Solano Pride Center

Mission & Vision
Solano Pride Center builds community and provides services for Solano County’s LGBTQIA2S+ people and our allies. Solano Pride Center envisions a community where all LGBTQIA2S+ people live freely and authentically.

Do you get our weekly eBlasts on Wednesday afternoons? If not, or if you need to update your email, follow this link to register for our weekly eBlasts. Look below for some of our latest eBlasts.

Can’t find what you are looking for? Go under the Program button in the menu or go to these links:

Events:

Suisun Pride 2025: https://www.solanopride.org/suisun-pride-2025/
Pride Center Events: https://www.solanopride.org/pride-center-events/
Community Events: https://www.solanopride.org/community-events/
Suisun Pride 2024: https://www.solanopride.org/suisun-pride-2024/

Letter from the Center:

Wednesday, January 7, 2025:

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year!

We are planning out some fun socials for the new year, including an Arts & Crafts Thursday night at 7 pm in the Conference Room! Wayne Goodman will be by to teach a new crochet style, and we are finalizing other projects if you’d like to offer one to cristina@solanopride.org.

Also, we will have a Pizza Night at Evelyn’s Big Italian Pizzeria and Ristorante. We have a table reserved and will have some pizza to share. Get whatever you’d like to drink on your way in! Questions can be sent to me at will@solanopride.org.

New Group for Women!

Come to the inaugural meeting of Pride Women: the Center’s women’s support group for all who identify as women or have lived experience as a woman. Saturday, January 24th from 1-2:30 pm in the Conference Room (knock on the front door).

Contact Trystan@solanopride.org for more information.

We have collected the recent statements on the risk to Gender Affirming Care.

• Joint Statement from California Health & Human Services Leaders on Federal Government’s Attack on Health Care for Transgender Americans

• Attorney General Bonta Opposes Trump Administration’s Proposals Aimed at Further Restricting Access to Gender-Affirming Care.

• Equality California Condemns Proposed Federal Rules Banning Critical Federal Funding for Hospitals and Clinics Providing Transgender

• Save the date for the Equality California Advocacy Day, March 25th

Go to our Protest and Advocacy page to see the statements, or to learn more at: https://www.solanopride.org/protests-advocacy/

Today is the International Day to End Conversion Therapy (IDECT) is observed annually on January 7. It is a global day of awareness, remembrance, and action dedicated to ending the dangerous and discredited practices that attempt to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

The day was established by C.T. Survivors Connect (Canada) and the Conversion Therapy Survivor Network (United States). January 7 was chosen to commemorate the date in 2022 when Canada’s federal ban on conversion therapy practices became law, providing a model for global action.

The observance serves a dual purpose:

Honoring survivors: It highlights the voices and experiences of survivors who have endured these human rights abuses and the lasting trauma they cause, such as increased rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide attempts.
Building momentum for change: It serves as a global call to action to advocate for protective laws and policies that ban conversion practices worldwide.

Drama Therapy starting at a new time beginning Thursday, January 8th, 2025 from 1 to 2:30 pm in the Conference Room! LGBTQ+ Drama Therapy Group

Solano Community College is now offering the CalNat program in Solano County through Solano Community College!

It is housed in our new class, Bio030: The Natural History of California. This will be a semester-long course in which the lecture portion will be asynchronous online, and we will meet every other Friday from 10:00am until 3:00pm for labs, which will be primarily field trips. Once the semester begins, we will be collecting an additional $100 fee for the CalNat certification if students wish to be certified as California Naturalists in addition to getting the credits for the course through Solano Community College. It would be so great to get some LGBTQIA2+ folks into this class!

The Fridays we will be meeting in person are:

January 16th
January 30th – This one will be a bit different as we will be taking a field trip to Pillar Point in Half Moon Bay to explore the tide pools. The peak of the negative tide occurs at 2:56pm, so we will be getting a later start.
February 27th
March 13th
March 27th
April 10th
April 24th
May 8th
And we will be meeting in person during finals week to present Capstone Projects…. Time and date TBD

The textbook for the class will be The California Naturalist Handbook – 2^nd Edition from the University of California Press.

Registration has started, so anyone interested can jump in.

You can APPLY to Solano Community College if you are not already a student…. and you can REGISTER for the class if you already are.

