Monday, April 19, 2021

March 2021 Newsletter

  March 2021

Dear Palo Alto Auxiliary friends,


My daffodils, yellow pansies and primroses are blooming beautifully and, to quote Nan Larsson, “I feel spring in the air and a feeling of rebirth.  Energy to continue raising funds and awareness for the kids at our hospital”. 


Are you feeling likewise? – there’s so much to do and we seem almost able to get back out there.  I hope you’ve breezed through your vaccination shots.  I was delighted to have no reaction at all.  Now I feel invincible but still wear a mask and am still making them for family members who need some additions to their wardrobes.  My nine-year-old grandson even asked for one in powder blue to match his new Little League uniform.  His dad, the coach, said he could use one too!


With all the efforts to stop the spread of COVID, the hospital is still unable to use our handmade items.  While we miss being able to provide tote bags, cough pillows, blankets, pocket owls, etc to ease kids’ discomfort, we surely understand the precautions. Thora’s Thimbles and Hearts and Hands stand ready to go back into production when the time is right.


Our 2020 donations:


You will remember that 2020’s special project was aimed at helping doctors know which Neuroblastoma patients needed what kind of therapy with the hope of putting an end to that type of cancer.  The auxiliaries were so excited about this project that it was fully funded early in the year.  (PAA contributed $28,000 from the 2019 Nutcracker Tea proceeds, your year-end donations and part of your dues.) Good job, folks!  


Your generous donations for the virtual tea in October, some memorial gifts, the proceeds of the Holiday Faire in November and, again, year-end receipts allowed us to participate with $30,000 in a novel request from the Foundation.  The auxiliaries were asked to put together a matching fund with which to tempt donors to increase their donations or to entice new donors to the cause.  It was a HUGE success.  The Auxiliaries contributed $101,000.  Appeals were sent to 130,000 donors (who learned about the Auxiliaries’ match – some publicity for our work).  The total raised was $881,683, an 80% increase over 2019; there were 2,819 gifts, a 110% increase over 2019 and, very excitingly, 851 NEW donors.   Double good job, folks!!


Association of Auxiliaries:


Nancy Larsson completed her three-year term as the Association of Auxiliaries for Children president in January with these words, “I am forever grateful for this opportunity that has fed my soul and fostered friendships that will last a lifetime.  Please join me in welcoming our new president, Lisa Cole.”


Lisa Cole, has launched her presidency with an invitation to each auxiliary to rethink how we do what we do in order to be more effective, to think about bringing in new members and to set some solid goals for the future.  She encourages us to “reach out with questions, ideas or suggestions, working together as we navigate a new normal.”


Recently, we received a thank you letter from Krista Reuther of the Family Guidance and Bereavement Program for support from the Auxiliaries Endowment Fund for their School Project that provides guidance for teachers learning how to support grieving students in their classroom.  “Thanks to the support of the Auxiliaries, this project continues to advance.  Our manual for teachers got a make-over from our LPCH Marketing department this year, was given copyright, and now is in the hands of Bay Area teachers”.  And “Our Anticipatory Grief Project also continues, thanks again to the support of the Auxiliaries.  We have found the support from our program prior to death creates a more meaningful connection afterwards, which in turn, enhance family receptivity to continued care”.


And for 2021:


The presidents of the auxiliaries and the board of the Association reviewed several proposals for this year’s special project.  After tabulating everyone’s vote, Lisa Cole sent us this message:


“I’m happy to announce the 2021 Special Project” will support the Betty Irene Moore Children’s Heart Center and the equipment/licensing for the intraoperative True3D.  The Moore Heart Center is well known as one of the country’s leading pediatric cardiology programs and performs more life-saving surgeries and procedures than any other children’s hospital.  This is cutting edge technology that will be an incredible gift to the pediatric heart surgeons and cardiologists that treat the most complex cases.”


