Garamendi Honors 52 Women as Richmond Maps Pantries & Antioch Parades

Congressional tributes, grassroots food-sharing networks, and waterfront patriotic ceremonies are uniting Contra Costa County communities this month. Across the region, U.S. Rep. John Garamendi honored 52 local leaders at his 13th annual Women of the Year ceremony, Richmond Area Mutual Aid released a digital directory of neighborhood food pantries, and Antioch gathered in historic Rivertown for its annual Veterans Day celebration.

At the 13th annual Women of the Year ceremony held in Benicia on October 23, 2026, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA-08) recognized 52 women from Solano and Contra Costa counties—including 16 honorees from West Contra Costa County—entering their biographies into the Congressional Record, as reported by Post News Group. Honorees from Richmond included engineer and project manager Annie King-Meredith, recognized for 6 decades of service with the North Richmond Municipal Advisory Council and Shields-Reid Neighborhood Council; Maria Del Rocio Martinez Luna of Rigo's Auto Sales, who serves as secretary of the 23rd Street Merchants Association; and U.S. Air Force veteran Mary Ann Dawkins-Padigela, who served 7 years as an aircraft mechanic and now leads East Bay CAMFT as president.

Garamendi also commended Contra Costa College Dean Dr. Mayra Padilla, who earned degrees from UC Davis and UC Berkeley before returning to expand STEM pathways; Richmond Police Department Crime Prevention Manager Michelle Denise Milam, credited with helping secure nearly $30 million for outreach, shelter, treatment, and housing pathways; community volunteer Nwaeze Nmereole, who provides GED tutoring, vocational nursing exam preparation, and senior assistance; and former Richmond City Manager Shasa Curl, who served the city for more than 2 decades—becoming interim city manager in November 2021 and permanent city manager in April 2022 before retiring in 2026—while helping secure more than $300 million in infrastructure, housing, and education grants.

In Richmond neighborhoods, Post News Group reported that Richmond Area Mutual Aid (RAMA) published an interactive map of Little Free Food Pantries operating under the motto "Give what you can, take what you need." At a site near 34th Street and Roosevelt Avenue founded during the pandemic by Eagle and stewarded by Achala Jayagoda and her family, neighbors, local retirees, and nonprofits restock shelf-stable groceries, bakery giveaways, and fresh produce that often turn over within hours. To expand the autonomous network, RAMA scheduled free community pantry build days on November 14 and December 12.

Meanwhile, in East Contra Costa County, the Antioch Herald reported that the city's November 11 Veterans Day observance in historic Rivertown brought residents together for a traditional community Pancake Breakfast, a formal waterfront ceremony featuring the Veterans of the Year presentation, and a Veterans Day Parade marching along a newly updated Rivertown route.