Cleaning Closets

A new project to TWA is the Community Housing Network (CHN) project.  The TWA committee (Jeanette, Karen A., and Diane C.) partnered with CHN to decide how these local non profits can help each other. Our first project was to help fill the 'Cleaning Closet' pantry.  This pantry of items not normally supplied to the clients of CHN include such things as paper goods, personal care items, and household cleaning supplies.  Even though these items are not required to sustain life such as food is, these items often times mean living with dignity or not.

 

The TWA committee worked with several merchants to purchase boxes of items.  Once purchased we loaded the items in the back of two vehicles and delivered them to CHN with the help of CJ Felton, Development Assistant at CHN. 

As social workers make calls on their clients they will take them an additional care package of soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, household cleaning supplies, and paper goods from the 'Cleaning Closet'.

CHN provides affordable housing to those with disabilities or those who on the verge of becoming homeless.  Their annual fund raiser, Raise the Roof for affordable housing is scheduled for Oct. 6, 2011 at the Royal Park Place in Rochester.

www.communityhousingnetwork.org

Diane Claeys

Knitted in Appreciation

Mount Washcloths

Knitters among the Troy Women's Association have started a new project, knitting. After less than five months, we have knitted one hundred washcloths for our soldiers in the middle east. Well, our Mary took care of 80, the rest of us awarded her with great praise as we looked at our less robust pile. We learned from warmthforwarriers.com that soldiers take the washcloths, wet them down and use them under their helmets. After contacting an officer from the 35^th Infantry Regiment recently deployed to Afghanistan, our mountain of work is on it's way—as our expression of appreciation.

Supporting Project Linus

Nine blanketeers and two granddaughters spent the early part of the day helping sew blankets to comfort children who are ill, traumatized, or in need of comfort.

We brought $400 of flannel with monkey, rainbows, Disney patterns in colors of the rainbow.  Jan, Carol R., Vickie and Edith brought sewing machines. Kathy, Carole P., Joe, and Carol H. brought irons and ironing boards and Stephanie organized all of us. 

It was a day well spent and left all of us with more memories to look back and smile at.  Jan and the vibrating table. Jo spraying Edith's glasses with water mist.  The granddaughters, predictably, forgetting all about their work when a dog got into the building then chasing him exclaiming ahhhah oohhh. 

More importantly and of course the reason we were there, was to make a contribution to children near and far.  Project Linus started not that far, about 13oo miles from Michigan, in Denver. The following is their story.

On Christmas Eve, 1995, an article titled “Joy to the World” appeared in Parade Magazine. It was written by Pulitzer Prize winning photo-journalist, Eddie Adams. Part of the article featured a petite, downy haired child. She had been going through intensive chemotherapy and stated that her security blanket helped her get through the treatments. After reading the article, Karen Loucks decided to provide homemade security blankets to Denver’s Rocky Mountain Children’s Cancer Center, and Project Linus was born.

TWA Birthday Dinner

Thanks to the committee for all their great work putting together another lovely event. Glad to see so many faces at Picano's last night. If you have pictures from the event you would like to share, please get them to either Elizabeth Gramer or Kim Kane so they can be included in future albums.

Living On My Own

It's how we take care of those who need us that speaks volumes.  TWA members work hard to raise money that we send back into the community.  This year, we sent $100 to an organization we'd just learned about.  March 13, they are having a family bowling event to raise money and you can bet that some of the TWA women will be there with their talent or lack of.

On My Own supports adults with mild developmental disabilities so they can live and work in the community by building a network of support. Learn more about it.

 http://onmyownofmi.org/

Live Without Fear

Haven's (Oakland County, Michigan) motto, Live Without Fear.  Haven has been a long standing TWA project.  We support the organization with hands-on, cleaning toys at there counseling center, and with monetary gifts. We also work at their annual Gift Giveaway where unwrapped gifts are sorted and displayed for families in the Haven program can come and do their holiday shopping. 

Polar Plunge for the Special Olympics

In 2010, Special Olympic Director, Jerry Daunt was pleased that 27 people showed up for his fund raiser the Polar Plunge. This month, 165 people dressed as superheroes, wearing spandex tuxedo and of course a few dressed up as polar bears came and took the plunge.  The Troy Women's Association members were not among the 165, but for the fifth year we donated $100 and sent warm thoughts to all those wonderful people.

Special Olympics in Area 13, serves around 1,000 athletes in Genesee and Lapeer counties.  Read their press release of February 11, 2011. 

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2011/02/polar_plunge_in_fenton_helps_r.html