Stanislaus County’s Outstanding Women to be honored

Twelve women who’ve made a mark through their service to the Greater Modesto region will be honored at a March dinner.

Each year the Stanislaus County Commission for Women singles out the Outstanding Women of area, those who have demonstrated exemplary service to the community as it relates to its objectives:

▪  To promote issues that concern women of all ages, ethnicities, sexual orientation, economic backgrounds and beliefs.

▪  To promote within women the knowledge of their strengths and resources and to support women in the pursuit of their individual choices.

▪  To validate and celebrate the achievements of women collectively and individually throughout Stanislaus County.

▪  To support legislation and programs that address the needs of all women and children.

This year’s Outstanding Women are Mary Burton, Linda Knoll, Janice Lucero, Patricia Portwood, Karen Servas and Susan Shewmake. Outstanding Young Women are Anoop Bains, Hailey Brown, Alexa Duarte, Emily Reynoso and Shivani Thakur.

Awards will be presented Saturday, March 11, at the Assyrian Cultural Center of Bet-Nahrain in Ceres. This marks the 38th annual celebration of area women by the Stanislaus County Commission for Women, an independent, nongovernmental organization.

Vivian Marie Fauria will be honored as a Woman of History; following is a brief look at Fauria, provided by the commission. For biographies on the rest of the honorees, see Page G3.

Vivian Marie Fauria called Riverbank home for 48 years until her death in January 2015 at the age of 85. Her life, both personal and professional, focused on helping others.

Vivian usually preferred to remain behind the scenes, but people listened when she gave her opinion and ideas. Her husband’s job as high school principal brought them to Riverbank in 1967. Although busy raising six children, she still found time to volunteer weekly at a well-baby clinic, weighing and measuring infants and teaching low-income families about vaccinations and how to care for infants.

When her children were older, Vivian worked for the American Cancer Society as a fundraiser and educator on the dangers of smoking. Vivian then returned to her first career, social work, as an eligibility worker for Stanislaus County. Her volunteer activities included 20 years interviewing program applicants for the Riverbank Christian Food Sharing Program and the Riverbank Women’s Club.

Vivian and her husband, Ray, were among the founders of the Riverbank Historical Society.

This story was originally published February 24, 2017 at 12:22 PM with the headline "Stanislaus County’s Outstanding Women to be honored."