About Us
The Butter Paddle Gift Shop, presently located in the heart of downtown Los Gatos, California, is the perfect place to buy that special gift. The Butter Paddle is the fund-raising arm of the EMQ Auxiliary, which has served the needs of local children in need since 1934. The Auxiliary started by raising money through rummage sales and fashion shows. The proceeds from these events provided household items for the children’s residence. Items such as drapes, carpeting and even a washing machine so children could have clean socks every day were donated!
Over the years, the Auxiliary decided that a long-term, ongoing project would provide a more stable fund-raising base. Therefore, on June 1, 1967, The Butter Paddle Shop opened its doors in downtown Saratoga and was the first gourmet kitchen shop in Santa Clara Valley. The members at that time got the idea to name the store “The Butter Paddle” simply because one of the ladies had found an old-fashioned butter paddle while walking in Saratoga. In October of 2010, The Butter Paddle moved its operations to Los Gatos.
Our unique shop is run entirely by more than 70 trained volunteers, all locals from Santa Clara County. Volunteers do the buying, staffing and displays. Since 1967, the shop has evolved to include distinctive, upscale gifts of all price ranges. Hallmarks of the shop are custom wrapping and helpful customer service.
All proceeds from The Butter Paddle are donated to Pacific Clinics (formerly Uplift Family Services), a nonprofit organization. Uplift Family Services has been helping children and families in crisis since 1867, over 150 years! Uplift Family Services, previously known as Eastfield Ming Quong, originally grew from two separate entities: Eastfield Children’s Center, which began as The Home of Benevolence (San Jose’s first orphanage) and Ming Quong Children’s Center, which was a rescue mission for Chinese slave girls. In 2008 EMQ merged with FamiliesFirst to serve children throughout California. Later on, EMQ FamiliesFirst became Uplift Family Services, and in 2022 merged with Pacific Clinics.
Today, as one organization, Pacific Clinics annually provides mental health and social services to more than 6,600 children and their families in Santa Clara County and over 35,000 children statewide. Pacific Clinics offers a variety of programs such as residential treatment, short term and school-based intensive day treatment, mobile crisis intervention teams, intensive outpatient home-based services, a crisis stabilization unit, addiction prevention services, and outpatient counseling.
In addition to donating all of its Butter Paddle proceeds, the EMQ Auxiliary members provide direct support to children and families served by Pacific Clinics. The members support monthly donations to the Family Shop, as well as gifts, food and other items for events and celebrations.
A gift from the Butter Paddle is a gift to the children served by Pacific Clinics.
