August in Houston:
It's Hot
August is usually our hottest month, so please be sure to stay cool, and keep cool water in hand when out and about in this heat.
UPCOMING EVENTS

Save the Date
and
Mark Your Calendars for Friday,
Sept. 14, 10:00 a.m.
We are Going on a Tour!

Other
upcoming tours include
The Federal Reserve Bank
and the HGA
Holiday Party,
Dec. 8.


Complimentary Tours and Events
for Houston Ground Angel Volunteers,
Spouses and Friends

We will be touring the Co-Cathedral of the Scared Heart, one of the most toured venues in and around Houston. In fact, on their website, they have a page just for their tours. This magnificent church was built in 1896. Click here for the Church's History.
There will be time to get to know other volunteers, and see old friends, and make new ones.

We will meet in the foyer of the church at 9:45, Friday, Sept. 14, 2018, and the church's docents will provide a guided tour that will begin at 10:00 a.m. sharp. The Cathedral is close to downtown Houston: 1111 St Joseph Pkwy, Houston, TX 77002. Please RSVP by Sept. 10.

Federal Reserve Bank Tour
Another of the most popular tours in Houston is the Federal Reserve Bank, and we are scheduled to tour this extremely interesting place in March 2019. The exact date will be announced next month as I am waiting on confirmation.

Holiday / Christmas Party

Please RSVP at your earliest convenience for our Holiday/Christmas Party happening on Dec. 8. at Cullen Oaks Community Center of the Cullen Oaks Apartments, on the University of Houston's campus.
Houston Ground Angels
Management Review
August 2018
 
By: Tony Castiglie, Vice President & Treasurer
 
Every year, once we reach August, I have this feeling that I made it through another Houston summer. But after a little thought, I realize it is a delusion; August is actually the hottest month of the year. Do Houstonians have something else to complain about? How about traffic! While there is an end to summer, there is never an end to traffic.
 
So how are we doing?  Volunteers ran 250 Missions during July, the 2 nd best July ever. With half the year gone by, 70 Volunteers have run 1,477 Missions. Our target for the year remains about 2,500, a bit of an increase over last year.
 
Who’s leading the way:
 
Top 10 Volunteers – 2018
 
1. Sandra Begalke 208
2. Charles Whitworth 200
3. Dick Stabell 136
4. David LaFargue 98
5. Tony LaRosa 89
6. Charles Gibson 57
7. Laurie Galland 45
8. Bo Hunter 48
9. Derek King 41
10. Paulette Blackburn 39
 
As written in previous newsletters, we have been experiencing a higher rate of unfulfilled or cancelled missions than at any time in our history. We attributed this to an increase in requests from Angel Flight patients. Turns out, that is not the case. An analysis by Mission Coordinator Kathy Cardiff revealed that most of those missions are associated with the two major airports, Bush & Hobby. Further analysis indicates that the most difficult missions to fulfill are those during heavy rush hour traffic. What a surprise! What to do about it; don’t know just yet but the issue is being addressed.
 
Over the years, we have internally described our Top 10 Volunteers as “Archangels”. They are very special people who run lots of missions & they are listed in every newsletter.  Once again, the Archangels stepped up & answered the call. While we had 56 Unfulfilled Missions during June, the number dropped to 27 during July. Our unfulfillment rate for 2018 is 17%, far above our stated goal of 5%. However, we are moving in the right direction & continue to seek out for more volunteers.
 
To every volunteer who steps up, thanks for your contribution. 2018 is another good year.
 
Sincerely,
Tony
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Only Two Ingredients for a Great
BREAD RECIPE

There is a new bread recipe that only takes two ingredients:
ice cream and all purpose flour.

Choose the ice cream favor you desire, let it soften naturally or microwave. The edges of the ice cream will soften first, so you can use this and put the rest back in the freezer for future use.

Recipe: 2 cups softened ice cream
1-1/2 cups self rising flour.
Scoop flour into measuring cup with a spoon and then level.

Optional: add-ins: Fresh fruit, chocolate chips, spices, extracts, dust the top with sugar or nuts, etc.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients and put into a greased loaf pan.
Bake for about 42-48 minutes or until skewer or tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Do not overcook or it will be dry. Do not undercook or it will be mushy. Might want to test it before you take it out of the oven.

Click on the link below for more ideas and information:

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Joint Pains?
 Stiff Joints? Back Problems?

Tomatoes are Americans' favorite, residential vegetable to grow. However, did you know that even though tomatoes have great nutrients and vitamins, they are also a joint and spine irritant. Tomatoes cause joint and disk inflammation, where as foods like raw almonds decrease inflammation. So if you have back pain, or stiff joints, it might be time to toss the tomatoes to the birds, they would appreciate it!


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Time for a Mission?

Please be sure to check the website to see if there is a Mission that fits your schedule. Our patients are counting on us.


Thank you to all of our volunteers, for all you do for so many!


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Thank you to all of our volunteers, for all each of you do for so many!

Have a wonderful month and we look forward to seeing you soon at one of the upcoming events, or maybe we'll run into you at one of the airports.
Take care, stay cool and see you soon.