In AC, the holidays mean giving back
With Christmas drawing closer, American Canyon residents are spending their weekends doing what they do best: giving back.
Cocoa and Carols warms up a chilly Friday
On Friday night, seniors and families gathered in the city’s Adult Activities Center for the eighth annual Cocoa and Carols event, put on by the Soroptimist International of American Canyon, aka the Soroptimist Club. Club members Anne Payne, Kasama Lee and Kristin Einberger and Ashley Logan, the city’s Seniors Recreation Coordinator, helped organize the night.
This year, tables were heavy with trays of homemade spaghetti, cookies, coffee and tea. Gift bags lined festive tables, where around 30 seniors and family members sat, chatting and playing word games.
“The holidays can be especially tough for people,” Payne said. “We wanted to do something to address that.” In years past, Cocoa and Carols was held at the same time as the city’s tree-lighting ceremony — when a hot drink like cocoa was truly in order. Here, in the warmth of the Adult Activities Center, most people were glad to be shedding layers.
As people ate, Vallejo’s North Hills Church choir came into the room. Choir members, led by director Tim Parinas, arranged themselves in a line and belted out holiday carols, accompanied by acoustic guitar and keyboard.
American Canyon is home to some 3,000 senior residents. According to Payne, after Covid shutdowns, a number of seniors became reclusive. “They say not being social is more dangerous than smoking,” Payne said. “Among senior women, it’s one of the deadliest things.”
Before retiring, Payne, who is a senior herself, was a memory care director at an assisted living facility. She’s acutely aware of what helps and what hurts our aging population — plus, the work isn’t entirely selfless: “It’s a way for me to stay connected, too,” she said of events like Cocoa and Carols.
In one corner of the room sat two friends, Jan Kuhl and Evelyn Manspeaker. Both are seniors living with health needs: Kuhl uses a rollator to get around and Manspeaker keeps an oxygen tank with her. After finishing dinner, they got started on a word search game.
Loneliness isn’t a huge issue for Kuhl, who was president of Richmond’s Soroptimist Club in 1977. “I’m in three different quilt groups, three different ham radio groups,” she said. Her husband died in 2019. During the Covid-19 shutdown, Kuhl made it her job to stay busy.
“I sew. I ended up making 3,000 masks,” she said, still surprised at her handiwork. “There were seven different styles of masks. That was my happy thing. That kept me going.” Masks were first distributed to first responders around the East Bay, then given out to any and all — including those who needed a Christmas gift for someone in a pinch.
Kuhl lives in Las Casitas, a mobile home park for people over 55 years old. Around 100 residents currently live in the community. “The parks are more social,” Kuhl said. And, she joked, it’s nice to have some reprieve from young people.
“I just feel blessed to be part of this community, part of the soroptimists,” said Payne at the close of the festivities. “We’re able to touch people’s lives in so many different ways.”
Gratitude Party brings stacks of goodies to local teens
On Saturday afternoon, American Canyon realtor extraordinaire Kasama Lee held her seventh annual Gratitude Party for some 45 families, most of whom are clients of Lee’s who have bought homes in American Canyon, Vallejo, Napa and nearby cities.
More than 100 people flocked to the city’s Boys and Girls Club at 60 Benton Way, where they dug into pizza and Filipino fare from local favorite Cooked By Gio. Bands of kids running around the room got their boba fix from a table stocked with drinks by Tea J. Attendees sat at round tables and mingled with each other, catching up on holiday news.
While being a real estate agent is about buying homes, she said, it’s also about building the community you want to thrive in a city. Though Lee has sold all over the region for 21 years, American Canyon is her darling. She’s been a champion for the city since moving here in 2002, and has since has built up a mass network of friends and clients.
“Gratitude Parties started out as a client appreciation,” Lee said. Now, it’s turned into an event that honors the community.
“This is a room full of people who have been a blessing for us — people who have been our friends, our mentors, our supporters, kids,” said Lee. “It’s a privilege to be in a room surrounded by people you love and respect.”
Halfway through the meal, the American Canyon High School choir made its way into the room, where the 40-odd choir members lined up to face the crowd, some high-fiving Mayor Pierre Washington as he arrived.
Singers launched into a string of holiday tunes, with staples like “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas,” “Deck The Halls,” “O Come All Ye Faithful” and, of course, “Jungle Bells.” The choir is beloved in the community, and is booked every weekend during the holidays — choir teacher Jamie Butler estimates they have 8-10 performances in December alone. Sometimes, the group performs at two events in the same day. Later Saturday evening, the choir would do a second performance at the Mikolajcik Center for Alma Association’s Posada.
Every year, families attending Lee’s Gratitude Party are asked to bring gifts to donate. “They always bring more than they have to,” said Lee, finding a moment to chat during the bustle of the event. Typically, there’s a theme for the gifts. This year, she said, it was about the big kids.
“Families who have kids at the Boys and Girls club have older siblings who never get anything. It’s always toys, or things for the cute little kids,” said Lee. So, she consulted Boys and Girls Club’s American Canyon director, Leilani Banayat.
“I asked the director: ‘What do you need?’ She said: ‘The older siblings are forgotten. Do something for the teens and tweens so they get something for Christmas.’” Gifts like soccer balls, school supplies, gift cards and electronics were heaped near the club’s entrance.
“Now, it’s piled up,” Lee said, gesturing to the stack of goodies. While hosting the party is a tremendous effort, it’s worth it for Lee and her community. “It’s a great way to put closure to the year, with positivity and hope and faith,” she said. “And, to remind each other that there is more in life.”
