ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL OF SAN DIEGO
 Club Projects 2009 - 2010
    • Altrusa International Foundation, Inc.
    • Alzheimer's Association – San Diego chapter
    • Project Linus – San Diego chapter
    • Rady Children's Hospital San Diego - Altrusa Family Fund
    • Rady Children's Hospital San Diego – Toddler School (for autistic children)
    • Winner's Circle Equestrian Therapy – in San Diego
    • Altrusa Scholarship Fund
    • Ronald McDonald House
    • ASTRA Club Of USD 
    • Adopt A Teacher (President's Project)
    • WellSpring Faith and Hope Community School

Through a 501(c) 3 foundation, Altrusa International Inc. of San Diego raises and contributes funds to the following eleven programs: 

The Altrusa International Foundation is a not-for-profit, philanthropic corporation established in 1962 by Altrusa International, Inc. and is dedicated to improving economic well-being and quality of life through a commitment to community services and literacy. http://www.altrusa.com Foundation/FoundationMain.asp

The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research.  The group’s mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.  www.alz.org.  Our club’s donation goes to the San Diego chapter of this organization.

Through Project Linus, handmade blankets are distributed to children suffering serious illness and trauma.  Recipient organizations include hospitals, homeless shelters and police stations where children from birth to 17 years of age are impacted by the comfort and love a "made from the heart" blanket provides.  www.projectlinus.org.  Our club provides service and a donation to the San Diego chapter of Project Linus.  Our service includes distributing the blankets to numerous local non-profit entities that serve children who suffer serious illness and trauma.

The Altrusa Family Fund at Rady Children's Hospital San Diego provides money for family needs not available from other sources for transportation for a child home from the hospital and other expenses not covered by insurance.  The Altrusa Family fund was established in l976.  www.chsd.org

The Rady Children's Hospital San Diego Toddler School is an educational program designed to integrate early education for children at-risk for autistic spectrum disorders. Curriculum focuses on teaching developmentally appropriate communication, cognitive and social skills.  www.chsd.org

Founded in 1985, Winner's Circle Equestrian Therapy is a San Diego-area non-profit therapeutic riding program offering equine-assisted activities to individuals with disabilities. The range of disabilities includes, but is not limited to: Downs Syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, learning disabilities, developmental delays, multiple sclerosis, and spina bifida. Therapeutic riding may improve a rider’s muscle strength, concentration, motor skills, coordination, flexibility and self-esteem.  www.winnerscircleequestriantherapy.org

The Altrusa Scholarship Fund provides money to any student who will be continuing their education at either a vocational or trade school or a two or four year college or university.

www.altrusasandiego.org/files/application.pdf

The Ronald McDonald House provides a home away from home for children and their families while the child is treated is serious, often life threatening illnesses at Childrens Hospital.

www.rmhcsd.org

The WellSpring Faith and Hope Community School located in Zambia, Africa provides education for the poor. The one room school for grades K-6 is in need of books and magazines and school supplies.

www.westinzambia.org/gallery/main.php?g2 itemId=98



      
         The School on the Tijuana Dump
 

On October 10th, the Literacy Committee members, Pat Hagan, Jean Somers, Nansea Wolff and Ursula Sorensen delivered 268 English/Spanish Dictionaries and six large bags of quilts from Project Linus for the "School on the Dump" in Tijuana to David Lynch, Founder, Teacher of the school.  We met David at his San Ysidro, CA office.










                                      Project Linus

Project Linus provides handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer "blanketeers" to children who are  seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need.


                                               






Project Linus blankets were delivered to Little Sisters.  The children select their own blanket.  





Quilts were delivered to Ronald McDonald House







Project Linus Quilts were delivered to the Neo Natal Nursery at Rady's Children's Hospital.
Adopt-A-Teacher
(President's Project)
Camille Girard, a first year teacher at St. Gregory’s was selected for the "Adopt- A- Teacher" President's Project.    Altrusan's contributed to Camille's "wish list" for her class room and the student's are enjoying the benefits of all the learning resources provided.
 
 Camille Girard receives the Adoption Certificate for the "Adopt a New Teacher" Project.

Jean Somers, Nansea Wolff, Camille Girard, Susannah Berning, Linda Kennedy


African Literacy Project








Jim Anderson, from Zambia meets with Literacy Committee in San Diego, CA.



Jim Anderson, Principal of the high school for the U.S. Embassy nephew delivers magazines to Sarah West, International Missionary, Baptist Church, USA.  Sarah set up a Literacy program which will not only encourage them to read (with pictures) but help them to dream.



Sarah West takes magazines sent to the women in the Chongwe  area.
 (Note Altrusa book labels on lower part of magazine). 




Magazines given to the Chibelo School children.  The lady watching over the 'street children"
said that the magazines were so valuable that they would be putting them in their library.







Jim Anderson, Principal American Embassy School of Lusaka, wasguest speaker on Altrusa's Literacy project in Zambia.  Barbara Hill, Foundation Treasurer gives  check  to Jim for $500.00.  In addition, arrangements were made with the airlines for Jim to take 196 children's books which were donated by the Literacy committee  to Sarah West, International Ministries, for the community school which she and her husband started.


2009 Holidays

The children from Wellsprings Community School are holding up Christmas cards that Blessed Sacrament School students made and sent to Zambia. 

San Diego Altrusans filled small stockings with candy canes, pencils, etc and sent them to the students in time for Christmas.  The students are shown here holding up the stockings.

Pots of rice and gravy are the kinds of food they feed the children.  The San Diego Altrusa Club donated $500.00 which will feed the children one meal per day for a year.

United Nations Day

Celebrated on October 24, 2009.  The children at Blessed Sacrament School sent letters to the Wellsprings community school children. Each child received a letter with their name on it.  The Blessed Sacrament and Wellsprings school children have exchanged letters.  The San Diego Altrusans also sponsored the Computer Literacy Training for the Wellspring teachers where the classes are held at the U.S Embassy school in Zambia.




The photos below show the teachers from the Wellsprings community school; Sarah West, Director; and Jim Anderson, Principal.



International Peace Day
Celebrated on September 21, 2009.  Letters written by Altrusa members were sent to the Wellsprings  community school students and teachers as well as letters from second graders from Blessed Sacrament School in San Diego.



World Literacy Day
Wellsprings community school students celebrated World Literacy Day on September 8, 2009.  The San Diego Altrusans donated 196 books - their first books ever!

    Altrusa of San Diego sent the books, activity sheets and games all with the Dr. Seuss theme so that Jim Anderson, Sarah West, Int. Ministries and one of the teachers could celebrate Literacy Day with the community school children. 



St. John's Ambulance, Zambia has teamed up with Altrusa San Diego, to provide first aid
training to the WellSpring Community School in Lusaka, Zambia.  This is a 15 hr. course.