News – March 2008
March 27, 2008
UNIFEM International Women’s Day Breakfast
The following SI Helena members, Kim Kennedy, Naomi Allan, Berenice Ritchie, Rosalie Gordon, Robyn Cain and Margaret Purchase, attended the International Women’s Day Breakfast. Berenice invited 3 guests, Lyn Harris, organizer from the Zig Zag Festival and 2 owners of Curves Fitness Clubs. Rosalie escorted the two students from Swan View SHS.
Mrs Julie Michael, wife of the WA Governor opened the breakfast.
1st speaker was Melanie Hawke – a young disabled women and her assistance dog “Gordie”. Melanie spoke about life issues for the disabled and Assistance Dogs Australia.
2nd speaker was Melissa Parke, the new Federal member for Fremantle, who was previously a human rights lawyer to the United Nations. She made several references to particular quotes throughout her address but this one could only have come from a women and goes something like this, “Don’t wait for the light at the end of the tunnel, walk down and turn the bloody thing on yourself”.
Programme Focus Report for SOS Day
March 17, 2008
| Project Title: | Special Morning Tea for elderly dementia specific high-care residents |
| Project Partner: | Greenmount Gardens Aged Care Facility |
| Type: | Continuing Project / Programme |
| Service Area: | - Human Rights / Status of Women - Health |
| What: | Members of SI Helena cooked special foods for Dementia Specific residents at the local aged care facility and then assisted in an activities session playing cards and board games with the clients. |
| Why: | For SOS day 2007, Helena members provided a BBQ at this facility. This year the Occupational Therapist suggested having an Activities Morning Tea as this would be popular and helpful to the facility staff. We considered this a useful way to help at the local level as the residents received individual attention enjoying the participation by local community people. The staff provided beverages. |
| How: | Members cooked the special cakes, scones and other foods for the residents and spent time at the facility with them. |
| Results: | It was a rewarding time, easy to arrange and to carry out. Altogether it took some personal time to prepare the foods. We then spent an hour enjoying games and entertainment with the 18 Dementia Specific clients. They seemed to enjoy morning tea and the games. It didn’t cost us much. Six of us gave a mere 2.5 hours of our Saturday of Service to bring a lot of enjoyment to local elderly people. |
| Recommendations: | Although the elderly are not encompassed, per se, in the Programme Focus goals and objectives, we feel that the Quadrennial Focus Goal “Women will have optimal mental and physical health throughout their lives” does not end with ones’ working life, and that “increased tolerance and understanding” is something that is often overlooked with the elderly. |
Darlington Review – March 2008
Many thanks to all who donated linen for our project supporting the woman’s refuge in the Kimberley region. Kerry was over whelmed with items. SI of Helena was able to send six packing boxes of linen to refuge.
SOS day – Saturday of Service. Several members of SI Helena went to Greenmount gardens where we provided and served morning tea. After serving the food we spent time interacting with the residents, talking and playing board-games.
At our February meeting we had Susan Lees from the Beacon Foundation to talk to use about the work the Beacon Foundation does on mentoring and the training and linking of mentors with students. The focus is on careers and the program is aimed at students in year 10 who are undecided as to what direction they should take.
At the AGM of Soroptimist International of Western Australia our member Naomi Allan took on the position of Co-ordinator of International Goodwill and Understanding for WA.
With the Conference of Clubs coming up in June we are looking at ways to raise money to increase funds in our conference fund. We held a Mah Jong afternoon. Members who attended had a great time twittering the tiles, building walls, goolashing and trying for the very elusive Mah Jong. Our hostess Berenice finally had a Mah Jong, the last of the of the afternoon.
Planning is underway for our big fund raiser of the year the Fashion Parade which will be held on 18 May. More information to come.
The members of SI Helena are very excited about the launch of our own web site, which should be ready very shortly to go live. Thanks to Naomi for all her work building the site and fine tuning it.
If you would like to join our club or just come along to see what we do. Please contact Rosalie Gordon on 92994671. We meet on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at the Foothills Learning Centre, Edney Road. High Wycombe. At 7pm.
Fay Kappler. Publicity Officer. Post Office Box 1181, Kalamunda, 6076.
