Altrusa Breaks Ground in Santa Maria

The Santa Maria Valley Humane Society held their groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, July 22, 2010.

Altrusa International Foundation of Santa Maria presented a check for $15,000 as first payment of their $25,000 commitment to SMVHS.  In honor of this contribution, the Adoption Office will be named for Altrusa of Santa Maria.

Shown in the photograph: Lauren Johnston, SMVHS Pet Project Coordinator; Santa Maria Club members: Monya Davison, President Elect; Diane Alleman-Stevens, Foundation Treasurer; Edith Gray, Secretary and Pauline Skiba, President.

Altrusans Went to Boot Camp!

The first of District Eleven's two PC & Internet Boot Camp classes was filled to capacity!

In response to a need within Glendale Altrusa, current DSB Editor, Sandra Moore, had been investigating computer training for several years. This year, things finally came together when Glendale member, Pat Zayas,  recommended one of her instructors.  

With help and encouragement from Dorothy Whitlock, District Communications Chairperson, we announced the class dates during our presentation at District Eleven's Conference in April. 

Sandra spent the last few months working with Glendale Community College Instructor, Ed Bernard, to tailor the class to the specific needs of Altrusans.  At Governor Ann's suggestion, the class was expanded to include all of District Eleven's Clubs and was offered as a Regional Training.  This allowed participating Clubs to earn 3 Leadership Points toward their Distinguished Club Award.

Ed (c) is pictured, above , helping Barbara Winsor (l), Glendale Club President and Flo Diaz (r).

If you promote it they will come!  Altrusans came from Arroyo Grande, Glendale, Arcadia, Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Anaheim to take part in this Regional Training!  Participants included Past Governors, International & District Officers, Club Presidents & Officers, and several non-Altrusans.  While their skill levels were varied, all brought an open mind and a willingness to learn.

Along with his TA, Ivetta, Ed Bernard helped participants develop their proficiency in the use of MSWord, email, and the Internet.  Ed's easy-going style and relaxed demeanor made it easy for the participants to grasp new concepts and skills.  Both he and Ivetta mingled with the class to offer personal instruction, as needed. 

 Dorothy Whitlock (background) watching while Melanie Hodges (1), Director and

Mae Porter (r) Anaheim Club President, discuss a project.

 At the end of the day, everyone walked away having reinforced some of what they already knew and having learned a few new tricks.  And just in case they forgot, they also took home personalized folders full of 'cheat sheets' and other useful resources.

 The second class (July 24) will include instruction on more advanced email functions, PowerPoint, and photo editing.

Eastern Sierra Installs New President & Board of Directors

Deb Pierrel of Mammoth Lakes, and principal in IE Resort Consulting, has been installed as the 2010-11 President of Altrusa International of the Eastern Sierra. Her goals include working closely with regional and International clubs to learn and grow from them; enhancing our communication to garner new and youthfully exuberant members of all persuasion (men, you are welcome), growing our club, and raising more money, working smarter - to allow us to give more back to our community by way of literacy projects. “We have amazing and dedicated Altrusan’s locally and globally. I am proud to part of this wonderful group and honored to be the President this year. I will do my best.”

Also installed were the new Board of Directors including the incoming President, Cheri Stewart, First V.P., Cheryl Underhill, Treasurer, Donna Tillemans, Secretary, Tina Cochrell, Dodie Smither Vivian Patterson, Andrea Shallcross, Mary Worley, and immediate Co-Past Presidents Suzanne Olson and Ramona Delmas.

Pictured Above:  Deb Pierrel, (3rd from left) with her Board of Directors, is the newly installed President of Altrusa International of the Eastern Sierra.

Altrusa is Growing!

Marsha Milovich (pictured, right) and Joanne Parsons (pictured, left) were recently initiated as new members in Altrusa Int’l of the Eastern Sierra.

Marsha Milovich has lived in Bishop since 1975 with her husband George, and will soon be celebrating their 34th wedding anniversary. They have three children and three granddaughters. Marsha has been employed by Cal Trans for 25 years. She enjoys reading, music, arts & crafts, cooking tea, gardening, chickens, fainting goats and yard sales.

Joanne Parsons has lived, worked and played in Bishop for over 20 years. Her professional career was spent in high school administration and subsequently, overseeing County and State projects in family literacy. She was a TV host for our local Channel 12 for 17 years. Joanne’s hobbies include hiking, riding and reading. Joanne is affiliated with Rotary International, Fair Board Trustee, Spellbinder Book Club, Inyo Associates, Master Gardener and Mule Days Committee.

Prior to this, we initiated another new member, Robin Hastie, who is the current Library Clerk at the Home Street Middle School. She has lived in Bishop for four years and has been married to her husband, Ron for 22 years. They have three children, a girl and 2 boys and a new grandson. She has worked in various forms of educational support for the past 14 years. Robin truly believes in Altrusa’s goal to promote literacy and became enthusiastic about joining due to Altrusa’s support of the Home Street Middle School Library over the past year which involved the revitalizing of the Library as our Literacy Project.

Altrusa is very excited about all of these members who have the interest, experience and. most of all, the enthusiasm which will be a tremendous asset to our Club. For more information about Eastern Sierra Altrusa, visit our website at http://www.altrusaes.org/.

School Library Refurbished!

Altrusa Int’l of the Eastern Sierra is nearing completion of the Home Street Middle School Library LITERACY PROJECT to refurbish and revitalize the Library. The main goal is to establish an accurate online catalog system for student use. With severe cuts to school funding and one library clerk, Altrusa recognized the opportunity and need to provide assistance.

More than half of the 11,000 books in the library have incomplete catalog records, including missing ISBN (identification numbers). Using a 400 page list of the books with incomplete records, Altrusa members, students and other volunteers removed each book and wrote down its ISBN number. The next step was to enter these ISBN numbers for each book into the computer data system. These tasks have taken an incredible amount of volunteer hours with 75% completed to date.

Members of Altrusa unable to work at the Library volunteered to take new paperback books home and cover them with special laminating film to extend the life of the books.

The Home Street Library used a $1500 donation by Altrusa to purchase historically and culturally appropriate books, fiction, non-fiction, historical biographies, Spanish language and other books which were needed to update and replace outdated books. Once barcodes had been placed on the new books, Altrusa members entered the new book information in the computer cataloging data system.

To supplement this Literacy Project, application was made to Altrusa International Foundation for a grant. The receipt of the grant money from Altrusa Int’l Foundation gave a significant boost to the limited Home Street Middle School Library budget and they were able to purchase (2) two-person computer tables for use in the library, barcode labels and over $350 in library supplies. Altrusa members feel that this Foundation grant substantiates the value and worthiness of the Literacy Project.

Altrusa received a personal donation on behalf of the Library to purchase a subscription renewal to “Alliance Plus Online.” This online program allows access to over 8 million MARC records and will enable the updating and completion of catalog records once all the existing book information has been entered in the computer data system by volunteers.  Another private donation enables the purchase of magazine subscriptions to the Library for National Geographic Kids, Discovery, Boy’s Life and Girl’s Life.

Altrusa would like to extend their gratitude for the support and guidance of the Home Street Middle School Library Clerk, Mrs. Robin Hastie, members from the Sunrise and Noon Rotary and other people of the community who have volunteered to help us with the Home Street Library Literacy Project.

Altrusa believes by encouraging students to read, their future success is greatly enhanced and improved. “We are very excited to have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the Home Street Middle School students in helping to create a functional and positive library experience.