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The Homeless Coalition for San Benito County is holding a meeting for volunteers who are scheduled to cook or serve meals at the temporary winter shelter in 2013. The meeting will be Jan. 5, at 11 a.m., at the shelter on Southside Road, with each group asked to send a representative to the meeting.

The American Red Cross Hollister Office of the American Red Cross Monterey Bay Chapter is planning a kick off on Jan. 7, “Sleeves up, hearts open, all in.”

While the 12 Days of Giving campaign held a finale on Dec. 8, residents can continue to give to the campaign through the end of the month with a total match of up to $20,000 for every dollar donated through the end of 2012.

A landmark event for a local Native American tribe whose roots to this area track back nearly 3,000 years is approaching Saturday, when Bishop Richard Garcia of the Monterey Diocese will offer a mass of reconciliation at the San Juan Bautista Mission and “apologize for the tragic events which occurred during mission times.”

Ray and Peggy Pierce have opened a new office in Hollister on Sixth Street – Pierce Real Estate.

The Youth Alliance will be participating in La Posada at the Rancho Park Neighborhood Center, 1200 Rancho Drive, on Wednesday, at 3:30 p.m. The Mexican Christmas tradition celebrates the nine days of La Posada (or the Lodging) from Dec. 16 through Christmas Eve. On each night, a home is selected, where the doors open to all with an invitation for refreshments, caroling and dancing.

The Autism Parent Club of San Benito County will host a meeting from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Pritchett’s Living Services, 800-F San Benito St., in Hollister.

With the holidays fast approaching, my thoughts turn to family gatherings, gift-giving and sparkling wine - not necessarily in that order. Since the topic of family gatherings would far exceed the limited word count of this column, I will focus on gift ideas for the wine lover on your list and sparkling wines that can be essential to getting through family gatherings.