It's National Muffin Day and the members went all out baking and  delivering 27 dozen muffins to those in the communities who deserve to be recognize for all they do year after year.

Left to right::  Altrusa President Sylvia Detscher, Jim staff member of Carey House and Altrusa member Judy Hodges.



We did not forget our men and women in Blue.  

Here between Altrusa members Barbara Goren and Judy Hodges is Officer Eihorn of the Meredith Police Department.


Delivering muffins to New Beginnings 

Left to right:  Past President Kathy LaPoint, A New Beginnings staff member, President Sylvia Detscher and 1st Vice President MaryAnne Skawinski.


This wonderful group of folks are from the Isiah 61 Cafe' accepting many dozens of muffins form Altrusa members.

IT'S ALL ABOUT DECKING THE HALLS AND ALL AROUND THE TOWN!

Helping the Meredith Chamber of Commerce decorate the outside of their office are left to right:  Former President Carol Gerken, Chamber Staff Stephanie Whiting, 1st Vice President MaryAnne Skawinski, and President Sylvia Detscher.


THIS IS THE MODERN DAY "HEAR YE, HEAR YE"


Pictured in the middle between Communications Committee Co-chairs Paula Trombi and Janine Schfino is our web site technical guru Sumner Mills. Sumner is an 8th grade student at Inter-Lakes Middle/ High School.  He made it possible for us to continue our annual fundraiser and 25th Anniversary Festival of Trees virtually.  We thank him for his  technical skills and patience.  

 This young man is just 13 years old and has started his own  business:  bayshorenterprise.com  Some of his clients have included Moulton's Farm and Sal's Fresh Seafood.


TOYS FOR TOTS

Altrusan Kerry Raymond shown with just a few of the 75 toys collected for Toys for Tots

'TIS THE SEASON FOR GIVING

Altrusa members are gathered around one of our "Giving Trees" so named because participants take an ornament off  either tree and make a donation to the non-profits listed on the back.


 Left to right are: Community Service Co-Chair Nancy Law and members Vickie Carty and Vivien Mitchell at the Meredith Hannaford's.


 


       


Community Service Committee members Vivien Mitchell and Kathy LaPoint delivered these brightly colored gift bags filled with all kinds of shower and bath products to  New Beginnings fin Laconia..

"Giving is not just about making a donation.  
It is about making a difference."


Kathy Calvin, CEO and President United Nations Foundation


  

"Laying of the Wreaths"

We wish to recognize the Humble Grunt Work Group for overseeing this endeavor by preparing the wreaths and delivering and plowing access ways throughout the Meredith Center Oakland Cemetery on the Saturday before Christmas 2020.  We Nancy, Linda, Carol and Sylvia were honored to play a small part in tribute to our many heroes from Meredith.


                        "Giving is not about making a donation.  It is about making a difference."  

                                                                                                                         Kathy Calvin, CEO and President United Nations Foundation

Collections of household products for Belknap House on 
                          "Make a Difference Day"

Altrusa members gathered at Jacki Taylor's office.  Left to right: Community Service Committee Co- Chair Nancy Law, Co-Chair Kathy LaPoint, committee members Vivien Mitchell, Jacki Taylor and Connie Van Dam.


.....​and shown here making the delivery to Belknap House are left to right:  Co-Chairs Kathy LaPoint and Nancy Law along with Altrusa President Sylvia Detscher

ALTRUSA SUPPORTS RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE

Here are Pat and  Nancy donating their blood to the Red Cross at St. Charles Church in Meredith​



​Altrusa Receives Donation from 
Maxfield Real Estate's   
"We Care Program"

Left to Right:  Kathy LaPoint, former Altrusa President, Cindy Day, Altrusa Treasurer, and Annie Stanford of Maxfield Real Estate. Missing from the picture is Realtor Lisa Merrill.  Annie & Lisa chose the Meredtih Altrusa Club as their local non-profit, which means they donated 2% of their overall yearly sales commissions our club.

THANK YOU , MAXFIELD REAL ESTATE!
THANK YOU, ANNIE & LISA!

Valentine Treats for Forestview

Adding to the Valentine's Day Fun at Forestview are Vivien Mitchell and Nancy Law delivering candy and Valentine gift bags for both the residents and staff members.  

LUNCH IS SERVED to NEW BEGINNINGS

 Our Community Service  Committee delivered sandwich/wraps to New Beginnings staff and their guests f for or all the  good work that all of them are doing.


Recipients of our 25th Anniversary Festival of Trees

Because of Covid -19 we held a Virtual Festival of  trees and thanks to the public's support and generosity, the following non-profit organization benefited.

 L to R:  Inter-Lakes Elementry School Principal Michael Bryant, ALtrusa "Charity Tree Co-chair Marie Stephens, Altrusa President Sylvia Detscher, ILES Reading Specialist /Project Manager Alesia Parks for Interlakes Christmas Funds, Director and Founder of Isiah 61 Cafe' Dawn Longval,  Ashley Suckling and Liza Epstein for the Inter-Lakes K-12 PTO.


The Altrusa Literacy Committee Christmas Tree

Every year our club has a literacy tree at the Festival of Trees.  The kids can choose any book from under the tree and read it themselves, or an Altrusa member would be very happy to read it to them.  The book is our gift to them so they can continue to read it at home.  Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Our Annual Donation of 

K - Bags

Our Literacy Committee is shown here with the Inter - Lakes Kindergarten staff holding K-bags for incoming kindergartners.  

