Gabilan Chapter Celebrates 54 Years of Service

Background

Kinship Center’s Gabilan Chapter is a volunteer auxiliary group based in San Benito County on California’s Central Coast. The chapter provides local support for Kinship Center’s adoption, foster care and mental health services in Monterey and San Benito Counties. Some Gabilan members have dedicated their time since the chapter’s beginnings in 1956.

Supporting Children and Families

Through the years, the chapter has raised significant amounts of money by hosting luncheons, fashion shows and house tours; its signature fundraiser is the annual September wine tasting, first held in 1957 to showcase local wineries and restaurants. The sellout event, the oldest of its kind on the Central Coast, has grown to include participation by large numbers of wineries and restaurants and guest attendance of up to 1200. The 2010 Wine & Food Tasting event will be held on September 11, from 4:00-6:30 pm at the historic Paicines Ranch.

Kinship Center believes that every child deserves a family, and is dedicated to finding permanent homes for abused, neglected or abandoned children. This cannot be done without the help of a caring community. Each year, funds raised by the Gabilan Chapter support vital services to children in transition and new families struggling to meet the needs of children in their care.

A weekly Kinship Center article “A Child Waits” appears in San Benito County’s Pinnacle newspaper, and features stories and photographs of children needing homes.

Information and Membership

For information on the chapter or its events, or to find out how to become a member, please call Chapter President Kay Filice at 831-637-3200.  The Gabilan Chapter has various membership categories and welcomes inquiries. A special Associate Member category allows interested individuals to join throughout the year upon payment of modest dues and to assist with chapter projects.

The Gabilan Chapter has a long and distinguished history of service to adoption and child welfare. From 1956 to 1989, the chapter (then known as El Torillo Chapter) provided services and support to Children’s Home Society. Since 1989, Gabilan members have supported Kinship Center’s statewide programs in adoption, foster care, relative care and mental health.