Center for Family Strengthening honors ‘silent hero’
By Ann Berry-Gallegos
Center for Family Strengthening
Sharon Baldridge has been volunteering for more than 40 years 
–Depressed and anxious about her divorce and the prospect of raising her young girls on her own, Sharon Baldridge heeded her mentor’s advice: “Don’t feel sorry for yourself; you’ll feel and do better if you help others in need.” That’s what Sharon Baldridge did, and she’s been doing it for more than 40 years.
Baldridge is one of our silent heroes on the Central Coast who has been “helping others in need” by working on behalf of the disadvantaged, victims of domestic violence, recovering alcohol and drug users and protecting our precious kids from sexual abuse.
A native of San Luis Obispo Baldridge graduated from SLO High School in 1955 and went on to major in the arts at Woodbury College in Los Angeles. After her divorce, she returned home in the early 60’s to raise her two daughters in San Luis Obispo. To support her family, Baldridge worked for Glenn Burdette, an accountant firm in San Luis Obispo. In 1982, she co-founded the Kitchen Shop on Higuera, which soon became the very best specialty store for chefs in San Luis Obispo. Baldridge ran it successfully for 20 years until she sold it in 2002.
Throughout her business life, Baldridge’s real passion has been to help others in need. She spent all her extra time in that pursuit. She was on-call for the Women’s Shelter hotline to pick up mostly at night the victims of domestic abuse and take them to a safe house. She carried a 24-hour beeper as part of SART (Sexual Assault Response Team) and would meet the victims at the general hospital and be with them as the doctors examined them. She said it was a terrible process for the victims; they had to walk through a long dark hallway where the perpetrator was sitting on one side of the hallway ready to confront them as they passed by. Baldridge spent many nights comforting victims and being there for them.
Witnessing the results of horrific abuse took a toll on Baldridge, but she continued her support and comfort for the victims. She increased her efforts and helped raise money for special equipment such as the cameras used in the examination and prosecution of the offenders.
Baldridge went on to spend ten years serving as an active board member for Middlehouse, a well-known and very successful alcohol recovery home in San Luis Obispo for men with severe alcohol abuse problems.
In 1990, Baldridge served as the treasurer for 20 of the 25 years as a board member of S.A.V.E. (Sexual Assault Victim Education) a non-profit founded in 1982 by Bobbie Loomis and dedicated to raising funds for educational programs to reduce the incidence of sexual assault and molestation of children. Since 1985, S.A.V.E. has been educating preschool teachers throughout the County on how to teach preschoolers (ages 3-5) about unsafe touching. S.A.V.E recently joined forces with Center for Family Strengthening (CFS) and through CFS’s Kidz Toolbox for Personal Safety teach over 4,500 kindergarteners through second graders each year to be safe. Baldridge serves on Center for Family Strengthening’s Board.
Baldridge is also an active member of Central Coast Funds for Children, which is a group of 35 women who raises a substantial amount of money each year for Children’s programs in our Community. Last year, CCFC raised and gave over $80,000 in grants for kids to local non-profits. The women of CCFC create sunshine sacks for foster children, something colorful and precious that hold the child’s possessions as they move from foster home to foster home. The women stuff the sacks with toys, toothbrushes, blankets and stuffed animals before giving them to the children. The sunshine sacks mean so much to the children. The women have given these sacks to children through Family Care Network, the Women’s Shelter, and South County Coalition. Central Coast Funds for Children is an amazing group of Women just like Baldridge.
When I contacted Baldridge for an interview to write this article, her first words were: “Why interview me? What’s so special about me?” After the interview, I reflected on the advice she had been given by her mentor, Felicity Tagliabue, now more than 40 years ago. “Don’t feel sorry for yourself; you’ll feel and do better if you help others in need.” Sharon Baldridge has been helping others in need for all of those 40+ years. She is truly a silent hero.
