Idaho Centennial Chapter 2003 Community
Service
The Idaho Centennial Chapter of AGA has
just completed a third year of successfully contributing to the aid
of Idaho elementary students in economically challenged areas. AGA
Chapter member, Carolyn Miller pioneered and chaired the project
these past three years. Carolyn wanted to make a difference in
working with the low-income school districts in Idaho, by providing
school supplies to start the school year off for all the children,
not just the most in need. This placed all the children on an equal
course, and did not earmark any particular child as impoverished.
The first year’s support enabled us to
provide assorted supplies for the Arco (Eastern Idaho) and Weiser
(Southwestern Idaho) elementary schools. In 2002 we were able to
provide each and every student attending Naples Elementary (North
Idaho) with a packet of school supplies for the school year. Glenns
Ferry Elementary School was selected for this year’s project. This
school in Southern Idaho had 276 students – one hundred more than
the previous year. To date, we have helped over 500 school children
with their required supplies.
The Centennial Chapter has enthusiastically
supported the project with raffles at the annual PCD conferences and
a newly added golf tournament. The Chapter, furthering the spending
power to provide for entire the school, not just a selected few, has
matched all proceeds earned from the raffle and golf tournament.
With the generous assistance of local Wal-Mart stores, purchases
have been made in the challenged community, keeping the sales and
revenue in the hometown. Supplies are all bagged individually and
provided for the students on the first day of the new school year.
Santa in August!
With Children back in school and the
chapter meetings taking off for fall, community service has
continued assisting with Boise Neighborhood Housing and the annual
Rake up Boise program. Fall was unusually warm this year, delaying
the trees from dropping their leaves. This did not stop the
Centennial Chapter from graciously postponing the clean up date to
accommodate our family until the trees and winds cooperated. With
the morning temperatures in the low 20’s, the crew set forth to rake
up over 35 bags of leaves, and clearing the yard of fallen branches
and debris.
For the second year, the Centennial Chapter
sponsored a decorated Christmas tree for the St. Alphonsus 20 the
Annual Festival of the Trees. St. Alphonsus Regional Medical
Center’s annual fundraiser is held to purchase major pieces of
equipment for the hospital.
Adopting a theme of "Children at Heart",
the tree was graced with handcrafted ornaments of schoolhouses,
buses, pencils, blue ribbons, patchwork hearts and oversized fleece
light garland. Stockings stuffed with crayons and pencils, kept with
the school theme and can be used by the adoptive owner later. A
giant pencil signed by AGA chapter members, showed the unity of this
chapter for the community. The tree topper was our very own
patchwork Accountant Reindeer Angel – complete with reading glasses,
book and green visor. The hard work of all the decorators was
recognized with a third place ribbon for the Children’s Amateur
Division. Trees were all auctioned off at the big Gala dinner, with
our tree being sold for $1,200 and taken to a new home at the
Veterans Hospital for the season.
My heart is full of gratitude to all of the
Idaho Centennial Chapter of AGA – YOU ARE AWESOME! The support and
unity is what makes this organization great!
Patti Everill – Community Service
Coordinator
Click here to view pictures from this successful event...