Support The Troops Project

The Troy Women’s Association participated in Troy Thanks the Troops sponsored by the Friends of the Troy Library in conjunction with Michigan Military Moms.  Donations of personal health items and individual size snack foods were collected and dropped off at the library to be shipped to our forces in Afghanistan.  This was a community-wide effort to remember those troops who are working tirelessly to keep us safe at home.

God bless our servicemen and women.

Knitting For Charity

     This year, the Knitting For Charity group is coming alongside other TWA committees for their knitting projects.  In November, six baby blankets were given to Baby Basics for families welcoming little ones.  The knitters are also working on warm hats for the Winter Warmers project.  Project Linus will be their focus for the spring.

     New members are welcome to join the group and those who would like to learn can be paired with a mentor.  Their hope is that many will be blessed by the work of their hands.

Kathi F.

Trick or Suite

The Troy Womens Association joined the 5th Annual Trick or Suite, sponsored by the Embassy Suites Hotel in Troy Michigan.  This program partners with the Children’s Leukemia Foundation of Michigan to welcome the kids and their families for a spooky, fun-filled afternoon trick or treating at the hotel.  Suites are donated by the hotel and are sponsored by various companies and organizations in the local community.  These sponsors are given creative freedom to decorate their suite, dress in costume, and hand out their treats.  Along with trick or treating in the hotel, the kids enjoyed a pumpkin patch, haunted house, crafts, chair massages (for the grown-ups!), souvenir photo booth, magician, pizza, softdrinks, apple cider, and many more goodies.  For the TWA suite, the theme was aliens.  The suite was decorated to look like the inside of an alien spacecraft and featured games, glow in the dark items and lots of little aliens peeking their heads out!  Thanks Embassy Suites, we had a great time!

Written by Nancie M. and her committee.

Baby Basics

Today, Carole P. delivered 300 diapers (donated by a TWA member) and a slightly used bike to Baby Basics recipients.  This group, Baby Basics, provides diapers, wipes, and other baby things to the working poor.

After delivering the goods and volunteering her time, Carole said, "The bicycle we donated went tonight to a family with three young boys, brothers of the baby in the program. PERFECT! So appreciated!" 

John D. Rockefeller said, "Think of giving not as a duty but as a privilege." Indeed.

Of course, this was just one day of work for Carole. She and Jo continue to support this organization and are now scanning for a crib and crib sheets. Anyone?

The Arc of Oakland County

  The Special Needs Committee added a new recipient, The Arc, to our growing list of people and organizations benefitting from our work.

  The Arc of Oakland County (”The Arc”) is a premier, grass-roots membership organization working directly with children and adults within all levels of intellectual and other related developmental disabilities, and their families.

Edith, Parivash, Karen

Ice Cream Social for Seniors in Troy

This month, May 2013, under the leadership of Mary S., we hosted an ice cream social for seniors who every year, fill up two Christmas trees with mittens and hats. 

Then we deliver that hats and mittens to where they are needed. 

In this way, we can express our appreciation to all the women that spend their days before Christmas to create a gift for those in need of warmth. 

Thank you, ladies.

Charity Poker

For four days, TWA women worked at Big Beaver Tavern at a Charity Poker event and raised a significant amount of money that goes out to the community. In this way, along with our main fund raiser, The Elf Shelf, we have become a group that people look to for help.

Charity Poker is a hands-on endeavor, but also an opportunity for us (TWA members) to get better acquainted with each other while meeting new people. This makes it a win-win project.

These were busy four days and the event was well attended. There were two tournaments each shift with ten percent of the profits going to the house, another ten to TWA, and the rest to the participants. They play Texas Hold' Em. This game is played with two to ten players and the goal is to win as many chips as you can, one pot at a time.

Chair for the event was Nancy D.

SOS, Feeding the Homeless

Each year, the Troy Women's Association provides food to homeless individuals that have sought help through the South Oakland Services that provides temporary lodging and support services to enable them to live independently. 

