On February 18, the Rotary Club of Alameda honored St. Joseph Elementary School eighth grader Sofia Gomez and second grade teacher Linda Radecke with Student and Teacher of the Month awards. With its motto, “Service above Self,” the Rotarians were particularly impressed by the achievements for which both the student and teacher were recognized.
[1]Continuing her family’s legacy of service to others, Gomez spent hours baking homemade treats for a pre-Christmas bake sale at St. Joseph Elementary School. Like her sister before her, Sofia took the lead in executing a fundraiser to support the Castaneda Kids Foundation. She baked all the goods sold and was able to raise $852. She then traveled with her family to El Salvador to deliver the gift baskets and toys purchased with the funds she raised.
The Castaneda Kids Foundation [2] is focused on improving underserved communities in El Salvador. They focus on four key areas—education, health, sports and nutrition. During the holiday season, they distribute food baskets and toys to families at a time when they most need them. Beyond the annual gift basket and toy drive, the foundation raises funds to provide medical care to needy families. In addition, they award scholarships and support sports teams by providing uniforms and equipment to hundreds of children. The foundation’s mission is rooted in the belief that education can change lives, sports can teach valuable life skills, and nutrition can promote community.
“Sofia’s commitment to helping others is inspiring, and she’s made an impact that goes beyond the classroom,“ said St. Joseph Principal Danielle Colvert. “I remember when she was in fourth grade, Sofia and a number of classmates came up with the idea of selling friendship bracelets and donating the money. The girls raised $850 for Friends of Alameda Animal Shelter.”
In the same spirit of service, Radecke was honored for 35 years of service to schools in the Diocese of Oakland, the last 19 at St. Joseph Elementary School in Alameda. Known for her dedication to her students and involvement in local non-profits, Radecke is a longstanding pillar of the school and community. More than just a teacher—she’s a mentor and a role model. As the second grade teacher at St. Joseph, she also prepares students in her class who will receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Communion in the Catholic Church.
For the past 10 years, Radecke and her husband Bob have been very active with Island Cat Resources and Adoption (ICRA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of unowned and free-roaming cats in and around the Bay Area since 1994.
Radecke explained how her love of cats led her to find a way to help cats in the Bay Area who don’t have a family or permanent home.
“Through ICRA, I volunteer doing something called TNR—Trap, Neuter, and Return,” the teacher explained. “Studies have shown that this is the best way to humanely control the cat population. Requests come from all over the Bay Area asking for TNR help. And it is constant. There is often a long waiting list. My husband and I go out on the weekends, after work, on holidays to humanely trap these feral cats.”
Both Sofia’s commitment to service and Radecke’s lifelong dedication to education and giving back to the community inspired the Rotarians to recognize their honorees’ achievements.