ALTRUSA SERVICE PROJECTS
Each year, Altrusans volunteer to participate in service projects to benefit our community. Our 2007-2008 Projects are:
Ability House - In 1995, we adopted Ability House, a residential facility for six adults with cerebral palsy. We celebrate their birthdays and holidays, remember them with cards, and take them on outings. Ability House is at 615 Woodhaven Place, Richardson, Texas 75081.
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Shelley, Josie, Nina, Shawn, Ed and Vera, Altrusa's friends from Ability House
joined a crowd of Altrusans for lunch at the 2008 District Nine Conference in Richardson
Altrusa Days - Altrusans participate each year in the Komen Race for the Cure, the Richardson Great Fountain Festival, the RISD New Teacher Luncheon, Richardson Reads One Book, the UTD Physics Camp for Girls, Support our Troops (collecting and mailing gifts and needed items), Book Nook (periodically placing books and magazines for use by clients of NETWORK of Community Ministries and Neighborhood Youth and Family Counseling), ABC Book Box (collecting used books to distribute to the Book Nooks, Terrace Elementary and the Richardson Public Library used book sale), and Make a Difference Day - a literacy project designed to make a difference in our community.
The Great Fountain Festival - Altrusans help children make crowns.
Elementary School Projects - In 2000 we adopted Richardson Terrace Elementary School. Altrusans work with teachers and administrators in various ways, preparing materials for students to take home to parents the first day of school, helping students and parents find their rooms the first day of school, sitting with students and siblings during parent conferences, reading to students, sponsoring reading initiatives (with rewards of certificates and free books) and judging spelling bees.
Altrusans deliver alphabet dvd's to the pre-Kindergartners at Terrace Elementary
NETWORK of Community Ministries - Altrusans volunteer in various ways at NETWORK, helping stock shelves with donations, collecting school supplies, interviewing and screening families requesting Christmas gifts for children, adopting a family for holiday gifts and shopping for that family, having an Angel Tree to benefit NETWORK recipients and helping fill food and gift orders.
Seniors Projects - We have a very active seniors calendar: Bingo at Atria the second Wednesday evening of each month, auctions twice a year at Appletree Court (where the residents bid fiercely with Apple Bucks for items furnished by Altrusa), a May Day Tea at Atria (complete with wild and crazy hats). We assist with flu shots at the Senior Center, participate in the Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk at the Dallas Zoo (and meet for lunch afterwards). We help with the Senior Center Christmas Bazaar by working the snack bar, and Loan Star Book Movers - moving books from one retirement center to another or back to the Library when they have made the circuit.
Chelsea Barron and Genevieve Hamulak call Bingo at Atria