Tidewater Altrusan Newsletter
🦃🦃 November 2023 🥧🥧
Important Dates / Information
November 8: Board Meeting via Zoom @ 5pm
November 16: Tree Trimming at Lake Taylor Transitional Care Hospital, Azalea Unit @ 10am
November 18: Mayflower Marathon Food Drive, 10:00am-12:45pm @ Lynnhaven Mall
November 20: Social @ 4pm - Windy City Pizza
Program/Business Meeting @ 6pm - Social @ 5:30pm - Jo-Kell
November 25: International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
December 1: Bazaar Set up @ 6pm
December 2: Bazaar, 9am-2pm
December 4: Holiday Social, West Neck @ 6pm
December 13: Board Meeting via Zoom @ 5pm
April 25-24, 2024: District Two Conference, Maryland.
July 23-26, 2025: International Convention in Quebec City, Canada.
Meeting Location:
Windy City Pizza - 480 Kempsville Rd, Chesapeake, VA. 23320
President's Message
Our Annual Bazaar is three weeks away as I'm writing this message. Where has the time gone?
Please respond to the request from the Bazaar Chairs, Kathy Dalby and June Kates, regarding craft items you'll be donating. If possible bring some of the items to the business meeting November 20th.
We would like to welcome our newest member Danielle Rosso. She was initiated at out October meeting.
A big thanks to our Membership Chair, Marcy Royal!
I would like to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving. Asking travel mercies for all who will be traveling.
In Altrusa Love,
Sherral
Board Actions - November 2023
None
Accent
Greetings Altrusans!
I hope this message finds you all doing well and enjoyjng these first days of fall. It’s so nice to see the pansies, mums, pumpkins, haystacks and Halloween decorations as well on the front steps and porches around my neighborhood. I can’t wait to hear trick-or-treaters ring my doorbell and see all the children in their fun costumes! I still, to this day, love to dress up!
The month of October is a busy one for Altrusa. Our International Club recognizes October 16th, World Food Day 2023, and October 24th, United Nations (UN) Day.
The theme for World Food Day 2023 is “Water is life, water is food. Leave no one behind.” Access to clean water has become a very serious issue. Both children and adults are working to protect our water sources for the current generation and for those to come. For more information, please click this link. World Food Day 2023
The United Nations was established on October 24, 1945, so this year will mark its 75th anniversary! The theme for this anniversary year is, “Equality, Freedom, and Justice for All”. For more information, please click this link. United Nations Day 2023
I am proud to share how Altrusa supports these special days of the year and how we have examples, every day, of the importance of taking care of our local and global communities. I wish you all a pleasant October and he to see you all again soon.
All the best,
Tracey
Zoom Link for Altrusa Meetings:
Click here to join all scheduled Altrusa Zoom Meetings. The password is the same with a capital first letter.
Committee Reports
Service Committee: Joanne, Chair and Deb, Co-Chair
Service Hours: Click on the image if you would like to submit your service hours as you do them, use this form for the club year 23-24.
Socktober Results
At our October Meeting club members brought in 116 pairs of cozy socks for the YE Ethiopia Cancer Association. Deb Davis will deliver the socks during her trip to Africa in the spring of 2024. There is still time to bring in socks if members desire.
Tree Trimming at Lake Taylor Rehabilitation Hospital
Altrusa members are continuing their annual tradition of decorating a Holiday Tree on the Azalea unit at Lake Taylor at 1309 Kempsville Rd., Norfolk, 23502. We will meet at 10 am on Thursday, November 16. Marcy Royal is the contact for this event. All are welcome.
Mayflower Marathon
Saturday, November 18 is our date to help out at the annual Mayflower Marathon. This event benefits the Food Bank of Hampton Roads. We will meet in the parking lot near the theaters at Lynnhaven Mall at 10 am. Our shift is from
10:00 am to 12:45 pm. You must be registered for this event. Robyn Friedman is the contact for this event.
