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 20^th.   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 7^th.  Please let Stephanie Beach or Mary Koeppen know of any changes.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS for our next general meeting on Wednesday, April 21^st 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 21^st!      

Marilyn Anderson

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 19^th 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 19^th.   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 19^th 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 8^th 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 20^th 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 20^th.  I will send an email invitation link on the 19^th.  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 8^th 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

June 22, 2020 Letter to Members

 Dear Palo Alto Auxiliary Members,

 

First, I apologize for not keeping in better touch with all of you.  I just haven’t given enough time to Auxiliary business in the last 2-1/2 months and hope to do better, starting now.  Still, I hope that you are well and have been finding your way on this new path.

 

We are certainly living in an unusual time – all this “sheltering in place” with so many of our regular activities and entertainments put on hold.  This has been a great time to tackle that long “to do” list, get to the books one has meant to read, write your memoir (as my husband is doing), etc. but adjusting to not seeing friends and family can also have been a bit lonely.  I do hope you have kept well and found peace and pleasure in a slower pace than your regular routine.  

 

FABRIC MASKS NEEDED AT LPCH

 

 Under the leadership of our Cathy Murphy with Hearts and Hands and PAA’s Thora’s Thimbles, we have been making fabric masks for use by parents, siblings and visitors at LPCH.  The hospital wants all we can make so, if you can help, please call Cathy at 650-324-8777 to volunteer.  She has all the supplies you will need and will be very happy to have more sewers!

 

SUMMER SCAMPER – Final Push – Letter from the chairman attached:

 

Just a reminder, the virtual Summer Scamper is this Sunday and the Association of Auxiliaries’ Team needs more members.  Remember, it’s virtual so you choose your activity (or no activity, no running or scampering unless you prefer) and there is no registration fee.  Of course, you are free to donate funds toward the Association’s goal of raising $10,000 for the work of the Department of Patient Experience.  So, we could help offset our limited fundraising opportunities this year by making a donation. To do my part in bolstering the team, I’m registering my family. (It’s not too late.)  Be sure to see Lisa Cheskin’s letter below.  

 

NO SUMMER GARDEN PARTY AND SILENT AUCTION

 

As I’m sure you know, our auxiliary activities have been greatly curtailed lately and it looks like that will continue for a while more.  We’ve been hoping that all would be back to “normal” in time for our Summer Garden Party and Silent Auction on August 15^th but that doesn’t seem likely.  So, reluctantly, that, too, will not happen this year.  We’re still hoping the Nutcracker Tea in November can happen but only time will tell.  Of course, we need to be sure our members and guests would be safe in attending the event.

 

 

ASSOCIATION OF AUXILIARIES –  ENDOWMENT FUND

 

Really good things have been supported by the Association of Auxiliaries Endowment Fund recently.  The Fund board and committee members have met several times via “Zoom.com” to hear presentations from various departments at LPCH requesting funding for special projects, to consider those requests, and finally, to determine which ones will receive funding in August.  A total of $1,102,170 will be paid out for projects including equipping maternity with wireless fetal monitors, immersive technology for oncology treatment, training equipment for the SIM Center and for Neonatology, additional resources for Social Services, efforts to identify and prevent child abuse, improving utilization of telehealth in pediatric rheumatology and improving parent comfort in the Intermediate Care Nursery.  Please contact PAA’s June Schiller (650-326-7945 or jsciller2@comcast.net) if you would like to join the endowment fund

 

 

SAD NEWS 

 

Two more of our members have passed away.  They are Marie Batten and Gail Sachs.  I don't know any details in either situation but we will be sending a donation to the Foundation in each lady’s memory.

 

Please take care of yourself and stay well.  

 

Blessings,

 

Marilyn Anderson

President, Palo Alto Auxiliary

Hello members,

As you all know, for this year’s Summer Scamper, we formed the first-ever Association of Auxiliaries Team to raise $10,000 for the Department of Patient Experience to purchase 1300 comfort kits. We also aspire to have the largest team in Scamper history – 250 participants. To date, we have raised $5410 and registered 58 participants. We have a ways to go by this weekend’s virtual Summer Scamper! To register, all you need to do is click the link below to get to the Association’s team page and select the “JOIN TEAM” button. Contact Lisa Norcia Cheskin at lncheskin@gmail.com or 408-460-8788 at any time with registration questions.

https://my.supportlpch.org/team/300563

For a little inspiration, see here a photo of some family members receiving comfort kits from hospital staff.

Also, we are hoping that, as depicted in the picture below, we will be able to add our logo to the comfort kits purchased with our Scamper donations. A great promotion of our organizations!

Won’t you join us?

June 16 Letter to Members

 June 16, 2020

 

Dear Palo Alto Auxiliary Members,

 

First, I apologize for not keeping in better touch with all of you.  I just haven’t given enough time to Auxiliary business in the last 2-1/2 months and hope to do better, starting now.  Still, I hope that you are well and have been finding your way on this new path.

