TWA Back To Work

Another year at hand. Much to do. The Troy Women's Association started a new year with dinner, dessert, and celebrating our President's birthday.  Connie informed us that this would be the last birthday she'd celebrate publicly. It's doubtful that we will let her get away with that.

On the giving front, we spent time dividing the work among us for the various committees.  Jo is putting together a table of eight for Haven's yearly breakfast.  Vickie filled us in on Elf Shelf happenings.  This is our largest fund raiser of the year. This year, 2012, we are celebrating our forty-second year for this event that now brings in more than two thousand people.

With our thirty or so projects, it's hard to calculate the woman hours but what matters is that each year, people and groups enjoy the fruits of our labor. 

TWA - Senior Citizen Project - May 2012

          This year the Troy Women's Association hosted a "Dessert Party" for the residents of a local senior housing complex.

     Members of TWA baked, prepared or purchased a wide variety of desserts for the event.  The seniors had their pick from ice cream sundaes, lemon bars, banana/pineapple pudding dessert, assorted cookies, cupcakes, fresh fruit skewers with dip, brownies, cherry cheesecake bars, cinnamon chocolate pretzels, pineapple upside down cake, cream horns, lemon pound cake, cinnamon bundt cake, brown sugar chewies, apple pie, sugar free butterscotch pudding dessert and a chocolate/peanut butter bar dessert.  They also enjoyed cold drinks, hot coffee and great company. 

         

The room was decorated with bright paper pinwheels and 

 fresh hosta leaves.

                We also made sure that all the extra

"goodies"  went home with the residents

in carryout containers.

Several of our members were in attendance to set up, serve and clean up.  A wonderful time was had by all, seniors and members alike.

TWA partners with Common Ground - Next Steps

The Troy Women's Association supported Common Ground's Recovery Conference held in April by collecting gently worn shoes at our general meeting.  These shoes were used by Common Ground clients to create artistic expressions of their journey and 'next steps' in living with mental health disorders.   

Some of the people who designed shoes choose not to take them when they left and we took those shoes to Lansing and displayed them in a day at the state capitol to help eliminate stigma among mental health clients. It has been a powerful experience.

Common Ground will be using a similar therapy at their November 17, 2012 conference and TWA will be collecting more shoes ~ if you have some you'd like to donate as well, let us know.

 

MOMMS update

On Sunday May 6, members Kathi F and Carole P attended the Care Packaging Party sponsored by the Moms of Michigan Military and Supporters (MOMMS) at the Lenox Fire Department in New Haven.


They delivered wish list items generously donated by TWA Members, joined other volunteers to unpack and sort items to be packaged and then helped fill 200 flat-rate boxes which will be mailed out this week.

MOMMS is a support group which sends care packages to deployed members of all branches of the service. These are not just their family members but also names that been entrusted to their care, to send a package “like their own mom would send”. They provide a much needed lift in the Troops morale by sending them a box filled with the message that they have not been forgotten by those back at home in the United States of America.

Support the Troops - You can help too!

The Support the Troops committee has decided to give part of their budget to the Moms of Michigan Military and Supporters group for their upcoming Care Packaging event to take place on Sunday, May 6th at 1pm at the Lenox Fire Department in New Haven, all are welcome to attend the “Packing Party”

Our monetary donation will help defray the cost of postage.

Also, if you would like to donate items for overseas troops, their wish list is below. Please bring items to the TWA May 1st meeting or contact a TWA member.


FOOD & FOOD RELATED ITEMS
Ready To Eat Tuna, Chicken packets and Salad kits.
Non-Perishable breakfast-type foods and drinks.
Canned ready to open soups, chicken, beef, etc. (NO PORK PRODUCTS!)
Fast Food Hot Sauce Packets
Individual packets of Trail Mix, Beef Jerky, Slim Jims, peanuts, pretzels, cookies, sunflower seeds, canned nuts, canned chips or potato sticks, cereal bars, granola bars, energy bars
Pre-sweetened powdered drinks, Kool-Aid, Gatorade, etc..
Single wrapped snacks, brownies, cakes - no icing.
Packs of candy, gum, etc.. things that do not melt.

PERSONAL ITEMS & HYGIENE ITEMS
(Non-Scented Items are Best!)
Antibacterial wipes
Lotion
Sunscreen
Toothpaste, toothbrushes & dental floss
Deodorant
Soap – bar & liquid
Shampoo & Conditioner
Tissues
Gold Bond powder
Eye drops (cleaning kind-in plastic bag)
Chapstick / Lip Balm
Q-Tips
Nail Clippers
Disposable Shaving Razors, shaving crème (non-aerosol)
Toilet Paper
Flip Flops/Shower Shoes
Athlete’s Foot Crème
Feminine Products (there are women serving)

ENTERTAINMENT

Handheld electronic games
Puzzle, Word Game & Crossword books
Beanie Babies for the soldiers to give to kids
Magazines, local papers, comics, paperbacks - mystery, action, drama, science fiction
Games: Chess, Checkers, Dominoes, Parcheesi, Yahtzee, Uno, Cribbage, Puzzles, Playing Cards
Baseballs, footballs, Frisbees, Nerf type toys
Disposable Cameras

MISCELLANEOUS
Holiday decorations
Paper, envelopes, pens, greeting cards.. birthday & holidays for wives, husbands, moms, dads, blank generic cards too!!
Film (35 mm)
Paper Towels, Windex Pre-Moistened Packs, Laundry Detergent (travel size-powder or cubes (no liquid)
Duct tape, Ziploc bags
Clothespins & Clothesline
Battery Operated Fans, Misty Mates
AT&T International Pre-Paid Phone Card

PROHIBITED ITEMS
Illegal substances, Alcoholic beverages, Explosives, including fireworks. Offensive or obscene materials, including photos, drawings or any other material which may offend members of the opposite sex, members of another race, background, nationality or ethnicity, religion, or who are conservative or modest. Any food items containing pork.

In Appreciation

For years, Steve from the Boys and Girls Club of Troy, has been a big help at our big fund raiser, the Elf Shelf. Every year, Saturday after Thanksgiving, well before sunrise, he was in the parking lot directing traffic. It didn't matter if it was snowing, freezing rain, frustrated crafters, we could count on him to handle it.  So, when the day of his retirement party came, we along with eighty other people, our previous mayor, and John Pappageorge, a few of the TWA ladies attended.  Ann, Marilyn, Nancie, and Edith came to let him know that his efforts over these years was indeed appreciated.  TWA wishes Steve all the best in the next phase of his life.

Saturday in March, it must be Project Linus

Project Linus states as their mission "to provide love, a  sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer 'blanketeers.'”

This year, there were plenty of TWA blanketeers.  Carol H., Carol R., Edith, Elizabeth, Hannah, Julie, Kathy M. Kathi, Mary,  Parivash, and Vickie came to help.  Then we had four volunteers in training, granddaughters.

Vickie spearheaded material purchase. Kathy M. found time to work in pattern selection for an afghan project the knitting group is working on. We had helpers at the sewing stations, ironing tables, label, pinning and camera people.  On this day, as committed citizens, we brought comfort to babies and children at shelters, hospitals, and other non profits that are in the business of helping children.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead