 FOSTER CARE AUXILIARY NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2007 |
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| Membership |
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| Dear members, January is the start of a new year; also it is the end of memberships that haven’t signed up for another year. Now is your last chance if you don’t want to miss a “shopping day”. Send in your membership fee for an uninterrupted distribution center experience. If you signed up as an early bird member for 2007 thank you for your continued support. We are working hard to improve the distribution center goods and experience and also the thrift store. If you haven’t shopped the thrift store we hope you will be surprised to see the elimination of non moving items and the constant turnover of “new stock”. |
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| Happy New Year from your Board |
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Kathy Harvey, President
May your year be filled with happiness, joy, and the ability to make a difference!
Nina Yamasaki and family,1st Vice Pres. & Event/Volunteer Director
Dear Friends, To all of our membership, old and new, I welcome you to help us experience another great year at The Foster Care Auxiliary. 2006 brought about many, many changes for all of us.Thanks to our many friends here at the Auxiliary we have endured the struggles and goodness that came our way. We are truely blessed to know you all and feel very fortunate that we will have this new year to get to know you even more. I look forward to a chance to help create exciting events and memories for all our children and families. I wish you all a year filled with joy and happiness, peace and love, understanding and patience and blessings to cherish your friendships. "Friendship is the golden thread that ties all hearts together.". May we have a golden year!
Tina Marie Schuhrke, 2nd Vice President
This is my favorite time of year. I like to make plans, write lists and set goals. For me this is a time to start fresh and the cool crisp air of January evenings helps me to think more clearly. One of my goals for the Auxiliary is to make Welcome Packets for new Foster Parents and distribute them at the Pride trainings. I also plan to continue my involvement with the member shopping days because I believe that our distribution center provides a valuable service. Call me crazy, but I do enjoy helping to keep it stocked and organized. I hope that everyone enjoyed the holidays with family and friends and I look forward to seeing you all soon.
Shirley Jandron, Donation Coordinator
My wish for the new year 2007 is that the auxiliary work together to create more opportunities that will improve and enrich the quality and dignity of all Orange County foster families. A happy new year to all.
Barbara Martinez, Treasurer
First I would like to thank Nina for nominating me to be treasurer for the Auxiliary. Even though I knew of a lot of the foster families , being treasurer has enabled me to find out how very special they really are. I have gotten to experience their friendship, and I appreciate them so much more than ever before. Warm wishes for a Happy New Year. |
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| Board Member Focus |
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Shirley Jandron, Donation Coordinator
Shirley has been on our board for years and brings knowledge and grace to the board. Shirley works hard through the year to obtain donations and has a long history of volunteering. We are lucky indeed that she has found us worthy of her efforts. From Shirley~
I have come to learn that enthusiasm is infectious and that passion is contagious!
I have been inspired by our President who is leading the Auxiliary in a magnificent movement to bring the world of foster families and foster children to a better place. As I watched the positive changes at both the Thrift and Resource Store, I caught the President’s enthusiasm and found an opportunity to volunteer as the Donations Coordinator.
What fun it’s been to rekindle old relationships with foster parents whom I met during 20 years of working with the County of Orange. It is a small world after all. In my varied positions during those years, I was a member of the Foster Care Recruitment Advisory Board. In 1990 I took the lead in Operation Santa Claus. I was responsible for matching special SSA programs including Foster Parents and presenting motivational fundraising messages to local businesses. I learned to admire the caring and dedication of foster parents not only during the holidays but also all year long.
So today in my retirement I am working closely with several auxiliary members fostering relationships with prospective donors and maintaining an on-going relationship with former donors. We are looking for new ways to diversify and broaden community support. It’s a perfect time to thank those who support me and to ask for all and any help foster parents can offer.
For many years, “volunteering” has been the center post of my life. In the beginning I volunteered at church and my children’s schools. As my County career blossomed I became involved in community action causes as a volunteer CPR instructor Trainer with the American Heart Association and member of the Speaker’s Bureau, a No-Smoking facilitator for the Lung Association and General Chairperson of the Great American Smoke out and so much more.
