Philadelphia Chapter Newsletter  
IN THIS ISSUE
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS TO OUR TTN FAMILY!
Marie Fritzinger
Sue Goldstein
Joan Gordon
Susan Meyer
Carolyn Naaman
Rose St. Julien
Ellen Wase
Dell Williams
Susan Wright

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APRIL 2019
 

Happy Spring. We are seeing many signs of spring with a few warm days, sunshine and budding blooms. Spring is a great time for new growth and to enjoy fresh prospective.  I hope you enjoyed the Mingle into Spring.  If you missed it, check back for future dates.

The Steering Committee members are working on several ways to continue to engage, grow and provide opportunities to our members to realize the full benefits of our organization. Below is a brief summary of our March Steering Committee meeting:

Announcements:
The Steering Committee decided to establish a Nomination Committee to focus on engaging and providing opportunities to our members to assist in running our chapter. We are in the early stages of design and would love to hear your input. Please let me know your thoughts and what you can do to get us to a good start.

Key Initiatives: 
We are focused on transition planning, the Steering Committee members are building their committee's plans and continue to share them with their members. This is a great time to check the committees page and find where your passion is and take a few minutes to explore the opportunities. You will meet highly motivated and energetic women, together you can shape and grow our chapter.

The Giving Circle committee started the Review and Selection process for this year grant recipient. They are also working on expanding their work by adding new activities, please review their article below and send any questions to Carol Cunningham.

As always please make sure you read the full Newsletter by scrolling down to the end for exciting updates form the various committees.   

Like us on FacebookWarm Regards,                      
Chair, TTN Philadelphia  
Reminder To Scroll Down To End Of Newsletter

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Make a Difference - Special Volunteer Event
Make a tangible, positive difference in the lives of disadvantaged Philadelphia area children.  Sign up today to volunteer with TTN at Cradles to Crayons, that provides children living in low-income and homeless situations with the essential items they need every day.
 
New and nearly new children's goods come to the Cradles to Crayons Giving Factory warehouse through donations from grassroots community drives and corporate donations. Volunteers inspect, sort and package all donations into "KidPacks" or one-week supplies of essential children's items tailored for specific in-need children. Once the orders are filled, they are distributed to the children through the Cradles to Crayons collaborative network of service partners.
 
The next TTN Volunteer Day at Cradles to Crayons is being held on Wednesday April 10 (1 PM - 3 PM).  Click here to be involved!
 
The Cradles to Crayons Giving Factory is located at 4700 Wissahicken Avenue, Philadelphia PA 19129. Ample free parking is on site.
 
For more information on this initiative and/or car-pooling, contact Eleanor Bloch ( bloch.eleanor@gmail.com) .
TTN Signature Series: On Resilience

The inaugural launch of the new TTN Signature Program On Resilience Introductory Workshop brought together a group of women seeking to Connect with each other, Discover ways to strengthen their resiliency skills, and commit to making changes that have a meaningful Impact in their lives.

The interactive Workshop provided a safe space for each participant to share her story and experience the fellowship of other women. Many participants were amazed that they have experienced the same pains, concerns and disappointments, whether from lifelong challenges or recent transitions. One participant commented that "Knowing that I am not alone and understanding all that the other women have gone through and how they have persisted" was truly helpful and inspiring.

The Workshop included an expanded definition of what it means to be resilient: more than just coping or bouncing back - we can "grow with the flow". Resilient skills and strategies can be learned and/or strengthened. The Workshop includes reexamining the resiliency messages we learned in childhood, a resiliency skills self-assessment to look at strengths and take specific actions, mindfulness exercises, working in pairs and small groups, and much more.

Almost half of the group will be participating in the six follow-up sessions called the Conversation Series. We'll go deeper into discovering our character strengths (and weaknesses), increasing our capacity to be resilient over time, and forming more resilient relationships and connections.

We are grateful to our participants and to our warm, knowledgeable and supportive TTN facilitators, Jan Zacharjasz and Marcia Goldstein.

Through TTN Signature Programs, our Philadelphia Chapter strives to offer meaningful opportunities for women to grow and learn. We'll be offering the Women in Transition Workshop in Fall 2019 and will do the On Resilience Workshop/Conversation Series again next Spring.  Our goal is be sure we're scheduling these programs when our diverse membership can attend.  Please let Marsha Yankelev know how we can best accommodate your needs!

Be inspired: Click this link to access a short article on The 10 Traits of Emotionally Resilient People.
Documentary Watchers SIG:  "50 Children: The Rescue Mission of Mr. and Mrs. Kraus"
On Wednesday, March 20 The Documentary Watchers SIG met to discuss the film 50 Children: The Rescue Mission of Mr. and Mrs. Kraus

Instead of our usual venue, we met at the home of Jean Brubaker. In 1939, Mr. and Mrs. Kraus, a socially prominent Jewish couple, lived in her home and planned the daring rescue - perhaps even in the room where we sat. 
 
The documentary tells the story of how, against all odds, the Krauses went to Nazi occupied Vienna and were able to bring back 50 Jewish boys and girls to the United States. 

