It was a busy day Tuesday at the Manteca Senior Center.
Various groups such as the Dominoes / Bid Whist and Manteca CAPS held their Christmas parties. Prior to that, the Senior Center and Second Harvest Food Bank distributed 155 groceries as part of the Senior Brown Bag Program.
Recreation Supervisor Victoria Loma indicated that 30 volunteers from the Senior Center helped out in handing out the three bags per household containing items such as produce and other basic grocery staples.
The City of Manteca and the Manteca Unified School District’s Transportation Department got together once again to do the annual holiday “For Kids’ Sake” event, providing about 210 wish-list gifts to needy local children.
Couple that with the Angel Tree project – both giving trees were located in the Senior Center – Loma, who has been with the city for 17 years including the past seven at the Center, said that Christmas Joy this year was spread to well over 300 local youngsters.
She’s looking forward to Saturday’s annual “For Kids’ Sake Breakfast” with Santa. The youth event for those of low-income families will take place from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Manteca Senior Center, 275 Cherry Lane. “We’re expecting 300 for the pancake breakfast,” Loma said.
Children (age 18 and under) who are registered will also receive an unwrapped gift along with an opportunity to take a photo with Santa.
The Dominoes / Bid Whist group’s Christmas gathering included 14-year-old Miles Lima performing on the piano. He received recognition in 2019 for capturing the National Braille Challenge in Los Angeles, having lost his vision at an early age. Lima plays locally out of GK Music.
Robert Fennell of Dominoes / Bid Whist said his group is always looking for new members. They meet every Tuesday at the Senior Center, a 10,000-plus square-foot, multi-purpose facility serving and involving seniors age 50 and above throughout the greater Manteca area.
For more information, log on to www.manteca.gov/departments/recreation-community-services/senior-center.