 

We are certainly living in an unusual time – all this “sheltering in place” with so many of our regular activities and entertainments put on hold.  This has been a great time to tackle that long “to do” list, get to the books one has meant to read, write your memoir (as my husband is doing), etc. but adjusting to not seeing friends and family can also have been a bit lonely.  I do hope you have kept well and found peace and pleasure in a slower pace than your regular routine.  

 

FABRIC MASKS NEEDED AT LPCH

 

 Under the leadership of our Cathy Murphy with Hearts and Hands and PAA’s Thora’s Thimbles, we have been making fabric masks for use by parents, siblings and visitors at LPCH.  The hospital wants all we can make so, if you can help, please call Cathy at 650-324-8777 to volunteer.  She has all the supplies you will need and will be very happy to have more sewers!

 

SUMMER SCAMPER – Final Push – Letter from the chairman attached:

 

Just a reminder, the virtual Summer Scamper is this Sunday and the Association of Auxiliaries’ Team needs more members.  Remember, it’s virtual so you choose your activity (or no activity, no running or scampering unless you prefer) and there is no registration fee.  Of course, you are free to donate funds toward the Association’s goal of raising $10,000 for the work of the Department of Patient Experience.  So, we could help offset our limited fundraising opportunities this year by making a donation. To do my part in bolstering the team, I’m registering my family. (It’s not too late.)  Be sure to see Lisa Cheskin’s letter below.  

 

NO SUMMER GARDEN PARTY AND SILENT AUCTION

 

As I’m sure you know, our auxiliary activities have been greatly curtailed lately and it looks like that will continue for a while more.  We’ve been hoping that all would be back to “normal” in time for our Summer Garden Party and Silent Auction on August 15^th but that doesn’t seem likely.  So, reluctantly, that, too, will not happen this year.  We’re still hoping the Nutcracker Tea in November can happen but only time will tell.  Of course, we need to be sure our members and guests would be safe in attending the event.

 

 

ASSOCIATION OF AUXILIARIES –  ENDOWMENT FUND

 

Really good things have been supported by the Association of Auxiliaries Endowment Fund recently.  The Fund board and committee members have met several times via “Zoom.com” to hear presentations from various departments at LPCH requesting funding for special projects, to consider those requests, and finally, to determine which ones will receive funding in August.  A total of $1,102,170 will be paid out for projects including equipping maternity with wireless fetal monitors, immersive technology for oncology treatment, training equipment for the SIM Center and for Neonatology, additional resources for Social Services, efforts to identify and prevent child abuse, improving utilization of telehealth in pediatric rheumatology and improving parent comfort in the Intermediate Care Nursery.  Please contact PAA’s June Schiller (650-326-7945 or jsciller2@comcast.net) if you would like to join the endowment fund

 

 

SAD NEWS 

 

Two more of our members have passed away.  They are Marie Batten and Gail Sachs.  I don't know any details in either situation but we will be sending a donation to the Foundation in each lady’s memory.

 

Please take care of yourself and stay well.  

 

Blessings,

 

Marilyn Anderson

President, Palo Alto Auxiliary

Hello members,

As you all know, for this year’s Summer Scamper, we formed the first-ever Association of Auxiliaries Team to raise $10,000 for the Department of Patient Experience to purchase 1300 comfort kits. We also aspire to have the largest team in Scamper history – 250 participants. To date, we have raised $5410 and registered 58 participants. We have a ways to go by this weekend’s virtual Summer Scamper! To register, all you need to do is click the link below to get to the Association’s team page and select the “JOIN TEAM” button. Contact Lisa Norcia Cheskin at lncheskin@gmail.com or 408-460-8788 at any time with registration questions.

https://my.supportlpch.org/team/300563

For a little inspiration, see here a photo of some family members receiving comfort kits from hospital staff.

Also, we are hoping that, as depicted in the picture below, we will be able to add our logo to the comfort kits purchased with our Scamper donations. A great promotion of our organizations!

Lisa Cheskin

September 2020 Presidents Newsletter

 September 2020

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 20^th 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 20^th.  I will send an email invitation link on the 19^th.  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 8^th 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

PAA Endowment quickly donates a LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robot to LPCH 

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Dear PAA friends,

I hope you are doing as well as can be expected during this unusual time.  It’s certainly a new experience to have so much leisure time.  Personally, I’ve caught up all the ironing (which only happens on New Year’s day if I iron, in the family room, while the rest watch football), I’m on my second 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle, and I’ve just finished a 43 hour audio book while working in the garden.  If we could have an outdoor tea in my yard, this week, it’s ready.  Really, the saving grace has been the “Zoom” program on the computer.  My Bible Study class meets on Tuesday mornings, my husband is taking a Stanford class and we’ve  been doing family chats, all on Zoom.  Our whole family, of 25 members including those in Colorado Springs, and Baltimore, visited last night.  

