Thanks to Brooke, S.I. DAF was the recipient of the FootPRINT Award yesterday at the Spectator building. We received $500.00 on behalf of the club, to use towards design/printing service costs.
Allegra Print & Imaging gave out 58 awards today, worth a total of $20,000.00 locally and 2 million dollars nationwide. We are thankful for this gift and hope to request this again next year, possibly for a special project. (By the way, my employer only received $250 so I think our proposal was well received Brooke).
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Sandy and Barb with Jim Gladun from Allegra Print & Imaging
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FootPRINT Fund Award
April 30 2009 under Fundraisers
Excerpt from the Soroptimist International Blog »
Our new Juniper Café is soon to be opened near the lake at Desta Mender, and set among many juniper trees! It is near our teaching or conference centre where we hope to attract groups, who want a pleasant place to hold a day conference, and where they can buy food from our café. We are enormously grateful to the Soroptimist International organisation for raising all the money for this café through the 2007 and 2008 President’s Day Appeals, called “Restoring Dignity”. We want to thank the President of the Soroptimists for those 2 years, Margaret Lobo, for choosing the Hospital to be the recipient of this large donation – which also paid for a hard-top vehicle for use at Desta Mender. We hope Ms. Lobo will visit us for some celebrations in May or June and will then be able to unveil a plaque in the café telling of the assistance provided by so many Soroptimist women.
We are sure this will be a great attraction, not only to help us financially, but to make known the plight of so many fistula sufferers in this great country.
Dr E. Catherine Hamlin AC
About Desta Mender: Rural Village for patients who cannot be completely cured
A small number of patients (about 3% of those treated) are so badly damaged in childbirth that they cannot be cured. These patients are fitted with an external bag for their urine. Continuing medical care is essential. Yet despite this affliction, most of the patients are able, and want to do some light work.
In 2000, the Ethiopian Government gave the hospital a parcel of 21 hectares (60 acres) of rural land outside of Addis Ababa for them to build a “self-help” village for these patients. A large dam to provide water for the gardens and livestock, has been built.
A “Design Plan” for the overall development of the site was prepared by an Australian Architect, Mr Ridley Smith. An Ethiopian firm of Architects, Abba Associates from Addis Ababa, has supervised the construction.
The building development of the village has been completed. Patients are moving into occupation. The village will initially provide accommodation for 100 women. There are ten self-contained cottages. Each cottage accommodates ten patients. A supervisor lives on-site and there is adequate staffing.
The residents of the Village are being taught skills in agriculture, farming and craft work.
April 24 2009 under SI News
What are you doing to increase your “eco-awareness”? Earth Day Hamilton kicked off their events in Westdale on Saturday April 18 (full details in the Spec article from Apr 20 »):
More than 250 Hamiltonians attended the Tim Hortons Earth Day 5 km Walk and Fun Run, which started at Bayfront park and headed to Churchill Park, where they were joined by almost 550 more people for the Sunoco Earth Day Tree Planting. All 1,300 trees provided were planted by event participants. Earth Day Hamilton will also be planting trees at one or two Hamilton schools over the next 10-14 days, as part of the Go Green Challenge.
About $6,000 was raised at the walk and tree planting, with all funds going to support the Tim Hortons Earth Day Hamilton Eco-Festival – a free event offered to children grades 4-6 in the Hamilton/Halton region. About 5,000 kids will be attending this year’s event on April 20-24 at the RBG.
Here are some ideas that you can do with your fellow SI-members:
- Plant a tree to commemorate your friendship — the ECR Fall conference ’08 in Burlington gave each SI attendee a reusable shopping bag and evergreen seedling to plant.
- Make a coffee cup wrap together — Instead of always grabbing a cardboard wrap for your coffee, get together and make one for yourself. Use a cardboard wrap as a pattern and cut a couple out of felt fabric. Sew the layers together and decorate it to make a personalized coffee cup wrap.
- Grow your own vegetables — Go buy the plants/seeds together then spend the morning at her house and the afternoon at yours. Share gardening tips and enjoy the “fruits and vegetables” of your labour! And, while you’re at it, start a compost pile. See who can create the most compost, remembering that you can include paper coffee cups!
- Have a craft day and use all recycled materials — Collage a box with magazine cut outs for a gift box. Make greeting cards using junk mail. Decorate a can or bottle for an herb flowerpot. Create unique and fun home décor, wearables or gifts made from “vintage” items. Get crafty on your own or get the kids involved. (There are lots of websites featuring recycled crafts for inspiration.)
- Recycle some clothes — Trade outfits, swap accessories or just share some scarves. Better yet, make a donation to the YWCA of Hamilton’s Friends for Success program!
- Get ‘eco-educated’ together — It’s much more fun to learn together. Do some research together on global warming and carbon footprints. Explore which manufacturers/retailers are eco-friendly. Check out sites on reducing waste, research Hamilton’s recycling guidelines to make sure you’re both aware. And sign up for e-subscriptions of those catalogs, magazines and bills that come in the mail!
- Go green grocery shopping together — Go to the local farmers market and get fresh, healthy food – from nearby! For other items, buy products from earth friendly manufacturers and retailers and don’t forget your reusable shopping bags!
- Volunteer together — SI-DAF is making our city (and world!) better. Volunteer with your girlfriend on Earth Day and, if possible, on an on-going basis.
April 22 2009 under General
Flashback to the 70’s: I Love Rock n Roll with Russ Weil and The Hornets
Our spring dance was such a hit last year that we’re doing it again!!
Join us on Friday April 17 at the Royal Canadian Legion in Waterdown (79 Hamilton Street North, beside Weeks Home Hardware. Their lot is available to us that evening for overflow parking).
Doors open at 8pm. Retro Attire is strongly encouraged!!
Tickets are $25 and will be available at the door or at Weeks Home Hardware. Expect door prizes, raffles and a cash bar. All proceeds go to support Women and Girls in our communities and throughout the world. Find out more »
Spring Dance - Flashback to the 70s
April 14 2009 under SI-DAF Events
Shirley has been a member since January 2005, served as Secretary, Vice President and President.
Shirley has been married to her husband Ted for 34 years and has 4 daughters, yes 4 daughters. Her girls are currently 25, 23, 20, and 18 … busy household. She stayed at home as a mom for 17 years, then joined “Curves” and from there “as they say” the rest is history. She opened 7 of her own Curves in Hamilton, Dundas, Mississauga and even Tennessee. Talk about a career change!
Over the years Shirley has enjoyed being a Girl Guide Leader for 7 years while the girls moved their way up through the program, hoping to show them the value of volunteering. Always loving working with young girls and adults, working at and owning Curves just seemed to fit. Mentoring and helping women achieve their goals. Much like being a Soroptimist, helping women and young adults better themselves.
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The Eden’s
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Travelling with the family is a great pastime, especially those yearly trips with her husband, finding a nice warm beach to sit on, getting away and regrouping. Shirley also enjoys their 40 foot motor home for Nascar races.
Shirley has been very fortunate, now that Curves is successful and doing well on it’s own with good managers, she has time to give back. Helping women feel good about themselves can move mountains, improve self esteem, hand in hand we move forward.
Why she joined SI-DAF “Helping other women achieve their best and knowing you made a difference. The friends you make along the way make it all worth the time spent.”
