Our October dinner meeting will be another learning opportunity. Heather White, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Area Director for Western MA & Vermont will join us to share strategies on suicide prevention. Please share the information on page 2 with friends, family and colleagues.  During our business meeting we will select a recipient for our Founder’s Day award.  Please review the information on page 6 and be prepared to share your nominations.  Finally, we are collecting items for the Fall Conference—please bring an item for the Chocolate Lover’s basket, contributions for Hospitality and donations for the Period Project.  If you are unable to attend, please have a buddy bring your items to the meeting Monday, October 9th.  Be sure to let Trish know of your guest count or regrets by Wednesday 9/6. 

October2017

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Dear Sister Zontians and Friends:

I hope the summer break was all you had hoped for, and more!

I did see some of you at the Campfire hosted by Debbie in June, at the SoldierOn Women’s  luncheon, and at a mentoring session for new members in July.  We also had a delightful summer picnic hosted by Trish and her family on 8/14. The entertainment was priceless!  Thank you!

September2017

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Dear Sister Zontians and Friends,

We are on a roll!!  The enthusiasm continues!  Our February Period Project far surpassed expectations.  Our amazing club members worked side by side with many volunteers to fill over 500 feminine hygiene kits for numerous organizations and women’s shelters .  The generosity of our members, as well as the community was phenomenal.  We received $728 in monetary donations and hundreds of boxes of pads, tampons, liners, soaps, wipes and underwear.  Not only did we complete 500 kits at our meeting, we had enough extra products and funds to make another 116 kits which will be delivered to other organizations in need. Thank you, ladies, for all of your efforts to make this project a success.  This effort really put Zonta of Quaboag Valley “on the map”!  We should all be very proud of our efforts.  Read on:

 

March 2017 Bog

 

Dear Sister Zontians and Friends,

We started out the second half of our Zontian year with great enthusiasm.  January is Amelia Earhart month and we were delighted to have pilot Karen Fontaine as our guest speaker. We inducted Sue Williams at this meeting and welcome her experience and perspective! And we are full-steam ahead on the Period Project—Distributing dignity to women and teens in need.

Please continue to get the word out to your networks—we are seeking boxes of pads, tampons and panty liners; quantities of soaps, wipes or sanitizers; and new pairs of underwear—any size.  Send me an accounting of what is collected by 2/10, so we can purchase supplemental supplies with donations received.  We also are inviting members of the public to join us in putting the monthly menstrual kits together. We will start setting up at 5:30, break for dinner ($18) at 6, and then resume assembly at about 6:45. Kim Lee from CHD and representatives from other shelters will be on hand to take delivery of the kits and remaining products. PLEASE—get a head count of guests to Trish by 2/8 so we have plenty of food and beverages.

Our friends from Soldier On worked with us in January to create about 40 of the kits—helping us to determine a smooth workflow and the quantities to include.  They were excited to be part of this effort to raise awareness about the struggle a period is for women living with homelessness or poverty, as pads and tampons are considered “non-essential” by the federal government.

At our March meeting we will celebrate women’s health month by focusing on menopause—peri and post, and identify an organization which will benefit at this year’s Silent “no more” Auction.  Please give it some thought and submit proposals.  It is not too early to start collecting baskets, items, services and gift certificates for the May 8th Auction.  Also help us spread the Save the Date message—we need good attendance at this important event.

At it’s meeting in January, the Board finalized the goals for this biennium (page 4) and we ask that you review and vote on accepting them. We need 100% buy-in to achieve success.

Thanks for all you do.

Mary Knight, President
413-219-8260
info@zontaqv.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A brand new year, a clean slate. As you consider your intentions for 2017, please remember what we learned from Sandy Neumann: If you want positive outcomes, you need to start with positive thinking. I have great expectations about you and this club and look forward to what’s coming next!

As January is Amelia Earhart month, we celebrate this Zontian’s extraordinary achievements and uncompromising spirit during our meeting this month. We also celebrate the induction of a new member—Sue Williams.

The Period Project –Distributing dignity to women and teens in need— gets underway with this newsletter. This week, we need each member to find two locations for drop boxes and get me the location name/address to post on the website and in press releases.  You can use the flyer in this newsletter or contact me for a 12” X 18” poster.  Boxes are available at appliance and package stores. Please get the word out to local churches, high school Key Clubs and local merchants.  This hands-on service project is not only for a good purpose, it is also an opportunity to raise awareness about this issue and about Zonta..

Our fellowship with the women at Soldier On continues to reap rewards.  The December event was well received (see pictures and write up in this newsletter) and we will be awarded a plaque from the organization for our ongoing efforts with the Women’s Program. Meanwhile, each of us who has participated in monthly activities during the past 8 years with these veterans has experienced an awakening and growth that is hard to put into words.  Truly a win-win project.

Please see the important note about calling in regrets and guest counts. Deadline this month is Wednesday, 1/4.

 Wishing you and your family a healthy, joyous and prosperous 2017. Let’s start it off by throwing kindness around like confetti!

Mary Knight, President