I am a graduate of Orange Coast College and the University of San Francisco. A wife, mom, grandma and volunteer I have not acquiesced to growing older but keep looking for challenges. I would be remiss not to include the wonderful volunteer work that my husband Roland offers at the thrift store and my daughter Jody who loves creating baskets for our silent auctions. We are a family who volunteers together and stays together and that’s something as we recently celebrated our 53rd wedding anniversary. Volunteering for all Orange County foster parents has blessed our lives. Thank you so much for the opportunity. |
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| President's Letter |
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Please accept the little star fish pin attached to our business card as a small token of how much we appreciate your membership in our organization when you come shopping this month. If you miss the member shopping days, your newsletter and pin will be mailed to you. You probably all know the ‘Starfish’ story…I’ll try to paraphase. A man was walking on the beach and saw way off in the distance someone bending and throwing something back into the water. Intrigued the man continued walking until he got close enough to see that the whole shore was littered with starfish who would die if they didn’t get back in the water. The person he had been watching was stooping to pick up a starfish and throw it back in the ocean over and over again. The man was puzzled and walking up to the thrower he asked “Why do you bother? There are too many starfish and you couldn’t possibly save enough of them to make a difference.”
The starfish thrower looked at the man, looked at the starfish he was holding in his hand, gave it a toss into the ocean, and said “I made a difference to that one.”
I hope you all think of the starfish story when you wear your pin and feel especially proud for making a difference in the lives of the foster children in our community.
Kathy Harvey, President Foster Care Auxiliary of Orange County |
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Martin Harvey 3rd vice president, thrift store operations and membership |
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We are looking forward to more members signing up for the New Year. As our numbers grow it allows us to expand our service to more members of the community of foster parents and families.
It is thrilling to see the families who appreciate the items and goods available on a changing pallet.
Some times we get a parent who is unsatisfied because we don’t have whatever they are looking for. All I can say is come in and help or come back next month. Remember we are all volunteers.
Do you know anyone you could improve the products available. Do you work for a company that would like to donate to our good cause? That’s what we try to do and we are happy to have a president and vice presidents that are actively searching grants and donations from the community.
We love to see volunteers come into the store and share the satisfaction of helping this experience grow for everyone.
The board has worked hard this year, special thanks to all. remember ”many hands make little work”.
Martin Harvey, 3rd vice president, thrift store operations and membership |
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| Reminders And Important Notices!! |
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Members Only Distribution Days
Members Only Distribution Days Distribution days for January are:
Friday the 5th 11-2
Saturday the 6th 9-12
Monday the 8th 9-12
*Please remember to bring your ink cartridges and cell phones in for recycling*
**Shoppers, Bring your own Bags on Member Shopping Days! ** Every member can shop one time per month choosing between the 1st Monday, 1st Saturday, or 1st Friday of most months.
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Thrift Store Special
½ price on all clothing (excluding jackets, gowns and suits) on Member Shopping Days – January 5th, 6th, and 8th.
Thrift Store Hours:
Mon. & Sat. 9am-4pm Tues
Thurs, & Fri. 11-6
Closed: Sun. & Wed.
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Help the Environment - Help the Auxiliary!
We are collecting ink cartridges and cell phones for recycling.
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Nature’s Cradle
The Foster Care Auxiliary has a Nature’s Cradle they would like to loan to a member who needs it. Please contact an Auxiliary Board Member to arrange to pick it up. If you don’t know what a Nature’s Cradle is, come by the store to see it in action…a reproduction of what the infant should feel like in its mother’s womb. Soothing and comforting to those newborns that are colicky or experiencing traumas like drug withdrawal.
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Meetings and Events Upcoming events:
Visit our on-line calendar for the latest information http://calendar.yahoo.com/fostercareaux
January 18th – Board Meeting and Pot Luck Dinner at Kathy Harvey’s House
March 17th – Spring Fest at Kiwanis Land
Monthly Board Meetings are generally the 3rd Thursday evenings of each month…location will be announced. Contact any board member or check the web site for current information.