Going forward there will be “significant focus on the Moore Heart Center and the BASE project – Basic Science and Engineering – a program that brings engineers, geneticists, surgeons and cardiologists together to focus on getting to the root cause of congenital heart defects – funding this need is the right place for our Auxiliaries to focus our efforts”.


The launch of this Special Project will be at the Annual Celebration (virtual) Luncheon on April 20th.   You will get more information when we have confirmed the speaker.  Since they aren’t actually feeding us, I don’t think there will be any limitation on how many people can attend.  So, if you are able, keep the date open at the 11:00 slot.


One more thing:


(Actually two)  The membership committee is putting together the new inserts for our membership binders.  The “drop dead” date for getting in any changes you want noted in the new pages is April 7th.  Please let Stephanie Beach or Mary Koeppen know of any changes.


MARK YOUR CALENDARS for our next general meeting on Wednesday, April 21st at 10:00 a.m.  We’re going to try sending the Zoom link to all of you.  You will not need to R.S.V.P. but don’t forget to join us.  I’ll send the link on the day before the event.  Be sure to check your email.


Please forgive me if this is too long.  There just seems like there’s a lot to share with you.  Starting next month, Nancy Bronstein and Gerry Nelson are going to start writing the newsletter.  I know you will enjoy hearing from them.


Stay well and I hope to see you on Zoom on April 21st!      


Marilyn Anderson

Tuesday, January 12, 2021

January 2021 Newsletter

 January 2021 Newsletter


Dear PAA members,

 

Happy New Year to each of you!!!  I think we are going to enjoy this one more than usual following, as it is, on the heels of 2020.  We can see the light at the end of the tunnel and it looks quite bright.

 

One bright spot, we hope, will be our January 19th virtual general meeting and membership luncheon usually held at the University Club.  This time each of you will need to fix you own lunch (couldn’t figure out how to take one to you) and join the Zoom gathering at 11:00 on Tuesday, January 19th.   We will have plenty of time for visiting, a little business to handle, and a guest speaker, Dr. Arash Anoshiravani, who directs the Teen Van program, will join us at noon.  During our visiting time, you might share some of the fun things you have been doing to keep busy and retain your sanity during the last few months.

 

Be sure to let June Schiller know if you want to be included in the Zoom.  Her email is jschiller.2@comcast.netand phone number is (650) 326-7945.  June can also help you dial into the meeting with your cell phone rather than your computer.

 

And while you are thinking PAA, please get out your checkbook and send your $75.00 dues to Mary Koeppen at 10150 Par Lap Drive, Cupertino, California 95014.  We are trying to economize by reminding you of dues by email rather than the postal service.  Please help us be efficient with our resources.

 

While you are sending your dues to Mary, please, also let her know of any additions or changes to your listing in our directory.  We want to produce new pages to start off the new year and want them to be as up-to-date as possible.

 

Again, wishing you a very Happy New Year and looking forward to seeing you on Tuesday, January 19th at 11:00 a.m. on Zoom.

 

Marilyn Anderson

Holiday Faire - Sunday, November 8th from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm at Allied Arts Guild

 Holiday Faire - Sunday, November 8th from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm at Allied Arts Guild


You are invited!

With so many of the Auxiliary events having to be canceled, we are excited to tell you about the Holiday Faire planned by all seven auxiliaries and to be held outdoors at Allied Arts Guild on Sunday, November 8th from 11:00 to 4:00.  Here’s a chance to start your holiday decorations and purchase distinctive Christmas gifts.  Each auxiliary will have very special items for your shopping fun.  Palo Alto Auxiliary’s booth will feature beautiful Fall and Christmas wreaths.  All precautions recommended by the CDC, the State and San Mateo County will be observed to secure safety for everyone.  

Hope to see you there!

Marilyn 



September 2020 Newsletter

September 2020 Newsletter


Dear PAA Members,


Once again, I hope this finds you well and coping fairly comfortably with what seems to be our new normal.  Many of us, like Luisa Pliska, have been purging closets and then trying to find a charity open to receiving donations.  Susan Kirtley was swimming 40 laps a day before the air quality got so bad.  Maybe she is back at it now.  Sue Alvarez has been re-doing a fixer-upper and lots of gardening.  


