gretchen peralta - 2016 (covell)

“Gretchen is here”. Those three words are just plain beautiful for anyone who has organized a community service project in our city over the last two decades. When you hear them, you breathe a deep sigh of relief. Whether it’s your church’s turn to host the Rotating Winter Shelter and the sleeping bags need cleaning; or you're the migrant worker parent of a child who wants to play soccer in the same kind of uniform other Davis players wear... you know Gretchen will make it happen.

We’ve watched Gretchen bring her energy, integrity, level-headedness, and professionalism as an emergency room RN to service in her community and beyond in ways that helps the most vulnerable among us: disabled adults, homeless men, women and families, and fragile seniors. In the ER, they call her in for the tough cases to get information vital to a patient surviving and thriving.

A very special quality of Gretchen’s is her rare talent to inspire others to serve. She has demonstrated her commitment time and again to building the next generation of community leaders by standing back, allowing others to organize, initiate projects and gain the experience they need to continue the kind of work she has consistently and joyfully done for our community. Davis is better because Gretchen is here.

Gretchen’s Extensive History of Past and Regularly Recurring Volunteer Activities:

  • Davis Sunrise Rotary, President in 2003, Rotarian of the Year in 2010-11, engaged member & community volunteer since 1998
  • Progress Ranch, Past Vice President, Past Secretary 2008-2013(ish), Board Member & Regular Volunteer,
  • Helps with back to school shopping, fence repair, holiday gifts, playground structure building
  • Dos Pinos Housing Cooperative, Past Chairman and ongoing Board Member, 2012-Present
  • Rotary District 5160, Past Assistant Governor, District Chair, Sargent of Arms, Regular Presenter
  • Instructor at Leadership Camps, Hospitality Suite Host for 71 clubs, Co-Chair of Past District Conferences & Regular Volunteer
  • Salvation Army, Co-chair of CVS fundraising committee, Bell Ringer Organizer and longtime volunteer, (8-9 shifts per year)
  • Meals on Wheels, Regular Driver & Meal Deliverer
  • Yolo County Public Guardian’s Conservatees, Holiday Elf, Organizes and fills holiday gift requests for 24 family-less conservatees, volunteering since at least 2009
  • Interfaith Rotating Winter Shelter, Volunteer, Advocate, Laundry fairy, sleeping bag washer, sundries collector, kitchen helper and chaperone since 2009
  • 4th & Hope, Regular Volunteer, Currently coordinating building of a much needed shade structure and organizing volunteers from 6 local rotary clubs to help
  • Justice, Mercy & Faith, regular volunteer, arranging meal & essentials delivery to local homeless populations,
  • Davis Community Meals, Volunteer, regularly collects sundries and other essentials for local homeless populations
  • Yolo County Housing, Davis Migrant Center, Advocate and Volunteer, Coordinated landscape beautification projects, backpack shopping for kids, collecting clothing, coordinating housing and furnishing soccer uniforms
  • Special Friends Disabled Adult Camp, Mt Cross Lutheran Church Camp, Felton, CA , Volunteers year-round to help maintain safety guidelines & standards for the clinic. Personally stocks the clinic with medical supplies, is on call ALL 10 weeks of summer as camp nurse.
  • Performs medical training for all staff members.
  • Has been volunteering at Big Bear camp for 1-2 weeks per year serving as camp nurse and help with camp clean up days since mid-1990s
  • Dental Clinic Volunteer, Mulegé, Mexico, served as volunteer nurse staff
  • Yolo County Care Continuum, Farmhouse Volunteer, Collected & donated furniture, clothing, and other essentials for live-in care facility
  • Knights Landing One Health Center, Regular Volunteer & Facilitator, Coordinated & assisted volunteers for new storage shed & clinic painting, women’s group mediator
  • Rotary International, Corrective Polio Surgery Nurse Volunteer, two tours in India in the mid 1990’s
  • B Street Theatre, Capital Stage Theater usher volunteer multiple times a month
  • Yolo Crisis Nursery, volunteer, collected interview outfits, makeup & perfume for women using the crisis nursery’s services

Presented by: Rochelle Swanson and the Chamber Installation Dinner