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to reach out to myself (Matthew.Schweitzer@solano.edu) or Michelle Smith (Michelle.Smith@solano.edu).

Stephan’s Corner

Stephan’s Corner

Hello Solano Pride Community!

I hope this finds you well. I know that times are incredibly difficult right now. 2025 is over, and yet we know that the problems in 2025 were not left behind us.

What I can say, is that we survived. We may be beat up and searching for relief, validation, comfort, support, maybe just a witness to our collective fear or grief.

I want to express to all of you, that you are not alone and these above needs are precisely why this center exists. If we don’t currently meet your need, please reach out (stephan@solanopride.org) so that we can work on creating a space for you.

A new year, even during times such as these, are opportunities for change and growth. Maybe this is the year we go to Equality California’s lobby day together and fight for our community (end of March btw). Maybe this is the year you come to Suisun Pride for the first time, or for the third time in a row and you’ve never had that type of regularity or community or ritual, and one where you are fully accepted as you are.

Whatever this year brings in triumphs and tragedies, let us share in them together in whatever ways we can. If there is anything that history teaches, it is that when we come together, change occurs in tiny and gigantic ways.

Your Board President in service
Stephan Clifford
Stephan@solanopride.org

Upcoming Drag Shows!

The Hidden Fantasea: Drag Show starts at 5PM on January 9th at the Redwood Empire Whiskey Bar (1195 Nimitz Ave, Vallejo’s Mare Island) so don’t miss it!

Vallejo! Can’t wait to meet you at Hidden Fantasea: Holislay Drag Show hosted by the dazzling @thearielfantasea and featuring Flawless Envy, Ellis D. Rowzay, Alice Baby Blue, and Panther. Don’t miss out on Solano County’s latest Drag Show in the fabulous tasting room at Redwood Empire!

Get your tickets here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hidden-fantasea-tickets-1979185229299

Vallejo’s Drag Brunch at Bambino’s! Now twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Sundays with competitions like RuPaul’s Drag Race!

• Sunday, Jan 18th · 10am – 1pm PDT. Doors at 9:30am. Tickets Link. (You can search for Free Music Collective on Eventbrite to follow them for updates each month.)

• Sunday, Feb 2nd · 10am – 1pm PDT. Doors at 9:30am. Tickets Link.

Bambino’s Vallejo – Pizza, Pasta + Full Bar
301 Georgia Street #suite 122 Vallejo, CA 94590

Are you ready for November DRAG hosted by no other than Sadie C. Sparkles and MissCherrylane. It’s a chance to embrace the vibrant spirit of the LGBTQ+ community and enjoy a brunch experience like no other. Come on down and be part of this exciting new event that brings drag and queer culture to our community! Vallejo’s Drag Brunch @ Bambino’s Jan 18th! Event link.

This month the Vanity 4 event is Monday, January 19th.

Come check out their great menu, and grab a late bite along with some amazing Drag by the Crew! We will have a raffle for to help raise funds for Solano Pride Center, this basket will be items from the cigar shop that is owned by the owner of Cedars! $3 of each ticket goes to Solano and $2 of each goes back to The Magnifique Effect to ensure the continuation of events!

Continuing Thursday, January 8, 2025 from 1 to 2:30 pm in the Conference Room. LGBTQ+ Drama Therapy Group

What Should I Expect at Drama Therapy?

1. A welcoming and playful environment

2. Games and improvisation activities that promote laughter, connection, and growth

3. A supportive group that lets you bring your full, authentic self

Do I Need Any Theater Experience?

No. The group is designed for non-actors and actors alike. Everyone is welcome! The group is absolutely free, and you are always welcome. For more information, contact Erik at erik@solanopride.org.

We had a great conversation with our Trans Panel “Meet the Folx” at Community Congregational Church UCC in Benicia. It was another time to be reminded how diverse the Trans – or any community – can be. (Here’s the Link!).

Here’s a write up by Izzy Krumenacker (on the left) about our trip to the Castro and Tenderloin to learn about LGBTQIA2S+ history in the city.

