroy Street Team and through their Employment Services program, St. Joseph’s Family Center also helped connect Miguel to a full-time job.

“I prayed for a better life, and I thank God for St. Joseph’s Family Center. They helped me get my dignity back. My life now has meaning.”