Foundation Committees and Service Projects Overview

Altrusa International, Inc. of Richardson, TX divides our service projects into six main committee areas: Ability House, Elementary, Seniors, International Relations, ASTRA, Altrusa Days, and Scholarships. Under each committee, there are numerous smaller projects. Below is a list of the committees (in alphabetical order) and their service projects. Projects vary from year to year. We try to provide volunteers whenever service requests are submitted.

Click here for the 2008-2009 Foundation Committees

Click here for the 2008-2009 Administration Committees

Ability House Committee

Ability House is a home for six adults with Cerebral Palsy. It is supported by United Cerebral Palsy. We adopted Ability House in 1995. In 2005, our club was selected as the UCP Dallas Volunteer Organization of Year.

At least once each month, Altrusans visit the residents of Ability House to celebrate birthdays and holidays. We also try to plan for outings that the Residents may enjoy: Richardson Community Band concerts, Christmas Parade, a holiday theater production (i.e. The Nutcracker) or a movie.

The birthday parties are usually conducted on a Saturday afternoon. Volunteers bring cake, beverages and a gift from the club. Residents enjoy our company and all members are encouraged to attend. Terrace Elementary students have also been known to make birthday cards for the residents. Events/activities are listed below:

· Celebrate birthdays of the six residents of Ability House.

· Celebrate the major holidays with the residents and give each resident Christmas gifts.

· Celebrate Easter with corsages and boutonnières.

· Decorate the home for Christmas and other holidays.

· Take the residents on outings.

ASTRA

ASTRA club members are from junior high through college age (21). They are sponsored by Altrusa Clubs and Altrusans work with the students to find and carry out service projects. The students make the choices and do the work. The Altrusans assist and guide, along with a sponsor from the school the students attend. This will be an after school project, but not evening.

We just started our first ASTRA club in March 2007 at Richland College. This new committee is looking forward to working with these wonderful students.

Altrusa Days

The Altrusa Days Committee provides a variety of service projects. Those projects that do not directly fall under one of the other major committees are grouped together under this committee. Altrusa Days events/activities include:

· ABC Book Box: Altrusa International encourages participation in the project. Our Altrusa Book Box resided in a public place (i.e. Tom Thumb on Arapaho) for the entire month of September (Literacy Month). The books are collected and either distributed to Terrace, the Book Nooks or the Richardson Public Library. Volunteers would be responsible for emptying the box, separating them and delivering them to their destination. This can be done any time of the day or evening.

· Armed Forces Project: Items are collected and mailed to soldiers serving in our armed forces. Sometimes members greet soldiers at the airport who are returning from active duty.

· Book Nooks: We provide books in the waiting area of NETWORK of Community Ministries and Neighborhood Youth and Family Counseling for the children of clients. Books are replenished each month at both locations. Books are purchased, collected or donated by Altrusans. In lieu of purchasing books, Altrusans can pick up free books at the Half-Price Books warehouse on behalf of the club on specific Saturday mornings.

· Fountain Festival: A one-day event held at the Richardson Civic Center on a Saturday in September each year. Members assist with a children’s craft booth outdoors or at an Altrusa booth indoors. This gives the club exposure in the community.

· Make a Difference Day: National event celebrated on the 4^th Saturday in October. Altrusa International encourages all clubs to participate by conducting a one-day literacy project that would have a signification impact in the community.

· Race for the Cure: Susan G. Komen “Race for the Cure” held annually in October.

· Richardson Reads One Book: One Book/One Community is a nationwide reading program created to develop a community built around the shared experience of people reading and talking about the same book—usually a work selected for its general interest and timely, thought-provoking issues. September is Literacy month and most RROB activities are conducting during that time. Volunteers (ushers) are needed the night of the author lecture.

· Support our Troops: Members purchase and mail items to members of our armed forces. Volunteers may shop for items to send, pack and mail them. Recipients may be a friend, acquaintance or relative of a member - or just someone whose name is submitted to the committee. Members have also participated in “Greeting the Troops” at DFW Airport upon their return from active duty.