A report back from Izzy (left of picture) after our trip to the Castro & Tenderloin

Going into San Francisco with Solano Pride Center was a truly wonderful and informative experience. Executive Director Will’s knowledge of and experience with the city made it easy to learn about the city’s history and current relevance in the world (with emphasis on, but not limited to, the LGBTQ+ aspects). While I personally have always felt at home in SF, I can recognize that safety is always a concern, and I can confidently say that awareness exists in the Solano Pride staff and that there was not one moment where I felt unsafe on that trip. From the GLBT Historical Society Museum in the Castro giving direct and interesting information, to walking along Market getting a verbal history of queer life beyond what we see as the gay neighborhoods of SF, I gained a new kind of knowledge from this experience that all my time spent studying researching have not given me previously. My personal favorite part was going to the Tenderloin Museum. The museum gave an interactive history of a neighborhood that is so significant to the history of San Francisco, queer forks across the US, and various forms of media. It gives perspectives and info that school systems almost always fail to provide. Ultimately, it was a great experience that I look forward to helping give to anyone who attends in November.

Izzy Krumenacker

Castro District tour for 9-12th graders is an opportunity to go to the city on the Ferry, learn to use Bart/Muni/Ferry, learn about Queer History, and have a fun time together.

Register with Trystan@solanopride.org today! $25 contribution, and SPC will pay for the rest of the travel costs. Bring funds you want to spend for lunch, snacks and drinks.

9-12th Grade Queer History Field Trip to the City, learning how to use public transit, from Ferry, BART & Muni! Download the Permission slip below, having it filled out and given to Trystan by Wednesday, January 28th at 9 am to trystan@solanopride.org!

JanCastroFlier Download

Special SPC Poetry & Writing Anthology Benefit Project Announced! Call for submissions by Feb 1st, 2025.

It was a dark and stormy night
When at my desk I began to write
Of things poetic and such
And things that might impress me much. (apologies to Shania Twain)

Of talents wasted or quite unknown
Of slighted authors we bemoan
Yet, what light thru yonder window gleams?
Groupings of stories, prose, and poems, it seems.

Solano Pride doth beg your submission
With cheery smile and signed permission
To share your works for published glory
Be they sweet or silly or even gory

Make haste to share your treasured text
With brains afire and muscles flexed
They be due by end of next January
So send them to us and do not tarry!

M. West

If you’d like to submit an original poem, short story, haiku or other artistic representation by February 1st, 2026. If we have enough to create an anthology of all of our writing as a fundraiser for the Solano Pride Center.

Email submissions to spc@solanopride.org with a short written certification that the item is of your own creation, and that you give permission for it to be included in a fundraising anthology on behalf of the Center.

LOUNGE LIBRARY RESOURCES:

We have the power to read books! We don’t need any expensive gadgets to read a book. We don’t need any cables, monitors or electricity for that matter. What we do need is the want to read. We might even have to change some gears so that we can get in the habit of reading. Now in the New Release section!

Who Are You? A kids guide to gender identity

by Brook Pessin-Wheedbee, illustrated by Naomi Bardoff

What do you like?
How do you feel?
Who are you?

This brightly illustrated children’s book provides a straightforward introduction to gender for anyone aged 5-8. It presents clear and direct language for understanding and talking about how we experience gender: our bodies, our expression and our identity. An interactive three-layered wheel included in the book is a simple, yet powerful, tool to clearly demonstrate the difference between our body, how we express ourselves through our clothes and hobbies, and our gender identity. Ideal for use in the classroom or at home, a short page-by-page guide for adults at the back of the book further explains the key concepts and identifies useful discussion points. This is a one-of-a-kind resource for understanding and celebrating the gender diversity that surrounds us. Link.

We have a recording!

Did you miss some of the letters from Will this year? There are links near the end of the home page with links to every eBlast going back a couple of months, or you could find all of the 2025 Pride messages here on our Suisun Pride 25 link. https://www.solanopride.org/suisun-pride-2025/.

The recording of Will’s fall of 2024 presentation on the “Weaponization of Christianity” against our community can be found here: https://youtu.be/pVImrR6eFIc?si=vvMb8hX1I-9cdYdq

His Pride sermon at Community Congregational Church of Benicia UCC on Sunday, June 29th entitled “Expecting Diversity” can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYuvuRyUvhM&t=2s

His Christmastide sermon at Community Congregational Church of Benicia UCC on Sunday, December 28th entitle “Who is Fleeing” where he discusses the plight of the Trans community and others can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XecIJ8tjIlo

If you missed this conversation on stories and understanding for Grandparents of Trans folx, here’s the recording with Janna Barkin, author of ‘He’s Always Been My Son’ and ‘A Grand Love: Stories for Grandparents of Transgender Grandchildren.’

