Category «District Twelve»

ALTRUSA AUDIOBOOK LIBRARY

With grants from BC Gaming ($5,000) and Altrusa International Foundation ($4,000 US), the Altrusa Club of Nanaimo set up its own Playaway Audiobook library for our sight impaired clients. Audiobook deliveries were integrated into our current library book delivery schedule. We hope to grow our inventory to serve more people in the community. A HUGE thank you to Vicki for making initial contact with the supplier and getting the ball rolling! Our new library now has a home in Elizabeth’s garage. Elizabeth and Linda are in charge of selecting books. Marean helped Elizabeth with the grant application. When the order arrived, Elizabeth, Donna and Vicki categorized, labelled and shelved the books. Then, with help from Donna and Shirley, Elizabeth created a lending information binder to track our clients and audiobooks. Janice S produced a welcome letter with operating instructions for distribution to all clients on the first delivery, while Trudi sewed the client delivery bags with a different colour for each of the three routes. Sharen, Pat F, Vivien, Roberta, Pat W and Elizabeth made the first delivery on April 8th, and Jan W paid all the bills! Teamwork, teamwork, teamwork!!!

Bus and Park It Packs

Canadians have been encouraged to spend time in the fresh air and nature during this pandemic, because it is so important for our mental and emotional well-being. To that end, Altrusa International of Nanaimo members assembled 530 “Bus & Park It” packs, each containing 10 transit tickets, 2 face masks, hand sanitizer, a transit bus schedule, a map of Nanaimo’s parks and recreation areas, and instructions on Covid 19 protocol. The packs were then delivered to 16 community service agencies who helped distribute them throughout the city. These Bus & Park It packs enabled riders of all ages and abilities to safely reach playgrounds, beaches, sporting facilities and viewpoints. Altrusa targeted vulnerable citizens who fell into the following six categories: mental illness, poverty, Indigenous, homeless, disabilities or supportive living. The response to this project exceeded our expectations!

Celebration of Literacy

Celebration of Literacy (COL) is a one month motivational reading program. During the month reading and reading-related programs are held primarily for children. Annually, we give away between 4000 and 9000 books and hold an average of 50 different events. During 2020-21 we held are twentith COL.
Last year (2021) all events had to be changed due to the pandemic and social-distancing. We still managed to make over 12,000 contacts during the month.

Books & Ice Cream for Make a Difference Day

Altrusa International of Hermiston, Oregon has placed three Little Free Libraries in our community. We celebrated Make a Difference Day on October 24 at all three sites with a book and ice cream give away. We used children’s and young adult books from our existing inventory, and also received a generous donation of gently used books from the Friends of the Hermiston Library. The ice cream bars were donated by Meadow Gold. Our teams were at the libraries from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Twelve members participated, and supplied tables for the books and coolers for the ice cream. The children choosing books were asked to wear a mask. At one site, families could simply park at the curb, and we delivered to the vehicle.
The event was publicized in the newspaper, the radio station and on Facebook. If we repeat the event, we will have posters at nearby intersections so families can find us more easily.
Sue Daggett, Literacy Chairman
donsuedaggett@charter.net

Days for Girls

Sponsor a Days for Girls Team. We have produced 1,000 kits to date. Packing kits was also our MADD project.

Fleece Blankets for Children in Crisis

We hand-tied a number of large fleece blankets at Bags of Love Inc., a nonprofit organization in our community since 2008 that helps children in crisis. These blankets for older youth will be included in duffel bags stuffed with emergency supplies, including a change of clothing, pajamas, coat, books, school supplies, games and hygiene items.

Bags and Blankets for Children in Crisis

Our club is making 25 large cloth bags and homemade quilts, afghans and fleece blankets for Bags of Love Inc., a nonprofit organization in Eugene, Oregon that serves youth up to age 17 who experience neglect, abuse, poverty or homelessness.

Empty Bowls

Empty Bowls is an international project to fight hunger, personalized by each community’s artists, restaurants, and sponsors. In Gig Harbor, we have a generous group of potters who donate approximately 400 hand made bowls. Entrance is free, guests purchase bowls, and then choose from about 12 soups donated by local restaurants. The purchased bowls are theirs to take home to remind them of the hunger in their community. All proceeds from Empty Bowls is donated to organziations feeding hungry children and families.

Empty Bowl

The Empty Bowl Supper is an annual event that the Portland Altrusa Club has been holding for the benefit of Project FEED, a local emergency food pantry.
Guests choose a ceramic bowl to use for their meal and to keep as a reminder that there are always Empty Bowls in the world.

In exchange for a meal and the bowl, the Guest makes a $10.00 donation.

All proceeds raised will be donated to Project FEED which is an emergency food depot located in the basement of Woodfords Church.

Scholarships for graduating seniors

Our club awards approximately $10,000 in scholarships each spring to local high school seniors enrolling in college, to returning Blue Mountain Community College students, and to students in career technical programs.