Altrusa In Action

These pictures depict some of the  service activities we have done for our 

communities over the years .

COMM​UNITY DINNERS FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS

In the spring of 2014, our Community Service Committee had the idea of starting monthly dinners for local residents. It was decided to have a three - month trial that was a big hit and has continued on ever since, currently taking place the 4th Wednesday of each month all year round at the Meredith Community Center, One Circle Drive. Doors open at 5 pm; dinner served at 5:30 pm. 

There is no charge, but donations are appreciated. 

The 2020 schedule has been postponed due to the conditions we are going through at this time.  We do hope you are all healthy and look forward to seeing  you soon.  

ONE OF OUR FIRST COMMUNITY DINNERS

HERE ARE OUR GUESTS!

OUR OWN HEROES

Here's to the Past, Present, and Future 

"Never erase your past, it shapes who you are today, and will help you to be the person you are tomorrow"

by  Ziad K. Abdelnour

These are our ongoing and some of our past activities

2020 Festival of Trees 

This year was to be our 25th Anniversary of our annual Festival of Trees but due to Covid 19 this year it was a little different in that it went Virtual  Hopefully we will be able to get back to normal and have it live as it has been for 24 years.


 Tots Drive

Toys for Tots started in 1941 to collect new and used toys for children. The Marine Corps Reserve Unit is the official group that sponsors the program. It is now an international group. For the last several years, the Marines have collected only new toys. The Toys for Tots logo was  designed by Walt Disney. 

Poetry in Action

Altrusa sponsored a visit by Alice B. Fogel, New 

Hampshire Poet Laureate.  Ms. Vogel instructed the students of Inter-Lakes school district on poetry writing over a two - day period, as well as addressing the community during an evening event.

Scholarships

Awarding Annual Scholarships is our passion.  It's where we can help non-traditional students  continue education in either their current field or start in a new field of endeavor. 

Kindergarten Bags

Each year Meredith Altrusa collaborates with the local schools to create "Welcome to Kindergarten" bags filled with learning activities for incoming Kindergarten students. The bags are given to children at Kindergarten Orientation. 

Got Lunch Program

Members of Altrusa volunteer for this worthy program delivering weekly lunches every Monday, June through August, to qualified families in the area.  We also provide reading material such as  the Junior Scholastic magazines. 
Farm to Table Program

A number of years ago some Altrusan's had an idea for a gleaning new project.  It involved the act of collecting crops from farmers fields.  It was immediately embraced by John Moulton.  John generously agreed to support this project in providing fresh vegetables to the local food pantries and other well-known, non-profit organizations in our area. When it started Altrusans actually picked the veggies in the fields.   Eventually we moved inside and took from that day's picking of vegetables.  Every Tuesday evening's in the summer, Altrusa members box the various vegetables, load their cars and deliver the produce Wednesday morning to local food pantries and other non-profits working to help those in need.

Bobby's Barrels

Each week during the summer, an Altrusan waters and deadheads the planters at the Lake Waukewan boat launch.  We do this to honor the memory  our sister Bobbi Smyth. 

Meredith Community Center's Annual Easter Egg Hunt

We have for many years donated candy and helped fill the plastic eggs for the many kids who love to come and look for them.

Food Drive

We host many food drives.  All items are  donated to the Meredith and Moultonborough Food Pantries.

In conjunction with other non -profits:

  1. Inter-Lakes Elementary School: helping to collect new or gently-used winter clothing

  2.  Meredith Rotary Club: Coordinated with Rotary's Inter-Act program by collecting and donating hundreds of socks for the homeless. 

  3. Golden View:  Hosting teas, making and delivering May baskets to the residents, talking withresidents and recording their stories for posterity and hiring entertainment for their afternoon pleasure.

  4. Zienzele Foundation:  Selling the beautifully hand made baskets which aid the children who have lost parents through AIDS.  All monies go back to Zimbabwe to cover the school costs for the orphaned children. 
  5. NH State Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen:  In honor of our ​veterans who have kept this country safe, we have volunteered to place an American Flag beside each grave site for the Memorial Day celebration.

  6. Monetary Donations are made to the following non-profit organizations in the Lakes Region.  To name at least a few they are: 
    Inter-Lakes Community Caregivers,     The Circle Program, Turn up the Heat, the Meredith Community Center Summer Camp program, Lakes Region Visiting Nurses, the Salvation Army, Belknap House, Isiah 61Cafe' and Belknap House.

Ben & Jerry's Fundraiser

Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Store in Mill Falls partners with Altrusa and other non-profit organizations by donating a percentage of the sales of a given day to further their initiatives .

Homebound Deliveries

Once a month the a member of the Literacy Committee delivers books to home-bound  patrons of the Meredith Library  and return to the library the previous month's books.

The Pemi-Baker Spelling Bee

Altrusa annually supports the works of the Pemi-Baker Literacy Program that focuses on filling gaps in the literacy needs in the Plymouth area with a volunteer-based tutoring program.  Each year Pemi-Baker hosts a fundraising spelling bee and Altrusa has enthusiastically supported this event with a financial donations and club teams, all in costume with creative names to match, such as: Stellar Spellers, Dalmatian Spellers, Siskateer Spellers and the Spelling Bees.





​OUR SPRING/SUMMER MASK PROJECT TEAM

DONATING BOOKS AROUND THE WORLD

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