Salvation Army Holiday Socks
This year once again our club is participating in the SA Holiday Socks program. This program provides gift-filled socks to area children from age infant to 12. We have chosen to fill socks for 10 girls aged 10 to 12. June Kates will be purchasing the items for the socks which we will fill at our annual holiday party in December. If you would like to fill an additional sock please text Joanne Baines.
Green Run Elementary Readers
We will be reading to Green Run Kindergartners starting on Friday, November 17. We will read every two weeks with adjustments made for days that school is out. The dates we have so far is Nov 17, and December 1 and 15 and Jan 5 and 19. We are still waiting to hear from Mrs. Martin as to the times. If you would like to sign up to read please let Joanne Barnes know. The time commitment is 1 hour.
Support for Green Run Elementary Families
The club will be supporting two Green Run families with a gift card for $50 each to help purchase groceries for Thanksgiving meals. In addition we will support a family with a food gift card and gifts for the children totaling $400.
Deb Davis is working with the school counselor to identify those most in need. After a family is chosen we will post the children’s wish lists to see if any members wish to provide additional gifts. We are requesting a family of a single mom with 2 to 3 children.
Thanks and Happy Holidays!
Joanne Baines and Deb Davis
Ways and Means: Chair - NEEDED
Holiday Bazaar 2023
Check this list TWICE!!
** Bazaar Location
Lynnhaven Colony Congregational Church
2217 West Great Neck Road
Virginia Beach, VA 23451
** Bazaar Schedule
12/1 Table setups will begin at 6:00 pm.
12/2 Open to members 8:15 am for final set ups and prep.
Bazaar Sale starts 9:00 am. and ends at 2:00 pm.
Helpful hands, please stay to break down the room.
** Raffle Ticket Sales -
Have you sold all of your tickets yet? Need more?
Pick some up at our Nov. 20th meeting or contact Sherral for more information.
** Growing our Raffle Prize Tree of Gift Cards
The more gift cards on our prize tree our visitors see, the more tempted they will be to buy raffle tickets. The bazaar/raffle is the major source of our funding for the works we do the next year. If you haven't already contributed, please consider buying a few cards for the tree. Thanks!
** Crafters, Bakers, & Makers - Give us a Sneak Peek! 👀 Bring some samples to the Nov 20th meeting!
** Helping Hands are Welcome
Plan your Bazaar time to support and shop! Helping hands are always wanted and appreciated. We'll have sign up sheets for ways to help through the day at the Nov. 20th meeting. We hope to see you there!
** Questions?
Attend the Nov 20th meeting or contact Kathy Dalby.
Environmental Committee
October Collection for
Humane Society and Chesapeake Animal Services
During the October meeting, Jennifer collected the cans, towels, and newsletters brought in by members to support the Humane Society and Chesapeake Animal Services. Your caring and gifts will mean a lot to those in need. Thank you.
Got Sneakers? Help our Environment
In November members can clear their closets of unwanted sneakers by donating their old, worn-out sneakers to the Got Sneakers Recycling program at our monthly meeting. Since sneakers are manufactured with materials that are not biodegradable, they remain in landfills or are incinerated, which leads to toxic chemicals in our air and soil. Recycling and reusing sneakers keeps sneakers out of landfills, reduces the need for manufacturing new shoes and sneakers, and supports a growing circular economy.
Check with family and friends too. They may be ready to recycle some of their sneakers too.
Communications Committee: Chair, Shari
Newsletter information should be sent to altrusatidewaterNL@gmail.com. Thank you!
Our 23-24 yearbook is ready for distribution. It was submitted for the yearbook award by Oct. 31. It will be sent out prior this weekend, before our November meeting.
Thank you to Barb S. for all her hard work in updating and correcting!
Shari
Reminder! Club 21 dues must to be paid online. Use this link to update your personal Club 21 dues to support International Foundation.
