Santa Maria Celebrates 50th Anniversary!

Altrusa International, Inc. of Santa Maria will celebrate its 50th anniversary on Saturday, October 16, 2010, at the Santa Maria Inn.  The gala affair will bein with a social hour at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner and program at 6:30 p.m. 

Keynote speaker will be Eddie Taylor, of the United Way, with other special guests throught the evening.

Altrusa is a world-wide community service organization that was founded in 1918.  The Santa Maria Club, which meets at the City library on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., was chartered in 1960.  Some of the current and past projects include:

• Purchase of the first SMOOTH (Santa Maria Organization Of Transportation Helpers) bus for transporting the elderly.
• Start-up funds for the Orcutt School District's after-school programs.
• Creation of the Junior High School Outstanding Student Awards program.
• Scholarships for Allan Hancock College students.
• Support of various community projects, including:
• Altrusa Children's Theater at the city library
• Good Samaritan Homeless Shelter
• Visiting Nurses Association
• Salvation Army
• Santa Maria Independent Living Environment
• Association for the Mentally Retarded
• Vocational Training Center
• YMCA
• Books for Youth in Guadalupe
• Various senior citizens programs

Cost for the dinner is $50 and reservations are required.  For further information or to make a reservation, please contact Betty Baxter at (805) 937-4536.

Website Launched!

Website Launched!  Altrusa International of Phoenix officially launched a club website in mid-September:

http://www.altrusaofphoenix.org/

The Website gives access to general Club information, including pictures and service project descriptions. Visitors to the website can also access information about Altrusa International and District Eleven.

A special “Thank You” to District Eleven Webmaster, Lou Ann Vogler, for her assistance with this project.

Please take your time to explore the website. Submit recommendations to Georgina Waller for publishing.

District Service Bulletin (October 2010)

For your reading pleasure, the latest edition of the DSB should be in everyone's Inbox and Mailbox this week. 

If you, or anyone you know hasn't received theirs by Saturday, September 25, please contact me.  It is each Club's responsibility to make sure I have accurate information for each member.

In an effort to conserve our resources, please encourage your fellow Altruans to receive an e-DSB.  While several members revert to mailed editions, Escondido had 7 members switch to e-DSB -- WhooHoo!

Additionally, the following Clubs have at least 80% of their membership receiving e-DSB:

• Chula Vista
• Cinco Ciudades
• Eastern Sierra
• Indian Wells Valley
• San Diego

55 Years of Community Service!

Altrusa of Glendale will celebrate 55 years of community service at their annual Summer Social & Bingo on Saturday, August 7.

The name “ALTRUSA” was coined from ALTR from altruism and USA for United States of America. It is intended to conceptualize “devotion to the interest of others”.

Since its organization in March 1954 and chartering in April 1955, the members and supporters of Altrusa have demonstrated this devotion and interest through their hands-on and financial support of our community:

 City of Glendale

Glendale Community College

Glendale Unified School District

Glendale Association for the Retarded

Glendale Public Library

Glendale YWCA

Long-time Glendale resident and Altrusan, Donnalee Monninger will host the Summer Social at her home.  The celebration will have a 50’s theme to commemorate the Club’s chartering in 1955. So, dig out those poodle skirts, bobby socks, and start practicing your hand jive! Guests are encouraged to bring a photo of themselves from the 1950’s or from their childhood, to be put on display as part of a guessing game.


Guests will enjoy a complete BBQ Rib dinner, beverages, and dessert. And, of course, there will be bingo and prizes!

Santa Maria Supports Relay for Life

On July 10, twenty members of Altrusa of Santa Maria volunteered for the annual Relay for Life.

The members split into (2) groups of ten.  One group worked the Survivor Tent, serving breakfast and lunch to over 400 survivors. The other group worked in the Kids Kamp, entertaining the children of the various teams walking in the relay.

Danielle, daughter of member Lorine Edens, was the coordinator of the Kamp and arranged for girl scouts to do face painting.  The children made cards to be sent to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and received books to take home. Several grandchildren of members also volunteered for the Kamp.

The Altrusa Foundation of Santa Maria, for the second year, provided a grant to the local Cancer Society to fund the Kids Kamp.


Shown in the Survivor Tent: Diane Alleman-Stevens, Bonnie Rauschuber, Linda Wilson, Edith Gray, Freya Verzduco, Sandi Frazier, Betty Baxter and President Pauline Skiba. Not shown Ann Murie Torrez and Anna Sorenson.