· UTD Physics Camp : Junior high girls spend time at UTD studying the practical and fun side of Physics. It is co-sponsored by the Collin County Club and UTD. Volunteers help with registration, solicit donations (i.e. bottled water, lunch) and deliver food/beverages , as needed. This is a weekday project.

· New Teacher Luncheon : Each year, the City hosts a luncheon for new RISD teachers in August. Our involvement is a one-time event. Volunteers put donated items into the new teachers’ goody bags.

Elementary Committee

In 2000, Altrusa Richardson adopted Terrace Elementary School, a RISD elementary school with a diverse population of nationalities represented in the student population. A large vinyl banner with the Altrusa logo and club name is prominently displayed outside on the front of the school. We provide hands-on service and assistance, as needed, throughout the school year. Services vary from year to year, but we respond when asked to provide assistance.

Committee events/activities include:

· Help parents and children find their classrooms on the first day of school

· Assist as “bathroom buddies” and hall monitors during TAAS/TAKS testing

· Provide babysitting services for younger children during parent-teacher conferences

· Assist with annual Spelling Bee and provide medals and certificates

· Provide an 8-week Story Time Reading Program for at-risk kindergarten students and their parents every spring. During these weekly evening sessions, volunteers read two books to the children, help with a short movement (exercise) activity, provide a craft project associated with one of the books, provide a small treat for each child and parent, and send each child home with a book for their home library.

· Read to children during the school’s annual reading event, when city leaders and parents come in and read books to every classroom

· Assemble “Just say NO” bracelets to be handed out to the students

· Provide used magazines to the second grade teachers for use in the classrooms

· Provide a “cut out” service to teachers as needed (i.e. cut out things for various student projects)

· Adopt a Terrace family through NETWORK’s Santa Program

International Projects:

Because Altrusa is an international organization, we are urged to have a year-long focus on international relations – preferably a project that promotes international relations. This is a relatively new committee and new projects are being developed and explored. Members on this committee would help find ways to encourage and stimulate international relations, to create an awareness of other cultures and people of the world, bring in speakers, finding projects, etc. (See photo insert of 2006 DFW International Festival hosted by Richardson Public Library.)

Seniors Committee

Our Seniors Committee provides many diverse services to seniors in the Richardson area. These projects include:

· Alzheimer’s Walk: In the fall, Altrusans volunteer to help with the Alzheimer’s Walk. Altrusans work in the areas of sign-in, food distribution and helping with directions while the walk is in progress. Many Altrusans participate in the walk and raising money for our team of walkers as well as volunteer.

· Appletree Court Auction: Twice a year, once in the fall and again in the spring, Altrusans help organize an auction of collected items. Residents use “Appletree Bucks”, which they have earned through participation in activities in the home, to purchase the items. Collected items include greeting cards and stamps, decks of cards, cologne and perfume, purses, Kleenex, toiletries, vases of flowers, books, and other items of interest to seniors.

· Atria Bingo: Monthly, Altrusans set up and call Bingo at the Atria Assisted Living Center.

· Bookmovers: The Richardson Public Library received a state grant to provide large-print books and books-on-tape to the growing Richardson Senior population. On a quarterly basis, Altrusans help the Richardson Library by providing the volunteers to move large print books and tapes between 10 local assisted living centers. This project provides a constantly rotating supply of books to the residents of the local centers and brings library services to them.

· Christmas Wrapping: Altrusans help the Visiting Nurses Association by wrapping gift items to be given to VNA clients during the holiday season.

· May Day Tea: Every Spring, Atrusans put on their Easter Bonnets and serve tea and cookies to the residents of Atria Assisted Living Center. We arrange to have live music and spend time visiting with the residents.

· Richardson Senior Center: Altrusans help work the concession stand at the annual Richardson Senior Craft Fair at the Richardson Senior Center. Altrusans also assist with flu shots given at the Senior Center.

Scholarships

This committee evaluates scholarship applications received from graduating high school seniors. The committee awards scholarships in the spring. The April program/dinner meeting is designated to recognize the scholarship recipients and have them speak to members.