Jean's involvement with the film began with a visit from Steven Pressman, the producer of the documentary and the husband of the Kraus' granddaughter, asking to film some interior shots of the house. In conjunction with the release of the documentary in 2012, Jean hosted a reunion of a few of the original rescued fifty children who lived near enough to attend.

The Documentary Watchers thank Jean for her kind invitation which added a compelling dimension to the discussion.

One of the reasons women join TTN if for the fellowship they feel with the diverse and interesting women attracted to this organization.   Whether it is the casual rejoinder and repartee at a Mingle, a lecture, a special Interest Group, a trip to an interesting site, or a Peer Group, each of us navigates our way to what is most meaningful for us.
At our most recent Mingle, many women were interested in knowing more about Peer Groups. Some were quickly directed toward the chapter leader for Special Interest Groups as they were specifically looking for a group focused on a particular area of interest. But several liked the idea of a discussion-based group exploring ideas and issues relevant to us at this stage of our lives. Peer Groups are often described as providing a small community within the larger TTN community. These groups provide an opportunity for us to celebrate our connectivity and recognize that our similarities are greater than our differences.
 
If the idea of a Peer Group sounds like one you would like to explore, send an email to Barbara Kessler and Amy Sabsowitz. They are members of the Peer Group Advisory Committee who will be helping women to learn more about the Peer Group experience and guide them to a Peer Group that fits their schedule and location.
 
Whatever you choose to do in TTN - connect, discover, make an impact- make sure you have fun!
 
If you are interested in learning more about joining a Transition Peer Group contact Marcia Goldstein at  mkrates@comcast.net.

Transition Peer Groups are a benefit of TTN membership.
It's the Small Things

If you're like many, you take the unused small shampoos, lotions and soap provided in hotel guest rooms home with you after your stay. Perhaps you deplete them some time later, or maybe you don't and now you have a collection that has continued to grow with each trip you take.
 
So, don't just collect! Collect and donate!
 
Drop off your supply of travel-size toiletries to Susanne Kaplan in Center City and she will ensure they are given to the People's Emergency Center (PEC) that works with families, youth and children who are experiencing homelessness.
 
Contact Susanne at Kaplan.sd65@gmail.com to get her exact address for your drop-off. The toiletries can be placed in a plastic bag labeled with your name and dropped into her enclosed courtyard at your convenience.
 
To learn more about the mission and outreach of the People's Emergency Center, see www.pec-cares.org .  
Giving Circle member Carol Greco said it best when she described our Member Appreciation Night.
 
If you weren't already a member of The Giving Circle, you would have joined immediately after hearing how our grants helped women and children, at our Member Appreciation Night on Monday, March 4th. Attended by our members and their guests, we were both proud and happy to learn how our dollars were put to good use by our last three grantees, New Leash on Life, Rebuild Philadelphia Vo-tech in the House and Turning Points YVLifeset.

Read about all our grantees here.

Join us in making an impact! For more information, email Carol Cunningham ( carol.d.cunningham@gmail .com) or visit our TTN Giving Circle page.
New SIGs are Popping Up Like Daffodils in April!
Three new groups are in the works and you're going to want to jump in now before it's too late.
 
The latest fiction book group, Fiction Plus, will read mainly fiction books with an occasional foray into other genres. The group will meet on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 10:30AM at rotating locations in the city. Deb Staples, the Lead of the group, will host the first meeting on June 13th. The first book is The Rules of Civility by Amor Towles. Please contact Deb at dgstaples10@gmail.com if you'd like to be involved.
 
The women of TTN love Art and a third group is forming now. Arts Appreciation groups attend events and showings, usually together, and meet afterwards to talk about what they've seen. The Delaware Valley is rich in Art events and the groups often travel within the Tri-state area to see a wide range of media. As the commercials say, "You're going to love the arts in Philadelphia." Contact Susan Levin at susanmarkerlevin@comcast.net to get in on the ground floor of this new group.
 
TTNers love to eat, too! Some enjoy lunching about town while others get excited about dinner at the newest and trending local restaurants. City Restaurant Group is all about checking out the city's restaurant on a regular basis. An organizational meeting is coming soon so if you're a foodie and want to join others who are, too, let Susan Levin know at susanmarkerlevin@comcast.net.
Help Power Up TTN!
To reap more benefits from your membership - get involved in the inner workings of our chapter! There are time-limited and/or continuous options for you to explore...
 
Visit our website page - Chapter Opportunities - to learn about specific involvement opportunities.
 
Learn more about the inner workings of our chapter by reading about our committees at or Committees page.
 
Volunteers are the engine of TTN. They organize all the activities, including Transition Peer Groups and Special Interest Groups, and help plan the numerous events that bring our members together.
 
By getting involved, you'll:
  • Make new friends and expand your TTN relationships
  • Take on a challenge and use your special know-how, skills and talents
  • Have fun while making a positive difference in the lives of other TTN members
Pitch in and help! Contact Pam Rudman (Pamrz607@gmail.com ) to get more information and/or express your interest.