Category «Patriotism»

Make a Difference Day: In Support of First Responders

In support of the U.N. “Make A Difference Day” on Saturday, October 24th, 2020, we had a catered dinner by our usual lunch caterer (Debbie), deliver an amazing meal to about 20 health care workers of the night shift of LifeStream, in support of First Responders. LifeStream is a behavioral health and social services organization in our community, and one of our members works there and is very passionate about how hard the employees have been working during this pandemic year & how they needed our support.

Point in Time Veteran’s Survey

Altrusa of Sanford-Springvale invited a guest speaker from our local Vet Center to tell us about the work they do. We realized right away that there was a great need to help homeless and disadvantaged veterans in our community. This also fit with our SOS project. Each year our local vet center conducts a point in time survey. At this time they offer items to help vets manage our cold Maine winters. We partnered with our local senior center, they were a drop point for the community and we collected warm socks, blankets, hats, gloves and other necessities. We collected 197 individual items and delivered them over a two week period. The vet center also has a food pantry that we have adopted by our club and we collect items at our business meeting and deliver them to the center on a regular basis.

Clothes Closet for Veterans Home

Each year we sponsor a drive to provide items of need for the Veterans Home where individuals without funds can request items from the clothes closet. After the drive for stockings, shirts and pants for both women and men, we provide funds to purchase the additional items that may be needed. i.e. electric toothbrushes, combs and body wash. Through this service project, we hope to make a difference for all the veterans in their daily lives that did so much for us.

Operation Homefront Thanksgiving meals and stocking stuffing for military families

Our club participates in collecting items from Dollar Tree stores and the collections are sorted and stockings are stuffed for giving to Military families at a special event on military bases in Florida. A collection of gift cards by our club is also given to provide Thanksgiving baskets..

Remembering our Veterans

We had a work night to assemble decorative gift bags to be given to the Veterans at the Bonham Veterans home. The bags are blue with white stars. They are filled with toiletries and candy. The sugar free candies are designated with a red ribbon instead of a blue. The also have a small American flag and Forth of July pins or necklaces to wear. These will be delivered by our Altrusans the first week in July or on the Forth.

Project Troopon

Our club members collect and sort manufacturer’s coupons and bring them to monthly meetings to be forwarded on to Support Our Troops. Support Our Troops forwards the coupons to commissaries on military bases around the world for use by the military personnel and their families. To date, our club has sent over $12,000 in coupons this year.

Female Soldiers: Forgotten Heroes (Female Vets)

Female Soldiers: Forgotten Heroes: Altrusans are helping the PFC Nicholas A. Madaras home in Bridgeport, the first community-based transitional home dedicated to homeless female Veterans and their children up to 10 years of age by collecting much needed items for the 15 bed facility. We have been supplying ‘Blankets of Warmth’ – a holiday gift of handmade afghan for each resident, in addition to deliveries of pillows, sheets, towels, laundry detergent, etc. as needed.