Dedicated to community service
Posted on Sunday, October 5, 2008
Photograph submitted In assembly-line fashion, members of the Altrusa Club put labels in dictionaries, preparing them to be presented to third-graders. Shown are, from left, Catherine Maxey, Helen Slaymaker and Carolyn Lacey, and in front, at right, is Paula Youens.
At each noon meeting, the members of the Bentonville-Bella Vista Altrusa club recite this prayer before beginning the meeting "For this food before us spread For our steps in safety led For thy favor on our way Lord, accept our thanks today."
This is the sixth year that Altrusa Bentonville-Bella Vista has provided dictionaries to every third-grader in the Bentonville, Pea Ridge and Gravette school districts, along with the Literacy Council of Benton County. That adds up to 1, 600 dictionaries.
In 1977, Altrusa became the first volunteer service group to adopt literacy as one of its primary focuses. "Action for Literacy"is the title of Altrusa's philanthropic emphasis on literacy. Hundreds of literacy councils throughout the country have benefited from Altrusa's commitment to them. Along with promoting literacy, Altrusa club members enjoy helping communities in other ways.
Altrusa International Inc. is an international network of executives and professionals in diversified career classifications, dedicated to improving their communities through personal service. In their local clubs, members unite their varied talents in service to others. Altrusa is recognized internationally for the significant contributions of its clubs and members.
The Bentonville-Bella Vista club meets at noon twice monthly. The club often invites interesting speakers to present programs about various topics. Steve Cooper, chairman of the performing arts department at Northwest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville, was a recent presenter. He showed beautiful pictures of his 2007 pilgrimage through Italy, France and Spain. Cooper entertained his audience by recalling fascinating people he met and places he visited during his 2, 000-mile walk.
To fund the annual dictionary project, Altrusa members hold a spaghetti dinner each year. On Oct. 9, at the First United Methodist Church of Bentonville, dinner will be served at the church from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Carry-out dinners can be picked up from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets are $ 6 for adults and $ 3. 50 for children.
Tickets may be purchased from any Bentonville-Bella Vista Altrusa club member. For tickets or more information about the spaghetti dinner, call Charlotte Fisher at (479 ) 876-5128 or Lynda Krysl at (479 ) 876-2102.
Two members of Altrusa, Suzanne Webb and Susan Ford, also serve on the advisory council of the Literacy Council of Benton Count. The women recently delivered cases of dictionaries to the Literacy Council.
Vicki Ronald, executive director of the Literacy Council, said she's delighted to receive the books.
"Providing dictionaries is a wonderful project, and we certainly benefit from it," Ronald explained. "When you hand a new student a new book, their eyes light up."
Other services provided by Altrusa International of Bentonville-Bella Vista include charitable holiday giving. Each year, the club donates to a local charity. In addition, members conduct the Trade-A-Book Project, which allows children to bring in their old books to exchange for new ones. Club members mentioned how they have enjoyed watching children explore their interests through reading.
In the brochure of the Bentonville-Bella Vista chapter of Altrusa, it is emphatically stated: "We are a group of blessed women who make a difference each and every time we put our minds to it."
Any woman who lives in Bentonville or Bella Vista and is interested in meeting people and becoming more involved with the community is invited to join Altrusa club members at noon on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at The River Grill Steakhouse, 1003 Mc-Clain Road in Bentonville.
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