March 2023 Newsletter

To give aid and encouragement in promoting the education and welfare of at-risk children in the state of Georgia.

It’s March and that means you should have already or be about to RSVP for our Night at the Met Gala. Our gala auction is our primary fundraising event of the year and charitable giving is our primary mission as an organization.

To help at risk Georgia children we need to raise money for the Linda Gross Memorial Scholarship fund and this year’s beneficiary City of Refuge. City of Refuge serves children in many ways including shelter for the homeless, low cost family housing, day care, preschool, and after school programs. There are also numerous wrap around programs for the kids, including medical care, and for their parents, including job training.

The 2022 City of Refuge annual report includes a page about Ryleigh, a 2nd grader who was relieved to find the stability of three meals a day when she arrived to the community campus and developed new interests in the City Kids program. As the program manager describes it, Ryleigh can be a normal kid at City of Refuge.

All kids should be able to just be a kid, free from worrying about the uncertainty of their circumstances and sheltered from family and community trauma. We can’t help every kid and even kids who receive help will experiencing suffering, but we can make a difference. We can ease the burden that at risk children carry at even tender ages and help create a path for them to more stable adult lives.

Our commitment to hope and possibility is woven through the long history of The Circle. This year we channel the hope and possibility into A Night at the Met. I hope to see you there.

Belinda Vogel

President

2023 GALA

A NIGHT AT THE MET

Ladies,

The time is NOW! A Night at the Met will be a wonderful philanthropic celebration benefitting The City Of Refuge. Please email Heatherrees27@gmail.com if you did not receive your invitation in the mail. We are asking that each member invite two additional people to the event. You can email Heather with the number of extra invitations you would like. This is how we work to fundraise for our cause.

The Sponsorship Packet is downloadable by clicking here. If you would like an emailed pdf version or a hard copy to give to people who may want the opportunity to support The City of Refuge, please email heatherreees27@gmail.com.

Together we will make a difference in the lives of at-risk children in Georgia in 2023.

Purchase Your Gala Tickets

GALA AUCTION

Attention Auction Donors!

The Big Day is fast approaching and there's a lot of work to be done to prepare for the silent auction portion of the evening. Please drop off your baskets, certificates, etc. to Pat Iaffaldano as soon as possible. Early next week is a must!

Deliver to Pat's house: 4364 Classic Links Court, Marietta, 30067

phone 678-371-3534

Thanks for all you've done to gather a huge variety of awesome items!

Click Here to Sign Up for an Acution Basket

RECENT EVENTS

WINTER GENERAL MEETING

Members gathered at Cherokee Town Club for our annual winter meeting. During the luncheon we were treated to a Dillard's Fashion Refresh presentation!

CITY OF REFUGE

Have you heard? City of Refuge's latest Annual Report just dropped, and it's full of incredible stories and stats highlighting the transformation you helped bring about in 2022.

What’s inside the 2022 Annual Report:

A message from City of Refuge founder and CEO Bruce Deel
COR Breaking Barriers. Building Momentum. Capital Campaign
Bringing Justice to A Young Mom Named Justice
How the Tech Academy Transformed Joel’s Life and Career
How the After-school Program Helped a Second-Grader Blossom
Impact metrics
Financials

Click Here to Download the City of Refuge Annual Report

New year, new chances to make an impact!

Register for the 2023 Refuge Run 5k taking place on March 18, 2023, and run shoulder to shoulder with us through Atlanta's historic westside as we bring light, hope, and transformation to the surrounding community.

Whether you walk, run, or participate virtually, your race will impact several people transitioning out of crisis on our campus. Register now and together we can change lives!

SCHOLARSHIP

We received a note from one of our Scholars, Jasmine, who is in her first year at Emory University. Jasmine graduated from Harrison High School in 2022, which she attended utilizing the Cobb school choice program. She grew up in a low income family and one of her parents only attended school through 8th grade. Her passion for learning led her to navigate the school choice process and to assemble a patchwork of scholarships to cover the costs of attending Emory where she is studying Psychology with plans to attend medical school. Jasmine wrote:

"I am consistently seeking to gain more knowledge than what’s above the surface, learning from my environment. I follow my dreams, laying the seeds for others to follow. Emory has definitely played an instrumental part in my journey. Being encouraged to seek academic and personal success has helped broaden my perspectives. I’ve joined a variety of clubs ranging from Makeup Club to the Red Cross association. Recently, I was also accepted into a mentorship program where I have the opportunity to shadow physicians! As a pre-med this is highly beneficial as I start looking into fields I might one day turn into a career. Again, I thank Circle for Children members as they’ve made focusing solely on academics easier without the stress of worrying about financials. I am extremely grateful. Thank you."

MEMBERSHIP

Our artist completed 3 panels of colorful art at Devereux. They painted 3 separate panels of famous art pieces the children selected. This completes the Circle for children’s remodeling project.

Our thanks again to our talented artist Cindy Fox, Nancy Armstrong and Adrienne Rodden!

Access the Directory online with new Password! The directory of active Circle members can now be viewed on our website.

For the privacy of all members, the directory is password protected. You can access the directory under the membership tab on the website.

Alyson Horn Feb 3

Chantelle Noble Feb 7

Janie Kissling Feb 8

Natalie Bode Feb 9

Pam Jordan Feb 10

Debbie Cohan Feb 19

Belinda Vogel Feb 28

TriciaLeuallen March 1

CarolynPolakowski March 17

KonniMinter March 26

Doris Van Wagenen March 29

CharleneRowe March 30

If your birthday (month and day) is not in the Circle directory, please email that information. We would love to acknowledge that special day.

Circle Celebration Fund

Can't think of a gift for a friend? Consider donating to the Circle Celebration Fund in their name. A lovely acknowledgment will be sent to the honoree informing them of the donation you made in their name. Please contact thecircle4children@gmail.com if you would like to donate.

Circle Correspondence

Please send any Circle Correspondence to thecircle4children@gmail.com for announcements of births, loss of loved ones, outstanding events or illnesses. Please include the individual's address so the corresponding secretary can send the appropriate correspondence. Also, indicate if the information should be posted in the newsletter.

*THERE ARE NEW INSTRUCTIONS FOR SIGNING UP FOR KROGER COMMNITY REWARDS*

Kroger Community Rewards will donate a portion of your grocery purchase total to The Circle for Children.Please sign up for a Kroger Card the next time you're grocery shopping and link it to The Circle for Children.

To link your Kroger card go to www.kroger.com and login to access "My Account". Under "Community" select "Community Awards" then click the "link card" button. Then, search for "The Circle for Children" or enter number, CX636. You can also call Kroger at 1-800-562-4438 and they will sign you up over the phone.

The Circle for Children | circle4children.org