Conference 2010 Award Winners

Dr. Nina Fay Calhoun International -- San Diego, CA

The Altrusa Club of San Diego developed the LIFE (Literacy Is For Everyone) Literacy Project in partnership with WellSpring Faith and Hope Community School, Zambia, Africa. The one room school has 4 teachers and 86 students. Many of the students are single or double orphaned. Our mission is to provide education for the poor. Involvement in this school is having a profound impact in the lives of the children, their families and community and opening the eyes of the children to possibilities other than a life of abject poverty.

Mamie L. Bass Service -- Chula Vista, CA

A three year old child dies suddenly after her 3-drawer dresser topples over on her.  What would you do?  If you are a member of Altrusa, you turn your pain into something positive by fighting back and preventing these senseless injuries.  The Kendall Project had clear and straightforward objectives:  raise awareness by educating parents and the community of the inherent danger of furniture tipping over and showing was to prevent these accidents.

Chula Vista parternered with Scripps Mercy Hospital, which delivers approximately 5000 babies each year, to distribute the Kendall Project Brochure.  The brochure is now distributed through Rady Children's Hospital, Safe Kids Coalition, City Heights Wellness Center, Santee School District's First Five, Kindercare of Bonita and Eastlake Church Preschool.  The brochure is written in English and Spanish.  Altrusa is now a member of the national Safe Kids Coalition because of our work on furniture tip over prevention.  Altrusa members now serve on the San Diego Safe Kids Coalition Advisory Committee and the Home Safety Task Force.  Members are actively involved in designing and coordinating a "Jr. Home Inspector Program" geared to children ages 5-11.  This program educates children and their parents on identifying and correcting hazards in the home.

Letha H. Brown Literacy Award -- Central Coast, CA

The Central Coast's Club's Readable Kingdom was designed to celebrate reading, to offer an exciting event for families in the community and to motivate families to read and learn together.  The club started with a poster that gave directions.  Parents and children went to stations, where they saw large stuffed replicas of jungle animals, read information about the animals, and picked up related activities to do at home.  There were eight stations and at the end, each child got to select a "Zoobook" about an animal they would like to know more about.  Over 200 books were given out to children and they all had at least one parent with them, so at least 300 people were served.

Club members supplied the animals that were used at the event, transported the items to the local mall, set up the event and tore it down it afterwards, helped read and translate information to parents and children, handed out books, answered questions, engaged the ASTRA Club to participate and aided them with their puppet show and book mark project, and took pictures.

Marilyn Atwood Recognition - Anaheim, CA

Dolores Suter-Crupnick won this prestigious award, specific to District Eleven.  It is presented to a District member who is always available to the local club, working in the background, and usually does not receive recognition on a larger scale.