We had a great conversation with our Trans Panel “Meet the Folx” at Community Congregational Church UCC in Benicia.

It was another time to be reminded how diverse the Trans – or any community – can be. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COmNVmm4sqA).

Gen Silent and Cultural Competency Training for those serve LGBTQ+ Seniors

If your Senior Living setting or agency serving Seniors need Cultural Competency Training for your staff, which is mandated by the state of California, we are willing to come do a training or create a training specifically for your staff and leadership! Contact will@solanopride.org for more info.

Attorney Laura Marquez-Garrett will be attending to answer questions and speak with people. Laura is an LGBT community member who wrote the LGBT platform of the Kids Online Safety Act which passed the Senate and failed the House due to ACLU and their big tech money claiming it would hurt Queer kids. She can address those concerns and any others. For more info on the act, visit: https://www.losangelesblade.com/2023/09/05/the-revised-kids-online-safety-act-protects-lgbtq-youth/

Want to help us raise funds for the Center?

Can you spare a few dollars to help keep the Center open during these trying times?

LGBTQIA2S+ Centers across the state are experiencing a drop in donations, and your support is crucial to help us continue delivering the life-saving services our community depends on.

We are recognizing that the uncertainty since then has definitely affected giving for our life-sustaining programs. If you are in a place to share financially right now, we definitely need your help right now. You can even set up a monthly donation of as little as $5 a month, which helps us more than you can know.

If you are giving to our General Fund to support all of our programming, you can give through our portal on Zeffy at https://tinyurl.com/Give2SolanoPride. Donate today!

Thanks to all of those who helped Solano Pride Center turn candy into cash!

Thank you for supporting the Solano Pride Center! We’ll receive profits from any items you purchase.

Protests and Advocacy!

Other local and regional gatherings:

Wednesdays from 4:15 to 5:15 pm in front of the Vallejo Ferry building.

Thursdays at 5 pm in Benicia, Vallejo-Benicia Indivisible hosts flag waving by the Gazebo in City Park (Military & First Street, Benicia). https://www.facebook.com/events/1077820594478484/1077820677811809/?active_tab=about

Sundays at noon in Benicia, Vallejo-Benicia Indivisible hosts flag waving by the Gazebo in City Park (Military & First Street, Benicia). https://www.facebook.com/events/1077820594478484/1077820677811809/?active_tab=about

The Fairfield Hands Off group has a Facebook page you should join! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1197790722132920

See more at our Protests & Advocacy page here: https://www.solanopride.org/protests-advocacy/

Trangender Law Center’s ID Please Resource for helping Trans, Intersex and GNC people change their identification cards

This guide was created to help you navigate the often confusing process of obtaining California and federal identification documents that reflect your gender and identity. It is designed to be used without the assistance of an attorney. However, in some cases it may be quickest or easiest to work with one.

The information in this guide should not be considered legal advice. This guide provides you with legal information but does not seek to apply that information to your specific situation. We’ve tried very hard to make sure that this resource is accurate and up-to-date. Still, the changing nature of laws and policies concerning identity documents makes 100% accuracy nearly impossible. It’s also important to note that this is a guide to policy, and how things are supposed to work. Unfortunately, not all judges and other government employees always implement these policies by the book.

If you have a question about your specific legal situation, feel free to contact Transgender Law Center’s Legal Information Helpdesk at http://www.transgenderlawcenter.org/legalinfo and we’ll do our best to answer your question or point you to resources that may be helpful.

https://tlcenter.app.box.com/s/3da7afk3p7dn1ngoxcz3tuy18q3u1dco

• Our friend Omar Kahn from Health Markets Insurance Agency who helps provide the Backdoor Films monthly at the Martinez Campbell Theater, 636 Ward Street, Martinez! Come on out the 4th Saturdays of the month at 8:30 pm to see a classic film, together.

Red Cross Blood Drives come to Solano Pride Center!

Next Red Cross Blood Drive will be scheduled soon…

Not everyone can give blood…but everyone is eligible to volunteer. Registration link is here!

