Altrusa International Service Projects
A database of Service projects from throughout our Altrusa organization
Each December Club members prepare Goody Bags for 40 residents of Green Meadow Retirement Home. The Goody Bags contain winter necessities like chap stick, gloves, hats, etc. These Goody Bags are handed out on Christmas by the staff. In addition to the Goody Bags, the club supplies refreshments for the annual Christmas party for the residents of this assisted living center. Just one of the ways the Sikeston club is leading to a better community.
Collected more than 130 gently used magazines to share with our two adoptive senior centers in North San Antonio. Members collected a variety of magazine which our seniors will enjoy. An excellent no-cost service project any club can organize.
The “Tijeritas for Kids” (Scissors for Kids) service project arises from the need to provide free haircuts to children with limited economic resources in the town of Guánica monthly basis. Our goal is to impact the educational system of Guánica with free haircuts aimed at school-age students, in which good hygiene and sanitation practices are promoted to provide personal care and health service. The fusion of both concepts creates in the student a level of self-esteem and confidence based on their appearance. Due to the success of this service project in the town of Guánica, we will soon include elderly and disabled people from our community.
This project was to enable pensioners in council assisted housing to receive a bag of Christmas themed groceries. The concept was to enable the Club to assist the more vulnerable elderly to have some Christmas treats at a time when they were probably trying to buy presents for family.
Supermarkets were approached for discounts, members made jams, biscuits and cake and the “Santa Sacks” were delivered prior to Christmas.
Crafty Saturday November Meeting
Altrusans from Altrusa International of Martinsville-Henry County, Inc. Virginia had a great time putting together 20 hygiene kits and 32 baskets filled with fun sensory objects for residents at two local assisted living facilities. Dr. Nina Huff was our craft instructor. Members also included handmade cards for each basket and kit.
Meredith Altrusa helped in the collection of socks during the month of October in honor of Make A Difference Day. A variety of socks for all ages were donated to the Community focused InterAct Club at Inter-Lakes High School, who in turn, provide to those in need. This is both a service project in response to a need in the Lakes Region, but also working to assist another Community Club comprised of our own local high schoolers…a joint effort within Meredith.
Help Save Your Life with the File of Life!
Altrusa International of Meredith, N.H., Inc. is honored to be able to present the File of Life service project to Lakes Region seniors or single member households.
500 File of Life Packets were purchased for assembly and distribution via local libraries, town offices, fire and police departments, the Meredith Community Center, Altrusa monthly Community Dinners, the local Visiting Nurses Association, Interlakes Community Caregivers, local family medicine and family healthcare offices.
Eligible residents who may require emergency assistance in their home are encouraged to take one of the free magnetized packets where they can document a current record of personal medical needs and directives, up-to-date medications, drug contradictions, emergency contact, and a brief medical history.
There’s also a window sticker to alert first responders to the location of the packet in the home…most popular, being the kitchen refrigerator. There is room for a small photo in the front pocket to help with identification during an emergency. Residents are encouraged to ask their medical advisor for assistance in completing the insert if needed.
Medical personnel and first responders can access the File of Life information upon their arrival, enabling them to quickly assess the treatment and transport to the appropriate medical facility if necessary. Our local Altrusa club contact information is also provided should residents require more than one insert for their home.
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!!!
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!
Puzzle, Game and Crossword Books were purchased and distributed to a local Senior Housing Facility for low to no income residents and to a local not-for-profit long term care facility. This was done during COVID-19 restrictions and helped seniors have an enrichment activity that could be done alone.