March 2025 Volume 9, Issue 3

CFWC AND GFWC


The California Federation of Women’s Clubs is a statewide non-profit service organization, and the General Federation of Women’s Clubs is a non-profit international organization. Both are dedicated to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service.


Please send articles, questions, and corrections to Editor Peg Boortz at editor@womansclubofindio.org.

Hello WCI Sisters!


This past month has been filled with fundraiser preparations and various volunteer events. Thank you to everyone for volunteering your time and donating when you can. 


We have an exciting day ahead on Saturday as we host our annual fundraiser, and I can’t wait to see everyone’s costumes! If you haven't yet made your meal choice selections or finalized your ticket purchase, please contact me or our trusty treasurer, Claire. Today is the deadline and yet, we would be happy to find a way to accommodate a few more guests because, A Little Party Never Hurt Nobody!


Just a few days later, we will gather again for our March general meeting. This month, our speaker is from the Indio Police Department and will be giving a K9 handler demonstration. Additionally, we'll be collecting items for Easter baskets. We have plenty of baskets, we just need things to put in it. Marcia Daniels has written a detailed article about the needs. Please also take a moment to read Barbara Fairbairn's article about the Blue Pinwheel imitative. A little help goes a very long way to ensuring children's safety.


On St. Patrick’s Day, the Temecula Valley Woman’s Club will host our next De Anza District Conference on March 17. Please note that the registration deadline is March 5, the day of our next general meeting. Just down below is a picture of the Call to Meeting. Simply click on that picture to register to attend that event. Remember, we carpool to all District conferences, so there's no need to worry about transportation.


Finally, we are aware of the glitches that have occurred with accessing our website over the past few weeks. Our web host, Charity Advantage, is investigating why it's happening. If you haven't registered for our meeting next week, click here to do so.


When I think about what our club accomplishes on an average month, I'm reminded of how strong we are when we set goals, stay focused, and get things done. Our fundraising efforts are a terrific example of our resolve to raise funds and then use those funds to improve our community. Amazing! I look forward to seeing you on Saturday. Until then, remember:


Nothing is impossible. The word itself says, “I’m possible!”

– Audrey Hepburn


With Joy,



Sylvia Baran

President@womansclubofindio.org



Coming Events


FEBRUARY:

27th: Board Meeting via Zoom, 6:00 p.m.


28th: Fundraiser decorating at HP, 10:00 a.m.


MARCH:

1st: Fundraiser, 10:00 a.m.


5th: General Meeting, 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. 

Guest Speaker from Indio Police K-9 Unit

Collection: small items for Easter baskets.


10th: Deadline for Photography Contest entries


17th: De Anza District Conference, Temecula, 9:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m.


17th: Deadline for Arts & Crafts Contest entries


22nd: CVRM Meal Prep, 10:00 a.m. to noon.

Save the Date


April 2: General Meeting, Dinner, 5:00–6:30 p.m.


April 5: 68th De Anza Convention, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Hemet


April 12: Spring Basket Assembly, 10:00–noon,


April 15th: Special ESO Meeting: Author of Whispers of Betrayal


April 26: CVRM Meal Prep & Serve, 10:00 to noon.  


May 3rd: Rotary Math Field Day, 8:00 a.m.–noon, John Glenn Middle School, Indio. 

For event details, click here. For officer and chair contact information, click here.

2024 - 2025 Calendar

**We are Just DAYS away!**


We're just four days away from our Great Gatsby Party! All of our plans are coming together nicely and I'm so thankful for everyone's help and dedication to making this event a success. The program for the luncheon is really going to be fun and I can't wait. We have a couple of meetings to hold before our event (check-in/registration and wine surprise) and we will be in touch with those members directly. The only other "meeting" we have is:


- Decorating for the Party: Friday, February 28th, at 10:00 a.m. at Heritage Palms.


The HOPE members will be attending our fundraiser and will be on hand to break down and clean up the room after the fundraiser; that is very appreciated. Please come by on Friday to help get the rooms ready. Team work makes dream work!


I hope to see you all soon!


Thanks,


Dawn Gummer

programs@womansclubofindio.org

Click on the image to register for this event. The deadline to register is March 5th.


Interested in Volunteering?


