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TTN PHL members tour Curtis Institute
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The Philadelphia Chapter
Steering Committee
members are planning a variety of enriching and fun
activities and events
for members and guests to meet new and not so new friends. Our
SIG
community is growing with several exciting new groups. We're volunteering as a TTN group at Cradles to Crayons, Manna and Habitat for Humanity. The "farther suburbs" members are growing their ranks and planning more activities in Chester and Bucks counties. Our Giving Circle committee is busy reviewing over 35 grant proposals to determine our 2017 awardee.
I recently had the privilege of attending the Center City Member Mingle with more then 50 lively women at the Ritz Carlton. The atmosphere was joyous with members and guests getting to know each other, learn of the chapter offerings, network and share their ideas and feedback about the things they'd like to see TTN offer. Mingles are a great way to meet women outside of your peer group or SIG and make new connections.
Thank You to our Mingle planners, Donna Root (Membership) and Lorraine Gordon (Foodie Group and Finance) and their committees for organizing and managing this wonderful gathering. We hope to see you at the next Member Mingle, May 22 on the Main Line.
Continue to check our Events Calendar for more exciting activities. Our April events are listed in the left column and we need you to sign up now!
Enjoy the warm breeze and pleasant blooms of spring time.
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Enhancing Your Membership Experience
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| TTN Talks in West Chester with Pat Nelson and Sherry Shapiro |
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The
Membership Committee of TTN's Philadelphia Chapter, chaired by Donna Root, now has eight talented and enthusiastic members!
The Committee's focus is to improve and enhance the member experience for all women who join The Transition Network regardless of how they choose to participate.
To this end, the Committee holds
"TTN Talks" sessions for new and prospective members to acquaint them with the many opportunities offered through affiliation in the organization. Since January 1, TTN Talks have been held in Center City, West Chester and on the Main Line.
Coming soon, the committee will host the first
"TTN Refresh" gathering for women who have been members for a year or more and have participated in only a few activities to date.
The Membership Committee continues to enhance our
"Ambassador Program" for outreach to brand-new members, and invites experienced members who'd like to become a TTN Ambassador to contact us.
We also coordinate the
Member Mingles
in Center City and on the Main Line for members and their guests to mingle together informally and learn more about TTN.
Our Committee is committed to capturing
member feedback at different points in a member's TTN journey. We're actively
listening and the feedback helps us recommend and implement changes in our programs and approach. Please let us know what's working for you and what you'd like to see in the future by emailing us at:
As our Chapter membership continues to grow, we're always looking for new members to join our Committee. Please let us know if your would like to be part of this exciting team!
Committee Members: Marion Blow, Mary Costello, Eileen Goldstein, Ronnie Green, Lynda Meshkov, Patricia Nelson and Sherry Shapiro.
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Volunteer Opportunities: Come Join Us!
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Cradles to Crayons
An inspiring collaboration between Giving Circle and Volunteer Opportunities teams
On March 8th, a group of 17 TTN women spent the afternoon volunteering at Cradles to Crayons in an event organized by the Giving Circle. When we entered the vast, well-organized Giving Factory in Conshohocken we were greeted by a staff member and given a brief orientation. We spent the next three hours working in assembly line fashion filling literally thousands of KidPaks with diapers and other baby supplies.
Cradles to Crayons collects donations of clothing, diapers school supplies and toys from communities that "have" and distributes them free of charge to children from birth though age twelve living in homeless or low-income situations. Each day the organization receives and fills countless requests for individual children's supplies from their 120 partner social service agencies throughout the Delaware Valley.
The Giving Circle discovered Cradles to Crayons when they applied for a grant last year. Although they did not win the grant we were impressed by the organization and its model of using volunteers for almost all of its activities.
Many thanks to Sharon Segal and Eleanor Bloch for organizing what we expect to be the first of many volunteer days at Cradles to Crayons. New dates to volunteer will be posted on our Events Calendar.
Habitat for Humanity Dedication Days
TTN members are invited to a rescheduled Orientation for our new volunteer opportunity: Hosting Dedication Day Receptions for Habitat for Humanity. These are the days that the new owners of the house, after investing 300 hours of sweat equity, will move into their new home. Rita Calicat, Director of Family Services for Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia, will provide an orientation on the valuable work of this organization as well as describing and answering questions about Dedication Day activities. VO Committee members, Anne Tindall, Debbie Earle and Moya Kinnealey, helped hostess a Dedication Day on February 4 and will share their experience.
Please Register for this important Orientation on Tuesday, April 11 from 4:00 to 5:30PM, Philadelphia.
Five "Dedication Days" will be scheduled over the next few months. We hope to have the dates available at the Orientation so TTN volunteers can sign up for specific dates. We will need 5-6 people for each Dedication Day. You are welcome to sign up even if you are unable to attend the Orientation.