There aren’t the same restrictions there used to be against our community, so schedule a time to come to the Conference Room off the Main Entrance to the Center’s building, and come out Friday, October 10th. https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=SPBDF

See our new Blood Drives website under Programs in the menu above….

Statement on our Agency’s commitment to confidentiality in our care:

We don’t ask questions of our clients around citizenship or documentation. We never have and never will. We also do not disclose any personal or contact information about our clients without their written permission. If any public agency comes seeking such information, they will be turned away and referred to our legal representation. We are contractually obligated by the County and other funders to keep HIPAA privacy laws and protect the privacy and confidentiality of all of our clients. See our “Notice of Privacy Practices” in our Center, and on the paperwork shared during intake of all counseling and case management services.

Solano Pride Center offers counseling and psychotherapy to the LGBTQ+ community of Solano County.

There are openings available for those who wish to be seen for counseling services right now! We can even talk to you if you just want to make sense of the times we live in. We are able to see clients for up to six months at no cost to clients, helping you make sense of life as a queer person, get support coming out, or deepening your self confidence by talking about your past. Please call our confidential line to make an appointment at: 707-389-4520.

In addition Solano Pride Center is accepting application from Associate Clinicians (AMFT and ACSW) in addition to trainees needing practicum sites who are interested in providing therapy to the LGBTQ community. Please contact our Clinical Director Colin Amato at colin@solanopride.org for more info.

For more Mental Health Resources, https://www.solanopride.org/mental-health-resources/

Have you ever been near the end of your rope, and need someone to help you find the resources you need to survive? Solano Pride Center staff can help! Many of our staff know much about the County’s support system, and can help you sign up for food assistance, Medi-Cal, and even give you referrals to our sister organizations serving those in need around the county. Give Kacen Cosmos, our Associate Clinical Social Worker a jingle or email to learn more.

Social and Support Groups for many sub groups within our community.

New D&D Group starts Saturday, January 10th at the Center at 2:30 pm! See more at the link below…

To see all of the support and social groups, go under the home button in the menu or go to this link: https://www.solanopride.org/social-and-support-groups

Senior Programs: https://www.solanopride.org/senior-programs/

Youth Programs: https://www.solanopride.org/youth-programs/

HIV Prevention Awareness

Did you know you can get STI testing mailed to your home?
Did you know that PreP and PeP can help you remain HIV negative?
Contact me for more info! Thank you.
Cristina Zaldana

More information now in our HIV Prevention page, under the Programs in the menu above… https://www.solanopride.org/hiv-prevention-support/

Calling All Volunteers!

Calling all volunteers! If you want to be a volunteer at Solano Pride Center, please let us know!

Our next Volunteer Training is scheduled for Thursday, January 29th at 6 pm on zoom. If you are interested in volunteering, just for special events or on a more regular basis at the Center, please email cristina@solanopride.org with the best times that work for you to be trained. These trainings are necessary for anyone who wishes to volunteer at the Center, in one of our Programs, or even for short term events like our Pride celebrations being planned now! Don’t miss this informative background on how to help, knowing our best practices and Community Agreements! Next training will be Thursday, Sept. 25th at 6 pm on zoom.

VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES

See our Volunteer page under the Programs menu above….

To see more Youth Programming, go to Youth Programs: https://www.solanopride.org/youth-programs/

9-12th Grade Queer History Field Trip to the City.

Registration form inside this link:

https://www.solanopride.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/JanCastroFlier.pdf

See the different time, since we are going to the Spook Alley at the Mall! See you there by 7 pm for us all to go experience it together.

We now have a Library page under programs above where you can see some of the books highlighted from our Library! Check it out here: https://www.solanopride.org/library/

SPC Cultural Comptency Trainings for your Team

We have Cultural competency Trainings for Schools, Teachers, Professors, Therapists, Social Workers, Case Managers, Businesses, Health Care workers, Senior Centers, and all who work with LGBTQIA2S+ people in every environment. Contact will@solanopride.org for more information about our SB 923 Training available now!

Ever wondered how to find all of the Queer organizations here in the Bay Area? Well, the Horizon’s Foundation has just such a list!

Here: https://www.horizonsfoundation.org/org-directory/

Up Next at Compton’s…

Then in January 2026, The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot returns for weekly performances!

Erin in the Morning has an article on the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot, SF’s own Stonewall moment, you can read here.

