On July 1, City Council honored and recognized lifetime Alameda resident Virginia “Ginny” Krutilek by declaring July 4, 2025, the day of her 100th birthday, Ginny Krutilek Day in Alameda.
Among the many contributions to the city she loves and calls home, Ginny is a founding member of the Alameda Homeless Network, which established and continues to support the Midway Shelter for women and children fleeing domestic violence.
Ginny’s remarkable journey began at the Mabel Tennant Maternity Home at 1716 Chestnut Street, where she was born on July 4, 1925 before there was a hospital in Alameda. She attended kindergarten through eighth grade at Henry Haight School and ninth through twelfth grade at Alameda High School, where she graduated. Her first job was as a “copy boy” at the Oakland Tribune where her dad worked. In a time before desktop publishing, the core function of a copy boy was to physically transport typed stories from reporters to copy editors, in addition to performing other entry-level tasks.
In 1944, at 19 years old, she joined the First Congregational Church of Alameda (FCCA), where she has served for more than 80 years in numerous capacities, including Sunday school teacher, financial secretary, treasurer, and church historian. She also joined the choir and never left it. In 1946, she was married at the FCCA.
In 1989, in response to then-Mayor Chuck Corica’s concerns about unsheltered people in Alameda, Ginny helped found the Alameda Homeless Network (AHN), an all-volunteer organization that established and continues to support the Midway Shelter. For decades she was considered the face of Midway Shelter, and her front porch was the spot where residents could drop off donations. Even her phone number was tied to the shelter, and she answered calls for the organization well into her 90s.
Video by Lis Cox.
She became a well-known force, leading the charge to secure funding for the shelter through fundraising events such as the annual 4th of July race. Year after year, Ginny and AHN managed to reach pledge goals that ensured Midway could remain open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
She jokes that, in the beginning, when she was first helping to organize AHN, it “was like trying to hold a bowl full of Jell-o without the bowl. It was that type of organization.” Eventually, AHN partnered with Building Futures, which operates the shelter, and AHN continues to fundraise for Midway’s support. Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft noted that in the 36 years since AHN opened Midway, the shelter has empowered thousands of mothers to build brighter futures for themselves and their children.
Ginny also has been actively involved in the PTA, the Alameda Museum, and the Board of Volunteers at Alameda County’s Fairmont Hospital. She also shared her love and gift for music by teaching piano to generations of Alamedans.
Her prolific community contributions have garnered significant recognition, including being named Alameda’s Woman of the Year by the Alameda Times Star in 1993 and Woman of the Year by the California State Legislature in 1998. Additional accolades include recognition from U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, U.S. Congressman Ron Dellums, California State Assemblymembers Don Perata and Barbara Lee (when she was an Assemblymember), the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, and the City of Alameda.
Now, on the occasion of her 100th birthday, Alameda celebrates Ginny’s lifelong dedication to community service and civic leadership which has made the city a better place.
Reverend Laura Rose, Senior Pastor of FCCA, notes that FCCA will honor Ginny by carrying her photo in the 4th of July parade and will joyously celebrate her birthday at its service of worship on Sunday, July 6.
In an interview conducted by a teen member of the FCCA, Ginny was asked what advice she would give to youth. “I like people to really practice being courteous and loving toward one another,” Ginny replied. “And loving doesn’t mean always hugging. It means respect—respect for another person being a real person. I think it’s respect for that and the ability to accept people who may not be just like you and who might be a little different. That’s important, being able to accept a person for who they happen to be.”
Contributing writer Karin K. Jensen covers boards and commissions for the Alameda Post. Contact her via [email protected]. Her writing is collected at https://linktr.ee/karinkjensen and https://alamedapost.com/Karin-K-Jensen.
