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Members,
Thank you, thank you, thank you for supporting A Night at the Met! The Finance Committee is crunching the numbers and we look forward to presenting the results at the May General Meeting. Given the generous support of our sponsors, brisk ticket sales, and active auction donors and bidders I expect we will be pleased with our efforts.
I want to again thank VP of Events Heather Rees for turning my vision into an event and VP of Auction Pat Iaffaldano for dotting the i's and crossing the t's for a successful auction. Thanks you to Lynn Thompson and Cynthia Barr as well, unofficial cochairs who worked behind the scenes to help execute the event. On behalf of myself, Pat, and Heather, we appreciate everyone who helped with setup, check-in/check-out, and cleanup.
As this year draws to a close a few events remain to come together as friends and volunteers. In addition to the May General Meeting, there is a Jr Yoga Social on April 4 and an opportunity to volunteer at City of Refuge April 6 for Spring Fling. Several of our regular volunteers are not available for Spring Fling; if you have thought about volunteering but have not done so now is the time!
At this point in the year I feel like I'm revisiting thoughts I have shared before, but perhaps they are worth repeating. The work of The Circle as an all volunteer organization can be challenging yet remains valuable as a way to multiply our time, talents, and treasures in serving at risk GA children. The needs can feel daunting at times yet every child helped chips away at the collective suffering brought on by poverty and family trauma, bringing light into the darkness. There is purpose in our effort to support children in need.
As Edward Phillips, Director of Development at City of Refuge, noted at our gala, kids benefit from seeing the possibility of life being different from what they know and have experienced. The safety of a warm bed and consistency of 3 meals a day create stability from which they can start to explore their interests and imagine a different future. A different future is what our scholarship recipients see when they attend college or technical school even though family finances are limited or non-existent and they are often the first in their family to pursue education beyond high school. We can make a difference, one kid at time, helping to open possibilities for the future.
It is easy to drive around the City of Refuge neighborhood and think it will always be plagued by poverty, but that is what many Georgians thought about Tallulah Falls Gorge 100 years ago. The founders of The Circle were optimistic and undeterred and so should we be.
Thank you for your support and generosity,
Belinda Vogel
President
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