Opportunity House has launched a full slate of holiday fundraisers each one building toward the next- to generate critical support for its shelter operations. The season ramped up Thursday night with Cocktails for a Cause at the Journey Downtown Theatre, where local bartenders mixed up their best holiday-inspired pick-me-ups to cut through the gray winter weather for attendees. Far more than a standalone celebration, the event marks the beginning of Opportunity House’s most important fundraising series of the year: a multi-week lineup that stretches from mixology and cookie tastings to tree display and online auction, and finally the signature Festival of Trees Gala. Together, these events form the organization’s largest annual effort to raise the funds that keep its doors open and its services running throughout the year. The effort will culminate with the annual Festival of Trees auction and Gala. From Nov. 19 through Dec. 3, Opportunity House will auction Christmas trees off online to raise funds for its operations. Each tree is also currently on display at the Vacaville Museum for people to view in person. To bid on a tree, visit On Monday, Dec. 1, Opportunity House will host its annual Festival of Trees Gala from 5: 30 to 9 p. m. at the Sunrise Event Center, auctioning off more trees and bringing the community together for a holiday celebration. Opportunity House describes the event as a “Formal dinner gala celebrating our 35th year anniversary and the impact of Opportunity House on our community, sharing success stories and raising funds for the upcoming year.” Executive Director Ashley Banta said the organization also hosted its first-ever Cookies for a Cause on Wednesday evening at the Vacaville Museum. School of Rock played live music and Santa posed for photos as more than 160 attendees had the chance to look at the trees on auction this year. For Cocktails for a Cause, seven different bars provide a custom made cocktail for the event, and attendees have the opportunity to vote for their favorite. The winning cocktail will be featured at the Festival of Trees Gala, Banta said. Banta said it is rewarding to continue to build the Festival of Trees and surrounding events each year. “It’s really fun,” she said. “Everyone always says Festival of Trees used to be at the ice skating rink, and it used to be a big community event. And so when COVID happened, it really shook everything up. We’ve really had to rebuild it from the ground up in different ways.” Banta thanked Journey Downtown Theatre for donating the venue for Thursday’s event and all of the appetizers served, as well as serving as the presenting sponsor for the event. She also thanked the Vacaville Museum for hosting Cookies for a Cause and displaying the trees for the online auction. “It’s really cool being able to kind of build it back with the community support and really get all the buy-in from the community to not only support Opportunity House but really to put on holiday events,” she said. Banta said these fundraisers are key for the organization, raising about a quarter of their operating budget each year. “It really is what keeps the lights on in the shelter, and it keeps the water running,” she said. “Those are really the important things. There are a lot of funding and grants that come down from the federal government, from the state government, and from the local area, and we are really fortunate to be able to get a lot of those funds but they are very program-based, very direct service-based.” She said Opportunity House also uses these proceeds for pilot programs. One example is the Opportunity House’s day center, piloted two days a week over the last year. “When the needs are constantly changing, it’s nice to be able to have fundraisers like this,” she said. Banta said that Opportunity House offers a sense of community support and connection for unhoused individuals in Vacaville, which is a key predictor of success. “I have lived this life, I have been unhoused during the holidays and it is hard,” she said. “It’s hard to keep your head up, sometimes it’s hard to remind your kids that you are going to get through it,” she said. Tonya Dretzka, Owner of The Main Grape, said her organization has supported the event for the past three years, and she appreciated the chance to give back to the community through Opportunity House. The Main Grape brought a Dragonfruit and Elderflower Martini, according to bartender Maggie Macedo, with floral notes and sake, a sake-infused vodka. “It’s a bright, refreshing drink that brings you home,” Macedo said. Macedo said it was her first time participating the event and she was enjoying it. ” I feel really good about it,” she said. “I love bartending and being able to give back.”.
https://www.thereporter.com/2025/11/21/holiday-events-power-opportunity-house/
Holiday events power Opportunity House
