Local Service Clubs Get Together to Highlight Their Work

On Tuesday afternoon, service clubs from throughout South Gate met at the yearly South Gate Inter-luncheon club to inform attendants of their past and future projects at the Girls Club House in .

The event is part of the Azalea Festival and is an opportunity for all the local service clubs can meet to discuss their roles in South Gate.

“We get to find out about what each organization will do for the year and they have done for the past year,” said Mayor Maria Davila, who was also representing the South Gate Multicultural Women’s Club as its current vice-president. “This is a time where we get to have conversation about what is happening in our clubs.”

Other service clubs present included the South Gate Rotary Club, and the .

The clubs are usually very busy through the year and rarely get a chance to meet and hear from each other.

“It is the one time of the year that all of the service clubs get together,” said Naomi Nixon, president of the South Gate Women’s Club. “Every [club] president will make a brief little speech, so [the clubs] don’t end up doing the same things over and over; we are helping more people this way.” 

Knowing what other clubs are doing is not only useful for organizations that try and focus on projects that are not being addressed, but also for service clubs that want to partner up and fulfill a cause.

“It is beneficial to know who is doing what,” said , executive director of the , which organized the event.  “If someone is duplicating efforts, then this is a great way to find out and join forces.”

Some of the attendees also see the event as a way to acknowledge and celebrate each other’s service.

“It's an opportunity for both clubs to recognize each other, to recognize all the people in those clubs who are working hard to improve the quality of life in South Gate,” said Janine Hamner, president of the South Gate Rotary Club.

Among the traditional activities that take place during the event is the awarding of a trophy to the club with the highest percentage of members present.

The South Gate's Women’s Multicultural Club retook the trophy after winning it last year with all 12 members present at the luncheon.

“We won this trophy not because of our size, but because we are very responsible, and we all came,” said Sonia Miranda, president of the South Gate Multicultural Women’s Club.

Read the photo captions for tidbits on what was said by the club leaders and representatives. 

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