More than 200 meals have been made and sold during the initial three Eureka Woman’s Club “First Friday Food” fundraisers, which kicked off in September and have been held monthly since.
The next “First Friday Food” meal is slated for Dec. 4 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. December’s menu includes pineapple-glazed ham with scalloped potatoes, green beans almondine, green salad with cranberries and pecans, apple-cranberry chutney and homemade shortbread cookies.
“We have a committee that discusses the possible options for food, sometimes bringing special family recipes or new favorites to try. We try to keep the costs down so we can deliver a good product for a good value,” said Eureka Woman’s Club President Murline Georgeson in an email interview with the Times-Standard.
The cost is $20 per meal. Reservations and pre-payment are required online at eurekawomansclub.org. The deadline for orders is Friday.
Meals are prepared in the Eureka Woman’s Club kitchen, and can be picked up easily and safely with car-side service. Runners will be waiting to deliver orders to cars as they pull up in front of the club building at 1531 J St. in Eureka. Masks are required.
“Some members of the club do the cooking and preparation in the kitchen of the EWC,” Georgeson said. “Other members greet the people in their cars and deliver the meals, all bagged up. Payment is done virtually, so no money or credit cards exchange hands.”
These dinners are helping to raise funds to cover needed renovations, including painting the exterior of the historic building.
“The EWC income is normally derived from rental income,” Georgeson said. “During this pandemic, we are not able to rent our building, so this income helps off set our expenses.
She added: “Many of the fundraising efforts conducted by the EWC have been suspended due to COVID-19, such as the waffle breakfast, Quarter Craze, bingo, etc.”
The Eureka Woman’s Club — a nonprofit that works for the betterment of the community through cultural, educational and social programs — has been affiliated with the California Federation of Women’s Clubs and General Federation of Women’s Club, International since 1902.
Currently, the Eureka Woman’s Club board is meeting monthly via Zoom, Georgeson said, though members haven’t met since March due to the COVID-19 health crisis.
“We try to keep our members in the loop with frequent emails, mail and phone calls,” she said. “A lot of our members are older and we do not want to endanger them. Our oldest member is 102. Many of the older members do not use a computer. So, we use phone calls to keep in touch and check in with them.”
For more information about the Eureka Woman’s Club, go to eurekawomansclub.org.