“If the buttons was on the wrong side, like a blouse, they would take you to jail because they felt it was female impersonation,” said Amanda St. Jaymes, a trans woman and local hotel owner, in Susan Stryker’s 2005 documentary Screaming Queens. “We got tired of being harassed. We got tired of being made to go into the men’s room when we were dressed like women. We wanted our rights.”

Did you know that there’s a play currently going on in the City that reenacts what we know of that riot? The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot.

Presented by the Tenderloin Museum, it’s a play written by Collette LeGrande, Mark Nassar, and Donna Personna, Directed by Ezra Reaves. It’s an immersive theatrical experience… with breakfast.

We’re a small, independent production that relies on word of mouth, social callouts, and community love to thrive—so please come back, and bring a friend! Use discount/voucher code CCRxREF15 for $15 off tickets to any upcoming show that’s not sold out.

Regular Friday and Saturday shows resume on January 16, 2026. PURCHASE TICKETS.

Beginning January 16, 2026, regular Friday and Saturday shows resume at 835 Larkin St., continuing the story that’s captivated thousands of audience members from across the Bay and beyond. Expect the same intimate, high-energy performances—and a few new surprises along the way. Tickets are on-sale for performance through March!

GET TICKETS

Vacaville LGBTQ+ Network

Want to join the new “Vacaville LGBTQ+ Network” on Facebook? Go to this link on facebook, and ask to join! https://www.facebook.com/groups/652492897897233/.

Check it out! The next social we would like to host in East County St. Paddie’s Day. Let will@solanopride.org know if you want to help plan a St. Paddie’s Day Party at a local restaurant or host a potluck dinner on Tuesday, March 17th!

See more VGN, Benicia LGBTQ+ Network socials and more at our Regional Partners Page here: https://www.solanopride.org/regional-lgbtq-partners/

Need to contact one of our staff? Would you like to drop by to check out a book from our Queer Library? Contact us this way.

If you find yourself in crisis during this time, please call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or our partners at these crisis numbers!

• Trevor Project Crisis Line: 1-866-488-7386

• Trans Lifeline Crisis Number: 1-877-565-8860

• Solano County Mobile Crisis Number: 707-806-0866

• Solano County Crisis Stabilization Service Number: 707-428-1131

Weekly Eblasts – Links below:

Do you get our weekly eBlasts on Wednesday afternoons? If not, or if you need to update your email, follow this link to register for our weekly eBlasts.

Wednesday, January 7, 2026:

Tuesday, December 23, 2025:

Wednesday, December 17, 2025:

Wednesday, December 10, 2025:

Wednesday, December 3, 2025:

Wednesday, November 26, 2025:

Wednesday, November 19, 2025:

Wednesday, November 12, 2025:

Wednesday, November 5, 2025:

Wednesday, October 29, 2025:

Wednesday, October 22, 2025:

Wednesday, October 15, 2025:

Wednesday, October 8, 2025:

Wednesday, October 1, 2025:

Food resources and other helps:

As we watch our social safety net being dismantled, it is heartening that there is as much resistance attempting to save it, especially in the courts where it matters. In the meantime, we are a community that cares for those inside and outside of our community, so if you’d like to help those most in need, you can share some of your own abundance with those who are being squeezed the most by our own Government’s failures and rejection of their role. You can bring the items above with food expiration and sell by dates according to the image above to our Lobby Monday to Friday from 8 am to 5 pm. If you need other dates and times, email or text one of the staff and we will see when we can meet you here!

If you are hungry, please drop by our lobby and take what you need.

Or, if you have something to donate, you can drop by bags of unperishable food for others. You can also bring something for the Interfaith corner of the lobby, leaving a decoration on the tree, or a Chanukkah decoration or gift for those in need. If you need more resources, please look below on this homepage for where you can get food or help.

Food is Free Bay Area distribution

1 in 4 Solano residents will not receive SNAP benefits as of November 1, 2025. Our neighbors need help NOW!

Information from Food is Free Bay Area:

We distribute food every week at several locations. Tuesday and Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. inside McCormack Hall at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo.

Tuesdays from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Heritage Presbyterian Church in Benicia.

Every Second and Fourth Saturday at mobile sites in Vacaville.

