Among the people who help make Christmas what it is in San
Benito County are the five whose stories follow.
Among the people who help make Christmas what it is in San Benito County are the five whose stories follow.
They are by no means the only ones but they are typical of the spirit that brightens the holiday.
Lorena Tariba
Visitors to the Hollister Lights On Celebration that rings in the holidays each year stopped to listen to strolling choristers singing Christmas carols.
The singers were part of the Oriana Chorale, now in its 18th year, currently headed by Lorena Tariba of Gilroy.
Nettie Fields was among the founders of the group during the mid-1980s. It was named for the title given to Queen Elizabeth I of Great Britain, “the Sun Queen.” And over the years the group has performed many musical offerings in the county and surrounding area.
During the Christmas season, it has often put on Handel’s “Messiah” at Mission San Juan Bautista, one year with a soloist from the San Jose Opera Company. This year’s presentation was with the San Benito High School Choir, under the direction of Amy Oelrich.
Oriana Chorale’s spring concert is also staged at the Mission. Members will start rehearsals in January or February for performances in late May.
Oriana’s programs have included selections from Gilbert and Sullivan as well as chamber music and that of a number of Broadway shows.
“A lot of practice goes into the presentations,” said singer Gayle Sleznick. “We practice once a week at Trinity Lutheran Church and sometimes, such as for Handel’s ‘Messiah,’ even more often,” she said.
Oriana’s current membership is about 45. “Good singers are always welcome,” Sleznick said.
Anyone interested in joining or learning more information about Oriana may talk to any member.
Tom Larkin
Tom Larkin is enthusiastic at being part of Community Pantry.
“It’s gratifying, both from the standpoint of the people we help and the great response of the community to their needs,” he said.
Larkin commutes daily from his home in Dos Palos to the Hollister Airport where Community Pantry maintains its headquarters. After years as a volunteer Larkin is into his 14th month as executive director.
“Community Pantry started in 1989 and has expanded to the point where it is able to help about 785 local families with supplemental food each week,” he said. “When you’re struggling to make ends meet, a sack of groceries makes a big difference.”
The food is distributed at five points throughout the county on Wednesdays, and on Thursday from the headquarters.
Larkin hailed the work of the 75 or so volunteers who help gather the food, transport it, separate it, bag it and who do the paperwork necessary for records.
“Some volunteers have been there from Day One,” he said. “They include John and Dorothy Rose and Gordon and Margaret Byers. But many others have been turning out for years, and we also have some students who are lending a hand. Then you get help in other ways.
The Top Hatters Motorcycle Club donated 2,160 pounds of food on Dec. 7 from its food rally.
“The public has been wonderful in responding to our needs, and part of that response comes from newspaper articles about us and what we’re doing and why we’re doing it,” Larkin said.
He said for the Christmas distribution, 800 2-1/2-pound chickens will go into bags to help the recipients have a better holiday.
Larkin retired from the aerospace industry 10 years ago, and wanted to do something significant with the added time he had. When he learned of Community Pantry he knew he had the answer.
Larkin said food, money and volunteers are always needed for the year-round program. Call 637-0340 for details.
Mary Hubbell
Mary Hubbell was enthusiastic about discussing the fifth outing of Small Steps, held on the first Saturday of November.
“It was heart-warming to see the children going through the store with chaperones to pick out the shoes and coats they would get that day for winter,” she said. “In most cases, we were able to get another item or so for all 213 of them.”
Hubbell, along with Barbara Andres, Nancy Butterfield, Chris Nolan, Angie Bocanegra and Becky Hatzenbuhler founded Small Steps in 1998. It was with the idea of seeing that local children whose families were hard pressed financially would be able to have a new coat and shoes when the cold weather came.
“Many of them are from families in which the father is seasonally out of work at that time,” she said.
Small Steps learns of the children through teachers and other sources. “By the fourth or fifth week of school teachers have a good idea of which of their students are in greatest need, and their names are forwarded to us,” Hubbell said.
“We send out news releases well before then to remind the public of the need, and it has responded 1,000 percent,” she continued. “Although we figure on a cost of $75 per child, we gladly accept donations of any size. Although the shopping is done the first week in November, we accept donations all year-round, and yes, it is tax-deductible.
“It is a tribute to the community’s generosity that we have more than quadrupled the number of children helped from 50 the first year. Every dollar donated goes directly to the children as there are no administrative costs.”
Anyone wishing to contribute or who wants more information may call Hubbell at Bianchi, Lorincz and Co, weekdays at 638-2111.
Marley Holte
Marley Holte and many volunteers are getting ready to serve another community dinner to anyone who wants it on Christmas, the 18th since the tradition began on Dec. 25, 1985.
“We served 125 dinners that first year, and we even sent the turkey carcasses home with people who wanted them to make soup later on in the week,” he said. “The dinner was started, and continues, with the outlook that it provides a feast for the spirit as well as the body. It is a full-course meal at no charge. We discovered very early that many people came for the company, perhaps because their children have grown and moved to other communities or for other reasons and they are welcome. Everyone leaves with a smile on his face.”
Several years later, Holte and his volunteers also started the dinner for Thanksgiving Day.
“It has also been a great success over the years,” he said, “and let me give credit to the community for the dinners. Without a great number of donors, some who quietly provide food and money over the years, and our splendid corps of volunteers including those who have worked at many chores for most of them, it would not have been possible. Last Christmas, we served over 800 dinners, and saw that every child attending had a toy from Santa Claus.
“We moved to O’Reilly Youth Center about five years ago because the original site was too small to accommodate the crowd.”
Anyone who wishes to donate food or money to the next dinner or to volunteer may call Holte at 623-4313.
Mary Lou and Paul Armbruster
Loaves and Fishes, headquartered at the Sacred Heart Pastoral Center, was founded in 1984 and is the oldest local food provider in Hollister.
Paul and Mary Lou Armbruster are co-managers of the food bank and have been involved with the program for five years.
“The onset of cold weather always means a greater demand,” Paul said. “In January and February, for instance, the county referred 85 families to us, and another 20 families came to us off the street.”
Last year, Loaves and Fishes provided 418 families at five county labor camps with supplemental food.
“Some people who want to donate food just walk in and leave it with us,” Armbruster said. He added the county provides funds for vouchers at Kmart to buy food.
“I also write grants for Albertson’s Food for All to get money for food,” he said. “That has resulted in more money over the last three years, although this year’s grant was $500 less than the previous two. Times are tough.”
His wife schedules the activities of the 35 volunteers whose services take a number of forms. “The volunteers are all good people who see the need and want to help answer it,” Armbruster said.
“We always give more food than the vouchers call for. For instance, if it’s for $40, the recipient never leaves with less than $50 worth or more.”
For Christmas dinner, 54 of the 65 families in the labor camps will receive $50 worth of food through gift certificates.
Armbruster, a retired district manager of Paul Masson’s Wineries, said Sacred Heart provides the office and all utilities free “so we’re able to make our money go a long way in helping those who need it.”
Anyone who wishes to donate food or money or to get more information about Fishes and Loaves may call 637-9212.
