E
laine is a gentle woman
with a soft voice. She sits
comfortably back and
smiles readily. She ex-
udes the mild-mannered
confidence and patience
required to teach middle and high school stu-
dents in a teaching career that earned her recog-
nition as the 2009-10 Educator of the Year for
California Middle Schools of the Central Coast.
The same confidence, patience and teach-
ing skills carry over into all aspects of her
life, including her service as a volunteer and
on committees. “As a teacher, you have to be
able to work with people, be organized, and
persuade people to join in and work together,”
she said. “I try not to be the ‘teacher’ in a
group. I’d rather try to get everyone to work
with me.”
Coming from a large family of Swiss-Italian
and Italian heritage, it’s no wonder that Elaine’s
interests embrace food, youth, and families. It
started with food: “My mom and grandma
were excellent cooks. Sometimes they worked
from recipes, put a pinch of this or that—it’s
always an art.” Elaine has been associated with
the Garlic Festival Recipe Contest, been the
Associate chair for Garlic Braiding, assisted
with the Gilroy Sunrise Rotary cooking tur-
keys for St. Joseph’s Christmas dinners, helped
with the Gilroy Senior Center Valentine ice
cream sundae social, and helped with the
Wheeler Manor BBQ. “One of my favorite pas-
times is cooking. I enjoy taking food classes.
Sometimes I enjoy cooking just by myself—it’s
quiet time.” But, often, she cooks for others.
Her work with youth and families includes
stints with Arts for Kids, as Coordinator for
Back to School shopping, the Garlic Queen
Pageant, and Christmas shopping for adopted
families. Community service hours required
for graduation has brought Elaine into contact
with many teenagers seeking volunteer oppor-
tunities. The benefits to teens of community
service hours are well documented, and with
Elaine’s guidance, these young people often
find personal rewards from helping others.
“Mentoring students, teaching them about giv-
ing back to the community and teaching them
to do it because they want to, is very satisfy-
ing. Some student volunteers I’ve worked with
have become friends. Some that I’ve met as
teens are now grown with kids, and now their
kids are volunteers,” she said.
How can people get involved with the com-
munity? Anyone who is interested in making a
difference should “join an organization num-
ber one and see what it’s about, and then do
little steps,” she said. “Small volunteer things
first; you don’t have to head a committee or be
the lead. You can always do something, offer
an extra set of hands. Volunteering for one
group becomes an entry into being invited to
do other things by different groups—before
long, you’re a member!” she laughed.
“I’ve made some very good friends volun-
teering —not just local people, but profession-
als because you never know who you’re going
to be introduced to while you’re volunteering.”
What’s the most pressing thing that needs to
be addressed in Gilroy right now? “Whatever
makes things better for the community. When
I’m doing things, I’m not looking for the rec-
ognition. I was honored by the Woman of the
Year Award; humbled, appreciative, embar-
rassed, and shocked that I received it.”
According to Elaine Bonino, “I just think, if
you see what needs to be done, give a helping
hand to make it a better place.”
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
SPRING 2020
gmhtoday.com
"I feel very honored to live
and grow up in South County
the number of years I have
and that my family’s been
here over a hundred years.
I participated in 4H and
learned to swim at the old
Gilroy High School. We had a
tab at Rocca’s in San Martin.
My mom would send me
with a list of groceries, and
sometimes Grampa Rocca
would look in the basket and
say, ‘This isn’t on your list.’
But that didn’t happen very
often.”
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