Unemployment leads the list of causes of hunger in the U.S. Persons seeking food assistance in the United States has risen steadily in the last five years. In some cities, soup kitchens are reducing their servings in an effort to feed everyone.  

However, when it's our turn, there is never a lack of food, homemade food. Nor is there a shortage of volunteers. This year, Mary, Jo, Carol P., Marily, Gwen, Carol H, Connie, Arlene, Diane, and Carol B. supported this effort that was headed by Nancy D. 

They fed over forty people, adults and children, and as we always do, made new acquaintances. 

In a small way, we continue to support those that are in need.

Nancy D. was the Chair for SOS.

Below comes from SOS's website.

For 25 years, South Oakland Shelter (SOS) has worked with its 67 partner congregations to provide temporary lodging and supportive services that help homeless individuals and families break the cycle of homelessness, and live independently. With an emphasis on homeless prevention, sustainable housing solutions, and career development, SOS implements strategies and programs that provide realistic options for homeless and at-risk individuals and families seeking stabilization and self-sufficiency.

Animal Projects

Service dogs and Animal projects were combined

this year as one project.  We selected to support five organization.

Service Dogs. This is an organizations that allow people with disabilities to lead an independent lifestyle.

Leader Dogs. Blind individuals who need help getting around gain this freedom—to be on your own—with the assistance of a leader dog.

Paws for a Cause. These dogs, of many different breeds, help individuals with more than 25 different disabilities, including Cerebral  

Palsy, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis and seizure disorder.

Michigan Human Society and Troy Police K-9 Unit.

Submitted by the Chair Person, Colleen.

This year, Troy Women's Association found some small ways to enhance students' experiences at local schools.
For Leonard Elementary, they purchased a standard reading and writing center.

Smith Middle teachers asked for support in purchasing material and supplies for apple items and a science project.

Wass Elementary needed CD players and books.

Schroeder elementary asked for Nooks for reading. With the Nooks, they can borrow and download books from our library.

We hope that the children will enjoy these purchases for years to come.

Colleen for the School Committee

LIGHTHOUSE PROJECT

Carole P. writes: Each year Troy Women’s Association contacts Lighthouse of Pontiac requesting how we might assist in meeting some of their immediate needs.  Lighthouse responded that both diapers and baby wipes are in high demand, particularly with housing young families in their PATH program.  Six cases of diapers in various sizes and six cases of baby wipes were delivered to Lighthouse in April, 2013.  

Clean and dry babies make happy babies. 

Grant Committee Meeting

The Grant Committee met at Caribou on Crooks on April 4, 2013. Much progress was made and goals were set.  We are applying to Kroger to help with food items for one of our events and to Kohl's to support some of our committees that would benefit from additional support.

This is a committee that started some years back and one of our members, Sue, gather much of the information we needed, so hopefully, this will become a regular work of our members in this committee.

Gwen, Donna, and Edith

Boys & Girls Club of Troy—Troy's best kept secret

Children visiting for the first time.

One of our thirty plus projects is supporting the Girls and Boys Club of Troy.  Edith, on of our members decided to go to an orientation and learn more about it.

This is what she learned. The Boys & Girls Club of Troy provides a nurturing and a safe place for young people in Troy and the surrounding areas. They support children to be self-reliant and responsible. 

Jeff Evans, Executive Director,
and TWA member, Edith

Jeff gave on example of how this plays out in the club. Children are given a card that they use to scan themselves in and out.  Of course, kids will be kids, and they forget the card at home. The consequence is that they have to sit on a chair and not participate in the fun activities. Although this chair sitting only lasts for ten minutes, to them it's much longer and has cured many a forgetfulness. 

Children range in ages from six to eighteen. They are set up in groups according to age. They are introduced to all kinds of activities such as yoga, martial arts, robots, and much more.  The cost for each child to participate is $60 a year. No, this is not a misprint. Parents have to come to a one-time orientation. The summer program is $300 per child. 

Learn more about it. http://www.bgctroy.org