Sarah Beetem answered my question of activities with the following:

“When my son and daughter in-law gave me a book called Grandmother’s Journal, I realized that I wish my grandmother, or even my mother, had filled out something similar.  Now that the prior generations are gone, I wonder what life was like for them.  Not the major things like graduations or marriages, that I can research, but the small details like party phone lines, cutting Christmas trees, or surviving the last pandemic. I decided that now would be a great time to write about my life and leave a written record because by the time my grandchildren are old enough to be curious, I may not be here to tell them the stories of my life.  I can just remember listening to funny radio programs with my maternal grandma when she babysat us.  I remember her stories of riding a horse to high school and riding in wagons across Los Angeles County to camp on the beach, but I wish I knew much more about her life. (1882 – 1965)  Why not take time now to write a tape record some of your memories for your future family members?  It doesn’t have to be a special journal or to answer specific questions; just put down some things you remember.  If they don’t care about them now, they might care later on.”


By now, you have received your invitation to our Annual Membership Tea on Tuesday, October 20th at 2:00 p.m. via Zoom.  We hope all of you will make yourself a cup of tea and join us.  If you have not used Zoom, previously, perhaps you can find a friend (I always ask a grandchild) to help walk you through the process before October 20th.  I will send an email invitation link on the 19th.  As always, we will be honoring all our long-term members.  Those for special mention will be:


60 years  (joined PAA in 1960)

     Bobbie Dolton

55 years  (joined in 1965)

     Gaye Bruce-Ferronato Jo Ann Pfost

     Lorraine Hultquist

 50 years (1970)

      Liz Bowman Bonnie Miller    

45 years  (1975)

      Sabra Dexter Barbara Mattson

      Sue Pettigrew Ruth Wood

40 years  (1980)

      Ann Bennett Jane Bradley

      Ellen Smith

35 years  (1985)

      Eloise Bodine Audrey Polster

30 years  (1990)

      Karen Sutherland

25 years  (1995)

      Nayla Sleiman

20 years  (2000)

      Luisa Pliska Barbara Sheldon

15 years  (2005)

      Barbara Alexander     Sarah Beetem

      Marlene Bollhoffer Nancy Bronstein

      Sally Edmondson Marlene Hom

      Susan Kirtley Dallas Manning

      Karen Stevens Mary Ann York


With so many of Auxiliary events having to be canceled, we are excited to tell you about the Holiday Faire planned by all seven auxiliaries and to be held outdoors at Allied Arts Guild on Sunday, November 8th from 11:00 to 4:00.  Here’s a chance to start your holiday decorations and purchase distinctive Christmas gifts.  Each auxiliary will have very special items for your shopping fun.  Palo Alto Auxiliary’s booth will feature beautiful Fall and Christmas wreaths.  All precautions recommended by the CDC, the State and San Mateo County will be observed to secure safety for everyone.  We are looking for some volunteer help so call Nancy Larsson or me (Marilyn Anderson) to offer your help.


You may remember that the joint auxiliaries’ 2020 special project at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital was pathology research to identify appropriate neuroblastoma treatment.  We were all excited about that project and fully funded it early in the year.  That allowed the auxiliaries to direct some funding to assist front line workers at the hospital who were substantially impacted by Covid 19.  The Summer Scamper raised $10,000 to fund Patient Relations’ comfort bags for parents of patients.  Your donations are now needed to help Child Life make our young patients more comfortable in these especially difficult days in the hospital.

Be generous!


We recently received a couple memorial donations from family members of Patricia Mangan.  Some of you may remember Patricia who, according to those family members, really enjoyed working at the restaurant.   The family also ordered cookbooks to have a bit of Patricia’s experience. 


Again, I hope you are doing well and look forward to seeing you at the Tea and the Holiday Faire.

Marilyn