The Orinda Woman’s Club has a long history of identifying local organizations who are delivering important services to communities in need. Their annual Festival of Trees, held each year for the past 35 years, raises funds for one or more major beneficiaries, focusing on organizations that help women, children and families in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties.
This year’s Festival of Trees, which will be held on Thursday, November 17 at the San Ramon Marriott, will offer a luncheon and fashion show, as well as a silent auction, destination drawing, and raffles for beautiful gift baskets, trees and wreaths. The fashion show will feature three local fashion houses: Harper Greer and J. McLaughlin in Lafayette and Chicos in Danville. All proceeds will go to Familias Unidas of Richmond and the Orinda Woman’s Club Community Service Committee.
Familias Unidas was founded in 1979 with a mission to improve the wellness and self-sufficiency in Latino and other communities throughout West Contra Costa County. It is a family-oriented organization dedicated to delivering quality counseling, advocacy, and information and referral services. The organization will use the funds raised at the 2022 Festival of Trees to focus on youth who have been victims of violence and are exhibiting mental health symptoms and violent behaviors. Visit their website at www.familias-unidas.org.
The Orinda Woman’s Club Community Service Committee makes a number of smaller donations to support additional local organizations and projects. Funds from the 2021 Festival of Trees were donated to CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) of Contra Costa County, Holden High School in Orinda, Infant Mental Health Program in Richmond, Project Second Chance of Contra Costa County, Renaissance Scholars of Cal State East Bay, Seniors About Town in Orinda, the START Program at Diablo Valley College, Sweet Beginnings of Contra Costa County and UC Berkeley Hope Scholars. Educational grants are also distributed for the further education of young women leaving the foster care system and underserved women re-entering the work force.
For more information, visit www.orindawomansclub.org. Tickets go on sale in June for Festival of Trees.
