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

Troy Special Education Teachers

This month, six special education teachers received funding to purchase equipment or pay for experiences for their students.

Marni received $228 to purchase six Franklin Children's Talking Dictionary and Spell Correctors.

Kathy received $230 to purchase A-Z reading classroom library and add math manipulative material for her autistic students.

Sara, who also works with autistic students, wanted to purchase a sensory rocker chair. She wrote, "... children with autism cannot tolerate sounds or hugs, while another tunes out those sounds and craves deep pressure hugs." The rocking chair would serve some of her students well.  We provided the $445 for her classroom to support the children. 

Tonia's class wanted to take a field trip to Kroger to purchase items for a cooking activity and the bus and their purchases added up to $250, which we gladly provided.

Marisa works with students who struggle in reading and she was thrilled to get the $265 for six CD players for the children to listen to and follow along in their books.

Michelle was able to purchase the Raz Rocket license, a reading program, for her class for $160.

Janice, receiving her third grant from our organization, used her grant money, $224 for hand and finger strengthening activity material.