This week’s Friday Morning Message: Memorial Day | June Luncheon & Reservations | YOTO Cookbook | Transition Scholarship | Honor Flight #23 | Gift Bags for Homeless Vets | Female Homeless Vet Needs | Colors of Cancer 2018 Fashion Show | WGHS Senior Honors Night | Upcoming Events

MEMORIAL DAY

TWOQC will be laying a wreath during the Memorial Day service that begins at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, May 29 (the official date for Memorial Day) at Green Valley Mortuary and Cemetery, 18751 S. La Cañada Drive. «map»

This year our own Laura Colbert will be doing the honor of laying the wreath. All are invited to the cemetery to pay respects to those veterans who have gone before us. It is recommended that you bring a lawn chair in case they run out of chairs.

SUMMER LUNCHEON IN JUNE

Reservations can not be accepted after June 19th!

• The luncheon is Monday, June 26.
• Doors and bar open at 11:00. Program will begin at 11:30.
• Only TWOQC members and first-time guests will be sold seating at $20 each.
• The program will be a vintage fashion show by the «VIGILETTES» from Tombstone, AZ.
• The luncheon menu will be: tomato-filled with chicken salad, rosemary rolls, and for dessert: ice cream with caramel sauce/whipped cream/rolled wafer cookie. Specialty drinks are vintage cocktails at $4 each: Tom Collins, and Cuba Libre.

Please contact Nancy Jacobs at «events@womenqc.com» for reservations or you may use the «ONLINE RESERVATION FORM».

If emailing Nancy, include: names of all members and first-time guests that you will be paying for at the time of purchase. 

When reserving seats/tables, please refer to this Seating Chart Layout (click chart to enlarge, or view the same «SEATING CHART in PDF»). 

The seating chart that you will view is setup to seat 300. We will not have that many members attending so tables will be arranged to allow everyone a good view of the stage, and no one will be against a wall.

All seats/tables put “on hold” must be paid for within five (5) days of the Hold Request. «ONLINE RESERVATION FORM». 

TWOQC NEEDS HELP CREATING COOKBOOK FOR YOUTH ON THEIR OWN

If you already know anything about Youth On Their Own (YOTO), you may be wondering why a ‘homeless” person needs a cookbook. Let’s talk about what homelessness means for YOTO. For most of us, having a home means stability and when we were growing up it meant having parents there to provide food, love, and guidance. For YOTO students, over 1,600 of them this past school year, that stable home life does not exist. A roof is over their heads but that roof may change frequently as the young person moves from friend to friend, relative to relative, or foster home to foster home. Yet, these young people, through the help and support they get from YOTO, stay in school and graduate.  

Among the many things YOTO students can access because of their affiliation with YOTO is a mini-mall/pantry. This mini-mall can provide up to 10 lbs. of food to a YOTO student each week. Coming up with new ways to prepare the limited pantry items is not easy for most teenagers so The Women of Quail Creek is working to create a basic cookbook using items typically available from the YOTO pantry.

That’s why we need your help. We need recipes that are easy to follow, are non-cook or require only a microwave, and use «ITEMS FROM THIS LIST» that are always available in the YOTO pantry. 

YOTO does often grant “gift card requests” to students ($25 gift cards) throughout the school year, and many students report using these funds to purchase fresh food such as produce, milk, eggs, etc. Some recipes can include useful tips on ways to spice up a dish if a student has extra funds available and could purchase 1-2 extra ingredients with their own money to enhance the meal.

The cookbook will be available at YOTO’s Student Success Center and may become available online. We will be working with Diego Coronado, an AmeriCorps Volunteer for YOTO who has already worked on other nutritional information that we will include.

If you have a recipe that fits our needs, please send it to «yotocookbook@womenqc.com» by July 1. We will be using only first names of recipe authors in the publication.

TWOQC’s secretary, Sue Obremski, was part of a recent NEWS4 Tucson KVOA interview regarding the break-in at YOTO and the donations they have received. View the «BROADCAST».

“WOMEN IN TRANSITION” … a New Scholarship Offer

Recently TWOQC Scholarship Committee announced a new offer. A $1,000 award will be given to a woman at least 21-years old and at a transition point in her life. A “transition point” is characterized by the following situations:  a single mother, a displaced homemaker, a formerly homeless veteran, a married woman, a woman entering the workforce. The broad definition is intended to capture women who have specific goals that will put them on track for creating a productive future. The scholarship will provide financial aid to help secure a certificate or degree, to increase job skills, or to acquire a new job skill. It will support her transition to a new life.

