A big heart for helping others

You may have read about Krista Gawronski a time or two in these pages. She is not only the co-owner of the Mr. Pickles sandwich shop, but also founder of the Fabulous Women, a group of women who gather together for fun and to socialize, but more importantly to take on fund-raising projects for various local causes.

A native of San Francisco, Gawronski has lived in Petaluma for the past 10 years. While running a business is time-consuming, she still works hard at finding ways to give back.

From founding the Fabulous Women to being named Petaluma Woman of the Year, Gawronski has garnered many accolades for her active role in community service. What is her inspiration for leading a life of service to others?

“I went to a women’s conference in San Francisco, with my mother and sister, that was put on by Willie Brown ,” said Gawronski. “Oprah Winfrey was the keynote speaker and the thing she said to us that stuck with me was, ‘What is your gift? How will you make a difference?’ After that day, it changed my life and my vision. I wanted to be a great wife and mother, but wanted to expand. I felt I could really do something great if I just let myself.”

The opportunity presented itself shortly thereafter.

“A mom at our school, her husband and baby traveled back to England for the holidays, and while there, her husband contracted a staph infection and unfortunately, died,” said Gawronski. “Immediate-ly, the other moms and I got together and said, ‘What are we going to do to help?’ Mr. Pickles limited my time, but I wanted to do something with women, and here it was, my opportunity to gather women together for support and a cause.

Gawrosnki held a gathering of about 20 women at her home. Together, the group decided to create a women’s group that would not only enjoy time socializing, but also focus on how they could help those around them.

She said that her greatest challenge is wanting to do so much more, but learning how to balance work at Mr. Pickles, the Fabulous Women and family life can be difficult.

“I love it there (Mr. Pickles), and we’ve created a kind of family there,” said Gawronski. “I have to keep checking in with myself and trying to prioritize. My family is my greatest accomplishment.”

Gawronski learned a few months ago that she was nominated for Petaluma Woman of the Year, an award given by the Petaluma Women’s Cancer Awareness Group. Gawronski was named the winner of the award during the WCAG’s A Day For All Women conference in April.

“There was a breakfast session with interesting topics for women to empower themselves,” said Gawronski. “Marilyn Kent, formerly of ‘The Mommies,’ and Leslie Sbrocco of ‘Wine Taste TV’ and ‘Check, Please Bay Area’ made appearances. Anyone who wanted to could nominate someone, and the person who nominated me shared her letter. They had all the finalists on stage and then my name was announced. It was really nice, really gratifying, because the Fabulous Women are starting to get some recognition.”

She feels her greatest calling is in service to others.

“I’ve been involved in service to others for 17 years, both at Mr. Pickles and with the Fabulous Women, and it can be both fun and gratifying,” she said. “If we could all take the time to look for opportunities to reach others and give something back to our communities, that would solve a lot of problems in the world.”

(Contact Lynn Schnitzer at argus@arguscourier.com)