Two fraternal organizations affiliated with St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Parish in Manteca have found a secret to fund-raising success.

It’s called joint forces. One can use other words or phrases to describe it. But working together in several fund-raising efforts has yielded a lot of positive results, financial and otherwise, for both the Knights of Columbus and the Young Men’s Institute. At their most recent breakfast benefit after all the Sunday morning masses, for example, their combined efforts resulted in a donation of more than $1,000 for the Manteca Pregnancy Help Center.

Two similar efforts are coming up. These are the annual fish fries, with the first one taking place this Friday followed by the second one on March 19, which is also a Friday. Both events will be held in the St. Anthony School Cafeteria, 525 E. North Street, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Guests can dine in, or they can opt for a take-out order. Either way, the donation is $10 for a meal that consists of red potatoes, green beans, cole slaw, rolls, ice cream for dessert, and of course, cod fish which is prepared either fried or baked. This is a home-style meal with everything prepared by volunteers from both fraternal groups, their spouses and other parishioners. Donation for a child’s plate is $5 for dine-in only.

They also host the annual Priest Appreciation dinner, which is just one of the many projects in the parish and in the community that benefit from the financial fruits of their joint fund-raising efforts.

Joe Gomes of the Knights of Columbus said the recent breakfast fund-raiser for the Pregnancy Help Center has been going on for “at least five years, if not more.”

Both groups have also assisted St. Anthony’s School with scholarship money. The Raymus Home for homeless women and their children on South Union Road, as well as Haven of Peace in French Camp which provides a respite home for battered women are two of the community projects that the YMI and Knights have also helped financially. Another pet project in the parish for both organizations is Sister Ann Venita’s Ministry of Caring.

Tickets will be available at the door, or from any member of YMI and Knights of Columbus. For further details, contact the church office at 823-7197.