The committee has been busy contacting various agencies to promote the scholarship. We have met with representatives from the Community Food Bank, Valley Assistance, Hands of a Friend, VA, Pima and Santa Cruz County Libraries, numerous churches, KGVY, La Posada Connect, and the Sahuarita City Council. In all cases, we have been eagerly received. We know there is a need and are hoping for a good response to our newest scholarship. SUBMISSION DEADLINE: May 30.

HONOR FLIGHT #23

If you want your letters or notes included for the Honor Flight #23 in September please start writing now. The first 25 names may be viewed from this «LINK». The next 50 are not available as yet, however, you may address your letters to “Dear Hero.” The “Mail Call” (secret) is one of the highlights of the trip. Please consider writing to the veterans to thank them for their service and to honor them.

Please bring all letters to the July 31^st TWOQC program for Kay Robinson or you may deliver them to Kay’s home at 898 N. Kenneth Drive no later than August 15. «map»

Thank you to the Quilt Covey for generously making and donating 50 lap quilts to the veterans on this Honor Flight.

For any questions you may contact Kay at «honorflight@womenqc.com».

GIFT BAGS FOR HOMELESS VETERANS

Thanks to all who brought gift bags to the program on Monday. Such generosity is appreciated to help those who served and have fallen on rough times. The homeless program coordinator at the VA was so pleased to get the items geared to summer. Also, thanks to those who donated the cash totaling $50 at our last program. 

If anyone would like a receipt for tax purposes, please contact Peggy at «pjmcgee@cox.net», giving her the value of the bag and what it contained. Include the address to which the receipt should be mailed. She will get the information submitted to the VA.

In the photo, Jodi Frederick, Homeless Program Coordinator, looks over the gift bags delivered by Peggy McGee.

FEMALE HOMELESS VETERANS NEEDS

There is going to be a stand-down for Homeless Veterans in Tucson on June 13. This is sponsored by a lot of different service organizations to include the VA. Although the VA is currently not accepting most female attire, the organizers have identified some items they could use for this event:

Career: suits, dress slacks, blouses, skirts, shoes, handbags
Casual wear: slacks, jeans, shorts, t-shirts, hats, shoes, rain gear, light weight jackets

If anyone has any of the listed items, they may be dropped off at Peggy McGee’s house at 1908 E. Longspur Place by June 3. «map»

2018 FASHION SHOW

The theme for the February 7th Fashion Show next year is Colors of Cancer. Each cancer has been assigned a color and perhaps the most well-known is pink for breast cancer. Next year the colors of cancer will fill the ballroom and with the efforts of TWOQC and Relay for Life — we can make a difference! 

Planning and tasks are being completed in this hot summertime in order to be ready for our February event. If you would like to help in any way, please contact «fashionshow@womenqc.com» or fill out the online «VOLUNTEER FORM».

WGHS SENIOR HONORS NIGHT 2017

On May 15, Pat Neel, Scholarship Chair, and I attended the Walden Grove High School’s Senior Honors Night program. The celebratory presentation was nothing less than inspiring.

The thank-you note we received for attending and for TWOQC’s support of their seniors may be found on the «2017 THANK YOU NOTES» page.

SAVE THE DATE – Clothing Drive for Homeless Veterans

Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 21. That’s the day of the annual clothing drive for homeless veterans. As the date gets closer, we will let you know about their specific needs.

Save These Dates — UPCOMING EVENTS

• June 26 – 11:00 a.m. ::: Summer Luncheon & Fashion Show (Tombstone Vigilettes), and 11:30 a.m. ::: Women in Transition Scholarship Award @ Summer Luncheon
• July 31 – 6:30 p.m. ::: JEOPARDY!
• August 28 – 6:30 p.m. ::: Skincare (Rebecca, Continental Spa)
• September 25 – 6:30 p.m. ::: YOTO (Kristyn Connor)
• 2018: Wednesday, February 7 ::: Fashion Show (featuring Dillard’s apparel) 

♦–♦–♦–♦–♦–♦–♦ 

• Download and print: «Schedule of Events»
• Check the «Calendar of Events» for committee meetings, events reservation dates, & other deadline dates
• Questions? Email Kathe, Programs Chair: «programs@womenqc.com»

Follow us on social media:  «Facebook.com/twoqc»