During the fall season our group chose two opportunities to serve our community.
Our first opportunity to give back came from our past secretary (new historian), Kathy Campbell. She works at a rehabilitation center on the west side of town. Patients reside there during their rehabilitation process after surgery, injury, etc. While rehab is a large portion of their day, there are many hours with no structured activity. Kathy asked us if we would donate magazines, tapes, and DVD's we are no longer using. As simple as this may sound, this has been a wonderful and well accepted service project by our members and the rehab patients. The patients are getting much enjoyment from our simple donations and it helps to fill hours of their days reading and watching movies, etc. There have even been a few requests for knitting needles, crochet hooks, yarn, playing cards and more. This is a project that we will continue in 2008.
Our second project came from our publicity chairman, Kathy Castanon. She had previous interaction with the staff and students at Whitney Elementary School with another program. This is an at risk school in the Henderson/East Las Vegas area with a staff and principal that work with the community to help provide needs of many families. We chose to donate a portion of the proceeds from the craft show to the after school art program. In December we presented our "Ed McMahon" style check (and a real one) to the art teacher and staff. They were thrilled beyond belief with the donation of $200. This will go a long way for the teacher in the purchase of needed materials, especially since she is so creative herself. We know the children will have many hours filled with arts and crafts. We look forward to a continuing relationship with the school in the form of material donations as well as monetary donations in the future.