Want to order items from Amazon for Hope Village and other service projects? Check out this wish list created by Joanne (with a little help from her sister, Karen)!
Program/Business Minutes: October 2023
Treasurer's Report: November 2023
Altrusa Tidewater - Treasurer's Report November 6, 2023.pdfSubscribe to the Altrusa of Tidewater Google Calendar. Click here for directions. Use this link to join.
Want to know what's happening in the club before it hits the newsletter? Join our Facebook group - Friends of Altrusa International of Tidewater.
Click here to join or use the QR code on your phone or tablet.
November Birthdays
Martha Haga 6th
Barbara Speight 14th
Fun with Gift Tag Hats!
It's not the size of the gift... June, Colleen, Kathy, Joanne, and Lisa each turned 45 stands of yarn and a toilet paper tube as the first step in making snow hat gift tags. The tags will be sold at the Christmas Bazaar. Come see how they turn out!!
District Two News
District Two Board and Committee Chairs
This document lists the board and committee chairs.
DSB Summer 2023
DSB Summer 2023 District Two.pdfGovernor's Message November 2023
District Two Governor_s Message November.pdfDistrict Two Service Newsletter: Click here to view the May 2023 District Two Service Newsletter.
District Two Conference 2024 - Save the Date - April 25-28, 2024
Area III Workshop Report
Barbara S, Robyn, and Shari attended the Area III Workshop in Martinsville on October 21. We enjoyed the hospitality of Governor Linda and her husband Richard. They were wonderful hosts for our short overnight stay. The meeting on Saturday morning was very informative! Besides enjoying time with our fellow Altrusans, we learned about the importance of bees! Martinsville is one of the few Bee City, USA affiliates in Virginia. In Tidewater, Virginia Beach and Hampton cities are also Bee City, USA affiliates! We also enjoyed hearing about service projects around Area III. With help from Sherral and Ellen, who attended via Zoom, our club was well represented.
International News
International's new address is:
1400 E. Touhy Ave Suite 410
Des Plaines, IL 60018
Please send any Foundation correspondence here as well.
Altrusa International Literacy Challenge One Book at a Time, Part II
President Linda is continuing Immediate Past President Kathy book challenge and we want you to be a part of it. President Linda firmly believe that literacy is the number one focus for Altrusa and we want to continue to enhance that commitment. Our ultimate goal is to enhance the lives of others ONE BOOK AT A TIME! The challenge is for Altrusans to distribute one million books and/or devote 500,000 literacy service hours to our communities during the 2023-2025 biennium. So how can you participate?
Develop a signature literacy project (or expand on an existing one) that will continue to grow and develop into the future. Large and small clubs alike can participate in this challenge.
2. Assign a record keeper to keep track of the number of books you distribute AND/OR the number of service hours you spend (for example reading to children, the elderly, participating in a book exchange … something that works for you, your club and your community).
3. Carry the project over through the next club year.
4. Send your numbers (for both years) to the International Service Committee before
June 1, 2025. The easiest way to record this is to record each time you club donates books so you don’t forget any!
5. Sit back and relish in the fact that you are making a difference …. ONE BOOK AT A TIME.
Remember the end goal is to enhance the lives of others. And the simple gift of a book to a child who has never had one can help eradicate illiteracy and give these children a chance to succeed in life. Will you accept the challenge and join our movement? We all know that Altrusans R.O.C.K. and what better want to REALIZE OPPORTUNITY, CREATE KINDNESS than to create intentional acts of kindess by donating books. As Altrusans we can make a difference! We can change lives – sometimes the book you donate is the only one a child can call their own! Let’s help others develop a passion for reading that will last a lifetime!
Click the image to view the April 2023 issue of The Altrusa Compass.
International Astra Gram
May 2023 ASTRAGram.pdfFoundation News
Click here to view the November 2022 edition of the Altrusa International Foundation, Inc The Impact.