The location of the Dedication Days will be a block of houses on 16th St. near Temple University. Habitat for Humanity has projects on the entire block!
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Making a Difference: Sue Axler's Journey
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Are you or a loved one on a cancer or other medical journey? Would you like to be able to learn more about the latest treatments and research, or talk to someone who has traveled this path before you, or get directly involved as a patient/research advocate? Then you need to meet TTN Philadelphia member
Susan Axler, who found her passion while confronting her own cancer and is making a difference by helping others through their personal medical journey.
Sue has been living with breast cancer since 1988. She was working full time as a 4th grade reading specialist, researched her options and her initial lumpectomy with radiation "was a piece of cake". She went on her merry way, meeting other pink-garbed new friends and moved on. Four years later, the cancer reared its ugly head again. After taking three weeks off for surgery and the start of chemotherapy, Sue was able to go back to teaching full-time.
Sue had learned a great deal in the prior four years, and decided to find out more and to see what patient advocates could contribute. She began writing, speaking, attending conferences, sitting on major cancer grant review panels, listening and volunteering. Sue found that large organizations like the America Cancer Society, Department of Defense and Komen value the patient perspective and she was eager to contribute.
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Caring Collaborative in the Media
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The article describes a relatively new model of caregiving where l
ocal volunteer networks join forces to lend a hand with short-term medical care needs.
The article was largely based on interviews with TTN San Francisco and TTN New York City and their Caring Collaborative coordinators & members, with a shout-out to Philadelphia's team.
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Special Interest Groups: SIG Corner
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TTN'ers everywhere must be waking up after their long winter naps. We are "springing" into action with 4 new Special Interest Groups.
With these new SIGs, we will be up to 32 groups!! SIGs are a wonderful way to meet other members with common interests and to have fun. Check out the new SIGs below:
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BIKING GROUP:
Does the spring air have you thinking of hauling out your bike and taking a ride? A new SIG is forming for people interested in biking our beautiful Schuylkill River Trail.
Now that the blue Indigo bikes have arrived in the city, you don't even need to own a bike.
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Classic Movies:
What makes a movie a classic? Why are some films timeless? Each month, members will rediscover and discuss a film that has endured for at least thirty years.
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Jogging Group:
Have you ever thought about jogging but worried that you would not be able to keep up the pace of experienced joggers? A group of newbie joggers, going at a slow pace, are looking for others to join them on the Schuylkill Trail for a morning jog.
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Build your Post-Retirement Business:
Are you retired but involved with or considering a new business venture? Meet with other TTN'ers to discuss ways to launch and support your venture. Meeting topics might include: developing strategic plans, exploring marketing ideas, finding ways to identify ideal clients, understanding social media, etc.
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All of these SIG ideas came from individual TTN members. We will build it if you will come! For more information on who to contact and how to sign up, check out the
SIG webpage
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Last year we established a SIG Oversight Committee and we are looking for additional members. If you are interested in volunteering for TTN and belong to a SIG or two, please consider getting involved. The Committee mmets monthly for two hours and considers matters regarding how to best support our fabulous SIG leads. We welcome new ideas and more hands on-board.
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SIGgestions: What We Are Reading.....
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What do the USA, Scotland, England, and Russia have in common? They are all settings for the recommended books this month. You can travel without ever leaving home. A great collection!
Note: There are 7 book recommendations. Press "view entire message" if article is clipped.
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Murder, Ink Book Club
Raven Black by Ann Cleeves
The discovery of a murdered teenage girl leads deeper into the past of the Shetland Islands than anyone wants to go.
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Anything Goes Book Club
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
A magnificent tour de force chronicling a young slave's adventures as she makes desperate bid for freedom.
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People Readers Book Club
Clementine, The Life of Mrs. Winston Churchill by Sonia Purnell
The fascinating story of a complex woman struggling to maintain her own identify while serving as the conscience and principal adviser to one of the most important figures in history.
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Thursday Morning Book Club
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Amor Towles skillfully transports us to The Metropol, the famed Moscow hotel where movie starts and Russian royalty hobnob, where Bolsheviks plot revolutions and intellectuals discuss the merits of contemporary writers.
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Fictionary Book Club
Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
A powerful account of growing up in a poor Rust Belt town that offers a broader, probing look at the struggles of America's white working class.
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Juried Reads Book Club
Old Filth by Jane Gardam
The novel traces 20th-century British history through the life of Sir Edward Feathers, a barrister whose acronymic nickname provides the title: "Failed in London, Try Hong Kong."
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Murder by the Book
Under the Harrow by Flynn Berry
A brisk and chilling psychological study about grief, pananoia, and memory; a smart portrait of a complex sibling relationship; and more, than anything else, an effective murder mystery. |
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