Every Third Saturday at the Benicia Library from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Senior Food Box Program

We are proud to offer the Community Senior Food Box Program for Solano County Seniors aged 55 and older. Please come to our distributions to sign up for this program. Program proudly funded by Napa Solano Area Agency on Aging.

Ways to Help

There are many ways to get involved and support our cause. You can make a donation, become a volunteer, or even organize a fundraising event in your community. Whatever you choose, know that your contribution will make a difference in the lives of those in need.

TO DONATE, VOLUNTEER AND FIND OUT WHERE TO GET FREE FOOD, GO TO: https://fifbayarea.org/

Food Bank has a Food Finder.

Input your zip code and fine the closest Food Closets.

Find Food in My City

Food Bank Sites by city

Sparrow Project https://thesparrowproject.fbcvallejo.com/emergency-pantry

707-644-4087 Vallejo

Food is Free-Solano- https://fifbayarea.org/

707-690-0945 Benicia

Faith Food Fridays – https://faithfoodfridays.com/

707-557-7933 Vallejo

Food Bank of Contra Costa/Solano https://www.foodbankccs.org/

855-309-3663 Fairfield

Emmanuel Arms- https://www.emmanuelarmsinc.org/

707-642-2391 Vallejo

Dear friends,

It’s been an honor and my absolute pleasure to serve the Solano County LGBTQIA+ community through the Solano Pride Center! I’ve been fortunate to have been able to work with an amazing team of individuals who care and give their time and expertise willingly, and a dedicated staff that does deep healing work in the community through the grants, contracts, and donations that the center receives. I’m very proud of the collective impact we’ve been able to make through the many events that the pride center facilitates weekly, especially our annual pride festival, that was the biggest ever held in this county! I am grateful for all the support of those individuals and organizations. My heart is full of love and gratitude for my time with this community! I look forward to seeing much growth and being together for it!

I’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to Donna Harris our longtime secretary whose wife Sandy Stelter was our longtime treasurer, who basically built this organization from the ground up those two together were the backbone. They used to have garage sales just to be able to keep the lights on. We’ve had many volunteers over the years for whom without we would never have been able to do the things that the pride center is now able to do every day. Thank you all! I’d like to say goodbye to Donna as she retires off the board and celebrate her many years of service at one of the upcoming SPC gatherings.

Lovingly, Brigid

The Board of the Solano Pride Center shares our sadness that the Mayor of the City of Vacaville continues to use his position to give cover for the discrimination many in our community experience there. Like we did for every city, our Executive Director sent proposed language to use in a proclamation that actually gives an account of our history of discrimination and need for civil rights protections from our elected leaders.

This year we sent the request early, and attempted to hear back when the proclamation would be shared, and have not had that time confirmed. In preparing the so-called “Proclamation,” the Mayor’s office produced a document to be signed by the Vice Mayor that was similar to those of previous years, but with no proclamation that June 2024 would be Pride Month in the City of Vacaville. We also noticed a change to the text, including the deletion of the phrase “celebrate and build”, which was changed to “while building,” without an actual declaration of Pride Month. The language is so vague that it could apply to any other community, without addressing the violence members of our community experiences every day. Every other city we have received Proclamations from have adapted the language we have offered, but has still included the historical portions because that was the point. The language the Mayor used further white washes the history of America as if our country wasn’t created with the legality of slave states and the second class citizenship of women.

Furthermore, our biggest frustrations have centered around the lack of notification of when the flag was to be raised, as we experienced in almost every other city of the county today. Because we were not notified of the time of the flag raising, our community was denied the opportunity to be in attendance and participate to mark the moment. We understand that the Pride Flag has been raised on the School Street site, and will remain except for a day to honor the Army on June 14^th (veterans comprise a significant portion of our community). Though we sent our request to the whole City Council on April 17^th, we have had to ask for responses rather than a friendly sharing of events. The lack of communication feels intentional.

The erasure of our community happens on a daily basis, and the policies coming out of the Mayor’s office continues to discriminate against our civil rights and treats us like second class citizens. We call upon the good people of Vacaville to remind their Mayor that his oath of office is to serve all of the city, and not just those of his particular religious tradition. Leading Vacaville together means including your LGBTQ+ family and protecting their civil rights.

Will McGarvey
Executive Director

On behalf of the Solano Pride Center’s Board of Directors, June 2024