You've come to the right place! WCI is dedicated to serving our community and we like to say that our business is volunteering. We have a list of nonprofit organizations we support with contact information for learning more about them. Volunteers are always needed and genuinely forever appreciated.

Who We Support

HELP WANTED -- Health and Wellness Committee chairperson to oversee activities that current committee members already coordinate. Contact health@womansclubofindio.org for more information.


HELP WANTED -- Newsletter Editor. If you believe our newsletter is crucial to our club's well-being and would like to preserve its high standards by enhancing articles with user-friendly Grammarly, contact Peg Boortz at editor@womansclubofindio.org for more information.

The DV prevention committee has selected two impactful projects for this year. 



First, we are launching the “Blue Pinwheel” Garden project for Child Abuse Prevention Month in April. We will assemble blue pinwheels and plant them in a local elementary school’s garden. A sign highlighting the importance of protecting our children will also be among the pinwheels.


Our second project will be to create little gift bags for female graduating seniors going to college. As we are all aware, most assaults on college campuses go unreported. Inside this little bag will be a combination flashlight and rape whistle/siren that can be attached to a purse, backpack, or belt loop. Also included in the bag is the 1-800 number for the national helpline if she feels she is in danger, along with the two-digit text number to notify the authorities. 


A sample of both will be shown at the next WCI meeting in March. If each member could donate $5 or $10 (or anything they can afford), that would be helpful, as our budget will not cover expenses. Please donate through our website or slip a check or cash in the envelopes provided at the back table and give them to our treasury team. 


Thank you so much for your generosity. You are all appreciated more than you know. Together, we can make a difference in a child’s or young woman's life.


With gratitude,


Barbara Fairbairn

Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse Prevention Chair

Springtime is almost here, and with it comes our Annual Spring Easter Basket Project. We hope to assemble 300 baskets for children at the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission in Indio and the Galilee Center in Mecca. The number of baskets made is dependent on the donations received. There are two separate ways for members to participate in this JOYFUL ACTIVITY. 


First, all members are invited to donate kid-sized items (see list below) that would FIT IN A TYPICAL CHILD-SIZED EASTER BASKET:***


  • Bubbles, Handheld Games, Small-sized Activity Books, Action/Doll Figures         
  • Small Books, Handheld Puzzles, Small-sized Coloring Books, Small Jump Ropes 
  • Stickers, Handheld Toys, Balls & Jacks, Play Dough
  • Plastic Eggs, filled or unfilled, Card Games, Healthy Wrapped Treats (no hard candy)          
  • Art Supplies (e.g., drawing pads, crayons, markers, paint, brushes, art kits)

     

***Please note that we already have enough unfilled baskets and bunnies for this year's assembly and distribution. If you are donating items, please choose from the list shown above. Any additional baskets and bunnies received will still go to CVRM and Galilee Center but will not be part of the 300 Basket Assembly Project. 


All in-kind donations can be brought to the March 5th General Meeting, or you can send or drop off your items to Marcia Daniels, 39575 Calle Zavala, Indio. We also welcome monetary donations directly on the WCI website (click here) or brought to the Treasurer, Claire Whitney, at the March 5th Meeting. Note on your checks "for Easter Basket Project," and we will HOPPILY shop for you!


Second, members are needed to assist with planning and setting up this event. Please consider helping this one time. If you can help in any way before or on the day of the event, contact health@womansclubofindio.org, or you can sign up at the March 5th General Meeting.


And finally, BIG THANK YOUS to our members who gathered on February 8th to make 157 Valentine cards for folks at the Desert Mountain Care Center and the Indio Senior Center, and BIG THANK YOUS to our members who gathered on February 15th to assemble 308 hygiene kits for homeless people in Indio and Mecca. WCI VOLUNTEER SPIRIT AND FELLOWSHIP IS AMAZING!!


For questions regarding the above, please contact health@womansclubofindio.org.

Celebrating the Galilee Center's Expanded Shelter

Susan Everett, Project Champion 


On January 11, 2025, over 200 community members celebrated the grand opening of the expanded Our Lady of Guadalupe Shelter at the Galilee Center in Mecca. This 6,000-square-foot expansion doubles the shelter's capacity from 75 to 150 beds, featuring secure accommodations for men and women, a remodeled kitchen, and additional office space for staff members. With these upgrades, the Galilee team is excited to enhance its outreach programs and provide a broader range of essential services to those in need.


