On Saturday the Los Banos Soroptimist Club showed up in force at the Salvation Army at 431 Fourth Street where they hosted a free BBQ. Anyone who stopped by was offered free hot-dogs, hamburgers, fruit, dessert, and something to drink. The Los Banos Soroptimist's barbecue was just one of several items that the Soroptimists accomplished during their annual Saturday of Service this past weekend.

Soroptimist International of Los Banos is a volunteer service organization for women in business, management and the professions. According to their website, "The first Soroptimist club was formed in 1921 by a group of 80 women in Oakland, Alameda County, California. The name "Soroptimist" is a coined word which came from two Latin words that mean the "best for women." ... "Soroptimists today continue the work begun by the founding members. The main goal of Soroptimist clubs is to fulfill their Mission Statement which is to 'Improve the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world.' Projects are carefully chosen in each community to address challenges unique to today's women and girls. Sample club projects worldwide include: providing minority women with routine medical care; mentoring young women to give volunteer service to their schools and community; funding and volunteering at domestic violence shelters, sponsoring career development programs for teen mothers; tutoring women in literacy and basic job skills."

This weekend's local Soroptimist project was the international "Saturday of Service" which is actually an annual event that many, if not most, Soroptimist clubs participate in. The date for the Saturday of Service is usually chosen to be as close to International Women's Day as possible. Local clubs throughout the world participate by sponsoring various initiatives in their own communities which emphasize community service projects.

This year the Los Banos Soroptimists accomplished several goals during their Saturday of service, the most visible of which was probably the barbecue at the Salvation Army. About a dozen Soroptimists, along with a few husbands and kids in tow, put on a really nice barbecue for those who cared to come by and get a free and tasty hot meal. The Soroptimists were able to get the famous "Cowboy Corner grill" towed in and they cooked up and distributed quite a few pounds of hamburgers and hot-dogs between the hours of eleven AM and two PM when the event was scheduled to wrap up. The meal was a hearty one and those who came by the tables could also avail themselves of side dishes which included salads, chips, fruit cups, cookies, brownies, and plenty of fresh fruit.

In addition, according to the two chair-women who organized the local Saturday of Service for 2010, the Los Banos club also provided about fifteen bags of supplies including sweats and toiletries to the women's shelter as well as giving out hotel vouchers to the Salvation Army and a number of five dollar McDonald's gift cards to the homeless.

This year, the Soroptimists were assisted in their efforts by approximately ten young ladies from the local S-Club. According to the website, "'S-clubs' are Soroptimist associated clubs for High School students who want to volunteer to serve their school and community in a positive way. These clubs are sponsored by local Soroptimist clubs who inspire students to improve their own lives, and to improve the lives of women & girls in schools and in the local community by working on meaningful service projects." It appeared the girls had a good time while they were giving something back to their community and helping others in a positive manner.

For more information about Soroptimist International of Los Banos or the local S-Club you can stop by the LB Soroptimist website at http://www.lbsoroptimist.com/. The club meets locally on the second, third, and fourth Mondays of every month at 12 Noon at St. John's Lutheran Church, 250 W. Adams Avenue.

Young ladies involved with the S-Club helped distribute the food at the Soroptimist Saturday Of Service barbecue. They apparently had a good time of it. Here one of the girls playfully guides another's arm as she attempts to hand out dessert items.

The Cowboy Corner grill, which is most frequently seen at Elks Club functions, was brought in along with a little bit of help from the husbands who seemed to be presiding over it and enjoying themselves as well.

If everyone in Los Banos would just take 1 or 2 hours a month to do something to help their neighborhood or their community we could truly make Los Banos the gem of the valley.

The above is only my personal opinion and I strongly encourage readers to seek out more information from expert sources. Copyright 2010