ALTRUSA of Waynesville NC
Soup and Cornbread Scholarship Fundraiser:
This annual event is held at the First United Methodist Church in mid-January each year. The menu includes hot soup (potato or vegetable), cornbread, beverages and homemade desserts. Hundreds of meals are served for both lunch and dinner on either a take-out or dine-in basis. We average 1100 meals served per event!
School Supply Drive - Each year in late August, Altrusa spearheads a school supply drive to collect school supplies for needy children in the county. The specific supplies are requested by social workers and are distributed at each local school in Haywood County. In 2006, our first collection drive netted a whole SUV full of supplies as well as monetary donations to purchase additional supplies. In 2007, Altrusa started partnering with Haywood Rotary Club to collect supplies on an annual basis for Haywood County students in need.
PAST SERVICE PROJECTS
Personalized Book Literacy Project - Our club is gifting Haywood county kindergartners with a keepsake book personalized with the child's name, hometown, family names and school. Funding for the project is from an Altrusa International grant and local business sponsors.
MedWest Flourish Expo - Altrusa members support this women's health expo by donating a gift basket of prizes from our members' businesses. Our members also were among the exhibitors and attendees of the Flourish Expo.
SOS - Save Our Soldiers: Our club adopted a soldier overseas and collected donations for him. We also sent gifts and support to his wife and baby-to-be back in the states.
Student of the Month Luncheon -- Each year Altrusa of Waynesville recognizes students for their accomplishments and awards certificates and prizes as well as honoring the students, their parents, and their teachers at a luncheon at the Waynesville Country Club.
Make a Difference Day - Each year our club selects a different project. Our club has sponsored a New and Almost New Book Collection Drive benefiting U.S. Military servicemen. In 2009, Altrusans collected and sent over 40 boxes of supplies to troops. In 2008, Altrusans collected new and almost new fiction paperbacks and hardcover books, to be shipped to select destinations in the Middle East at various locations in the community and a local business sponsored the cost of shipping the books overseas. Another year the beneficiary was the REACH shelter - members collected supplies, gift cards for clients, arranged for beautician services and painted rooms in the shelter. Overseas military were also the focus of a second Make a Dfiference Day when our club collected dozens of boxes of supplies for troops overseas.
Salvation Army Bell Ringing - Each year our members volunteer to staff the Salvation Area bell over the holiday season at an area business.
Meals on Wheels - Our club collected food donations, solicited cash donations to purchase food and helped pack boxes of food given to recipients in advance of bad weather days when meals cannot be delivered.
Read To Me: Altrusa volunteers have participated in the Haywood County Library's Read To Me program which reaches hundreds of students at preschools all over Haywood County. On the Read to Me day, volunteers to go each preschool to read stories and distribute new books for each child to keep. Read to Me is an early childhood literacy campaign aimed at helping children from birth to age 5 start a lifelong interest in reading before they reach kindergarten. The program is funded by grants and the Haywood Friends of the Library. Dozens of volunteers from all over the county participate to make this event a huge success.
International Folkmoot Day - Water Booth - In past years, Altrusa volunteers have staffed a booth at the International Folkmoot Day in downtown Waynesville to supply free water to visitors and performers. It is a great way to network with others in the community and to help get Altrusa into the public awareness.
Haywood County Literacy Council Spelling Bee - In past years, Altrusa has assisted with the annual November spelling bee. Teams of three adult spellers compete. Entry fee of $100. Teams can purchase misspelled words for first two rounds. Entry fees and cash merchandise given as prizes for contestants are tax deductible. Our club volunteers at the event and also sponsors contestants.