Martha Olvera, Assistant Director of Operations, greeted me this morning at the Galilee Center. She was very appreciative of our donations. This year, WCI filled the bin with even more hygiene kits! 

Volunteer ID Now Needed at CVRM

Learn More!


Volunteer Spirit


Three cheers for Amelia Calderon, Lupita Castellanos, Project Champion Susan Everett, and her husband, John Everett, who attended the grand opening of the expanded Our Lady of Guadalupe Shelter at the Galilee Center on January 11th.


A round of applause, please, for Marcia Meakim, who took on the responsibility for the card-making workshops. She donated her paper and stickers for making Valentine cards for the residents at Desert Mountain Care Center on March 8th. We apologize for losing the list of crafty members who created 157 cards, of which 100 went to DMCC and 57 to the Indio Senior Center.


Take a bow, no, make that 308 bows, Health and Wellness Chair Pro Tem Marcia Daniels, Mary Akhigbe, Lana Bathen, Peg Boortz, Janet Braslow, Ellen Cafferata, Shelley Diemer, Candy Dravage, Susan Everett, Peggy Mathieson, Maria Menard, Bobbi Morris, Past President Mickie Reed, Pat Ruth, Barb Thomas, and Elizabeth Waaler for filling 308 hygiene baggies for the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission and Galilee Center in record time on February 15th.

MAKING WOMAN’S HISTORY OUR HISTORY

It’s Your Turn!


Please add your autobiography to the others our members create by filling out the form on our website. You deserve to be remembered for your life outside the club and your participation as a member. Go to WCIndio.org


  • Click on About Us in the top menu.
  • Click on Our History in the dropdown menu.
  • Scroll down to the biography questions. 
  • The questions are just above the blue club photo.
  • Write as much or as little as you like.

Each month, we post photos of the Woman's Club of Indio events and activities grouped by event. We hope you enjoy them. If you have photos you would like to include in the newsletter photo gallery, please send them to editor@womansclubofindio.org. Thank you.



CVRM Gallery
Galilee Gallery
Hygiene Workshop
Mickie at Carlsbad 
February Meeting
camera.jpg


Say Cheese! 

CFWC Photography Contest 


The annual photography contest is one of our most popular events. It’s time to look through your photos and choose a favorite or two, three or four, to enter the competition. The contest winners will be announced at the De Anza District Conference on Monday, March 17th, in Temecula. 


Basic requirements you need to know:


  1. Photos must have been taken in 2024.
  2. You may enter one picture in each category.
  3. Send your entry in digital form to Laureen Pedroza at Laureenartandphotography@gmail.com. A Creative Arts Waiver must accompany your entry.
  4. The deadline for submitting your entry to Laureen is Monday, March 10th.
  5. Your photo will be sent to the state competition if you win.


For the photography show in Temecula, you have two choices for displaying your photo.


  1. Send your photo to Laureen Pedrosa (see #3 above). It will be shown on a laptop, rotating with other photos.
  2. Send your photo to Laureen Pedrosa as requested (see #3 above) and also mount your high-resolution photo on an 8”x10” rigid board similar to Styrofoam, no thicker than ⅜”. Office Max, Staples, etc., can do this for you. Your mounted photo will be placed on an easel for all to admire.


Click below for more requirements, categories, Creative Arts Waiver, and labels.

Photo Contest

DE ANZA DISTRICT ARTS AND CRAFTS CONTEST


The Arts and Crafts Contest will be held at the De Anza District Convention on Saturday, April 5th, in Hemet. Last year, our members took home ribbons - let’s do that again! 

  • Send a good photograph of your entry and an Entry Form to Laureen Pedroza at Laureenartandphotography@gmail.com by March 17th.
  • The Entry Form lists the categories and directions, and the Entry Labels are attached below.
  • All items must have been created in 2024.
  • If you cannot attend the convention, someone who is going will gladly take your entry for you.
Entry Form
Arts and Crafts Labels

Why read one newsletter when you can enjoy two? Our sister clubs have plenty going on and like to share their news!

  Elsinore   
Corona

 Brought to you by the talented WCI Editorial Staff:

Peg Boortz & Dona LaFrance

www.WCIndio.org

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