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| Family Wants To Help Foster Care Family! |
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There is a family that would like to help a foster family near their home in Laguna Niguel. They would like their children to be involved (ages 6-12) and are interested in coming to your house to read a story, play a game, or help your children with their school work on a regularly basis. They would come to your house and be under your supervision. They would like to build a relationship with a particular foster family and are flexible to what might be needed. Who couldn’t use a friendly family to entertain their children while they are preparing dinner one night a week? Or possibly free up time for the foster parent to have a one on one with a different child each week? I have discussed confidentiality issues with the mom of the family, and she fully understands. She also understands that many times a foster family consists of birth, adopted and foster children. She is a volunteer at her children’s school and has been fingerprinted and screened to do that. This mom is interested in others helping in this same manner, so this is a pilot program of sorts and all who are interested and their ideas will be kept on a waiting list for hopeful matches. If you live near Laguna Niguel and have some ideas that might fit into this families desire to help a foster family, let me know by email kharvey@socal.rr.com or phone 714 891-2468. |
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| Silent Auction at the SSA Holiday Dinner and Training |
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The Foster Care Auxiliary had their 2nd yearly silent auction combined with the lovely evening that SSA put together for foster parents on December 6, 2006. Nina Yamasaki, 1st Vice President of the Auxiliary is pictured with 3 of the many baskets that she, Shirley Jandron- the Donations Chair, and a few others were able to put together with donations from our community. This is the major fundraiser of the Auxiliary so we are so grateful to SSA for sharing this evening with us. Also pictured are Tina Marie Schuhrke-2nd VP, Barbara Martinez-Treasurer, and Kathy Harvey-President as well as most of the Board and a few volunteers in the top photo.
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| California State Care Providers Association |
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| FCAOC is now Chapter Charter 30 of the California State Care Providers Association who has members representing foster care issues in legislation. Members of the Auxiliary may join this State organization for a fee of $10. Visit the web site www.fosterparents.com to find information. |
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| Thanks to those who make our mission possible |
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To the following who have contributed $2500. or more:
- R.C. Baker Foundation
- Boeing Employees Community Fund
- Orangewood Children’s Foundation
- National Charity League, Pacific Coast Chapter
- Clippers Foundation
To the following who have contributed $100 or more:
- Jim, Pam and Emily Preib
- Gene Noonan
- First Presbyterian Church of Santa Ana
- Wal-Mart #2546
- Dr. Richard Mungo
- Ellis G. Evans
- Wiechelman & Associates, CPA
- Stantec Consulting (The Keith Companies)
- Debra Bosch
- Alpine Home Medical
- Viola Harvey
- Barbara and Don Newport
- Lorin and Carol Ferrell
- Jon and Carol Howerton
- James and Louise P. Shamblen
- James and Mary J. Donato
- Margaret Rice
- Paul Wallace
- To Orange Grove Quilters Guild who has made hundreds of pillowcases for our children.
- To Pullman & Miller, Attorneys at Law for their sponsorship of our May 2006 newsletter.
- To our 2006 ‘Friends of Foster Family’ award recipients, National Charity League, Pacific Coast Chapter and Vicki Andis
- To Orangewood Children’s Home whose ongoing support contributes to the success of the Auxiliary
- To Miguel Cuebas and Hometown Buffet for their contribution of food at special events
- To Costco of Garden Grove for the donation of back packs
…And to YOU for being a member and participating. |
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| Foster Care Auxiliary Can Make Money-Here's How! |
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Please make www.GoodSearch.com your home page. What if Foster Care Auxiliary of Orange County earned a penny every time you searched the internet? Well, now we can! GoodSearch.com is a new search engine that donates half its revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. You use it just as you would any search engine, and it’s powered by Yahoo!, so you get great results. Just go to www.goodsearch.com and be sure to enter Foster Care Auxiliary of Orange County as the charity you want to support. Just 500 of us searching four times a day will raise about $7300 in a year without anyone spending a dime! And, be sure to spread the word! |
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| Your Space: Blaze Interactive Maintains Newsletter |
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| Want to stay in contact with your members or clients, but don’t have the time or energy to learn new software to do it? Let Blaze Interactive help you create your own HTML email newsletter. All you need to send is the content in Microsoft Word, and we do the rest! Email rachel@blazeinteractive.com for a quote! Coming in January 2007, technology and design classes through online video at www.indrasuccessfulcoachmarketing.com! Learn the 3 Fundementals of a Website, the Basics of Email, Essentail Design Tips of Effective Business Cards, and much more! |
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