Happy New Year with warmest wishes for good health and happiness.
The 2020 year comes with several milestones worthy of our attention and celebration.
- This is the year The Transition Network celebrates its 20th Anniversary working with women to create an inclusive community of vibrant women who are seeking new connections, resources and opportunities.
- This is also the 100th anniversary of "Women's rights to vote" in the US. Women's suffrage in the United States of America, the Legal Right of women to vote, was established over the course of more than half a century, first in various states and then nationally in 1920 the Nineteenth Amendment became part of the U.S. Constitution.
We are very proud to continue to enjoy and benefit from all the leaders who paved the way for us and work to do the same for the future generations. Celebrations of the TTN 20th Anniversary are in the planning stages and we would like you to join and be part of this remarkable milestone.
Announcements:
I am happy to announce the addition of a new Steering Committee members, Barbra Kessler. Barbra is joining the steering committee as The Transition Peer Group Co-Chair working with the current Chair, Marcia Goldstein. Barbara has a successful record working with the TPG Council on several posts and enjoys lending support and time to other committees such as the Giving Circle. On behalf of the Steering Committee members, myself and Marcia we welcome Barbra. Please join us in welcoming and thanking Barbra for her time and support to our chapter.
Steering Committee Summary:
- The Steering Committee members will deploy the Reaching Out campaign starting Jan 6th and continue through out the month of January. As you know the Philadelphia chapter is a volunteer run, managed and operated and as such we are looking for engagement and participation from you to help us to continue our services. Please take a few minutes and respond to your letter and think of ways you can engage.
- The Giving Circle Grants committee is gearing up for the 2020 grant activities. This will include sending out requests, receiving responses and reviewing applications. If you know of a nonprofit organization with their mission focused on women and children, please make sure to guide them to the Giving Circle web page for an application. Details are listed below in the Giving Circle article.
As always, I look forward to getting your feedback, questions and concerns to help us manage our chapter.
Reminder to Join the National office and the Philaldphia chapter in making TTN 20th anniversary celebration a land mark to remember.
On behalf of the steering committee members and myself, Have a Happy and Healthy New Year !!!
 Warm Regards,
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Plans for 2020 Programs
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The Programs Committee focuses on bringing you meaningful topics for self-exploration and personal growth.
Our interactive workshops gather small groups of like-minded women together who may be facing the same transitions, challenges and shifting responsibilities, allowing you to make real connections with others and explore sensitive topics in a safe place.
In 2019 our program offerings included: Essays on a Widow's Journey, Activating Your Creative Brain, Resiliency Workshop and Conversation Series, Active Aging Toolkit, Women in Transition Workshop, a series of Wellness/Fitness Introductory courses, Caregivers, and Restoring Your Life After Loss.
The plan for 2020 is to build on our success and respond with programs tied to top issues we experience as active aging TTN members
.
We'll start with a unique movie screening and discussion of the award-winning documentary "Lives Well Lived: Celebrating the Secrets, Wit and Wisdom of Age" on February 12th and will be repeating the highly rated workshop "Activating Your Creative Brain" led by Aili Pogust in early April. Your sense of creativity will never be the same!
Following up on the Joy Loverde session we held in September on active aging, more programs will be offered focused on specific aspects of "what's in your toolkit", such as on housing alternatives, financial planning, elder law, transition life coaches, latest wellness issues and more.
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 Do You Know a Non-Profit Serving Philadelphia Women and or Children/Youth? |
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 The TTN Giving Circle's 2020 grant cycle is about to begin!
Between January 13th and February 28th, eligible non-profits serving Philadelpia women and/or children and youth have the opportunity to submit a grant request to us. Last year we raised $25,000 that we donated to the PA SeniorLaw Center to support grandparents struggling to raise their grandchildren.
So help us spread the word!
Following a rigorous review process and presentations by the finalists, the recipient will be selected by a vote of the entire TTN Philadelphia Giving Circle membership at a meeting on May 14th, 2020.
There are so many great non-profits deserving of this grant and we want to hear from as many of them as possible. This is a wonderful opportunity for TTN members to reach out to those causes near and dear to their hearts.
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Peer Groups
Can Make a Difference... For Their Members and for Others
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We planned, prepared, served dinner to families whose seriously ill children are being treated at St. Christopher's or Shriner's Hospital. Many of these families have traveled from other states or countries for the treatment, and the Ronald McDonald houses give them a place to comfortably stay together, close to the hospital, at minimal cost.
This is the third visit for our group. We all enjoy cooking, and the opportunity to make a difference for families in such a positive, hands-on way also enhances our connection to each other.
Entering the House, you immediately feel the care that has been taken to support these families. There are colorful playrooms for the children and spacious areas for families to relax. There is free transportation to and from the hospitals.
The House depends on volunteers to provide a home-cooked hot meal every night of the week. Our group brought a couple of entrees, a salad, vegetables, and some desserts.
Susan Kershbaum loved hearing a small child tell her parents, "Mmm, that smells good," when he smelled her signature lasagna. Sue sat down during dinner to talk with two young mothers, one from Haiti and the other from Jamaica, who had become friends while staying at the House. "It breaks your heart to have a sick child," Sue noted, "but it must help to have companionship with others who understand what you are going through."
It was a truly rewarding experience for our group, thanks to Joan Applegate, our longtime member who is also a longtime Ronald McDonald House volunteer. If your group is interested in participating, contact Joan (
jjapplelg@verizon.net).
By Judith Kurnick
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Peer Group Orientation Coming Soon!
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One of the benefits of membership in TTN is the ability to join a Peer Group. These unique discussion groups provide members with a sense of community within the larger TTN community.
Orientations are held three times during the year. In this way, women interested in joining a group can meet other women also looking for a peer group experience.
Members of the Peer Group Advisory Committee attend to share what makes the Peer Groups unique and what type of commitment is involved to get the most out of the experience. It is a chance to ask questions, hear the questions of others and also share the time, day and location that would work best for you.
Our next orientation will take place in late January. The time, date and location will be available on our
Events Calendar soon. But if you know this is something you want to learn more about, send an email to Barbara Kessler (
bmkay123@gmail.com) and Amy Sabsowitz (
asabsowitz@gmail.com
). They will be sure to put you on the invite list.
Watch for an event notice, coming soon, with the details. There won't be another orientation until late April so don't miss this one!
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Make Room in your 2020 Calendar
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As we settle into winter, we look at our calendars to see what the new year may bring.
Perhaps there is a space or two in your new calendar to join one of our open
SIGs
. Perhaps you may be interested in one of our upcoming organizational meetings for forming new
SIGs
. All bring an opportunity to meet more women within the Philadelphia
chapter, an opportunity to make new friends. Take a look at our SIG webpage to see the variety of offerings our vibrant and thriving chapter offers.
There is a Girl Scout song that captures our chapter value of building new friendships. It goes something like this, " Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other's gold. A circle is round, it has no end, that's how long I want to be your friend."
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