While our auxiliary activities have been pretty much quieted, the staff at LPCH, of course, is working hard in the face of additional hardships.  We know that staffing is short as caution requires some to stay home, volunteering has been suspended so those hands are missing too and we hear that material resources are in short supply.

So, last Thursday evening, when we were made aware of a critical need facing LPCH in the fight against COVID 19: micro-level sanitation, quick action was taken.  The plea was for a LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robot with “intense pathogen killing power” that can disinfect an entire patient room in as little as 20 minutes.  This robot will keep the hospital clean by destroying deadly microorganisms critical in protecting patients, families and staff during this time.

Within minutes of hearing about this need, Association leadership contacted the members of the Endowment Committee, reached out to the Board Members of the Association of Auxiliaries, held a virtual vote (unanimous) and a mere 14 hours later, had a check for the $115,000 from our Association Endowment payout to deliver!  We are grateful to our Endowment Members, our Auxiliary Presidents, Second Delegates and all of our members for making this happen.  And happen so swiftly!  Good job everyone!

Of course we are looking forward to getting back to our old routines.  As soon as possible, we will reinstate Restaurants with Heart, reschedule our missed general meeting and get busy on the next fundraising event.  In the meantime, we are all in this together and need to support each other.  Please call if you need to chat.

Take care of yourself and keep up your spirits,

Marilyn

Friday, March 13th, 2020

Cancellation of PAA Activities Through the End of April

Dear Members and Friends,

Buying into the old adage, "Better Safe than Sorry", we are following the actions of the Association of Auxiliaries, the Foundation and the hospital and canceling Palo Alto Auxiliary's activities through the end of April.  We will let you know if circumstances require more time after that.

That means that we will postpone our general meeting scheduled for next Wednesday, March 18th at Mike's Cafe and, really sadly, cancel our Spring Tea and Fashion Show on April 26th.  We were putting together a lovely event and are very disappointed to have to call an end to it.  But.......we don't want to jeopardize anyone.

We will hope to reschedule the general meeting for May or June and, shortly, will begin planning for the Summer Garden Party at the Richardsons' home in Los Altos.  That date is August 15th, so be sure to put it on your calendars now.  

Wishing good health for you and your families,

Marilyn Anderson

President

February 22, 2020

Dear PAAers,

Remember when today (February 22^nd) was a holiday to celebrate George Washington’s birthday?  I, for one, don’t love having moved most holidays to Mondays but it does give us nice 3-day weekends.  Wonder how you used the last one.  I used some of the time to work on various plans for PAA.

Coming up in the next couple of months:

RESTAURANTS WITH HEART:  Next week, Monday, February 24th and Tuesday, February 25^thwe are at Divino’s in San Carlos.  This is one of my favorite restaurants.  The food is delicious, the staff is very welcoming and happy to be supporting LPCH.  It’s not too late to call Karen Stevens (650) 327-6809 and let her know you would like to attend.  Next month, we are at Rustic House in Los Altos.  Watch for the email or flyer from Ginny Wilson and plan to attend.  Restaurants with Heart is an important fundraiser for PAA and deserves our enthusiastic support.  So, invite your children, grandchildren, neighbors, friends etc. and enjoy lunch or dinner out while giving to the hospital. 

MARCH GENERAL MEETING:  We will meet on Wednesday, March 18^th at 11:30 for lunch at Mike’s Café, 2680 Middlefield Road, (one block off Oregon Expressway) in Palo Alto.  We will order from the menu but I do need to know who is coming so the restaurant can be prepared for our number.  Please call or text me at (650) 400-1969 or email: paloaltononie@gmail.com by Friday, March 6^th with your reservation. Following lunch we will have a short meeting and a speaker being arranged by Jeanne Berube from the Foundation.  She is hoping to get us the new doctor with the Teen Van.  

SPRING TEA, FASHION SHOW AND TRUNK SALE:  Plans are moving along for the Sunday, April 26^th event and I’m attaching the invitation for your information.  This is a lovely event for bringing your daughter(s) or gathering a group to attend together. Or even come on your own. The committee still needs lots of help – publicity, ticket sales, donation of raffle items, decoration creation, food preparation, set-up and clean-up on the day of the event.  Again, please call, text or email me with your offer of help.  Be sure this date is on your calendar!  And we are still looking for the donation of china cups and saucers and/or white china plates.  We don’t have nearly enough to use instead of renting dishes. 

SAD NEWS:  Irene Bell who passed away recently, joined Palo Alto Auxiliary in 1967 and lived in San Mateo.  We have sent a memorial donation to the hospital in her name but do not have any family contact information.  Can any of you help on that?

Enjoy the lovely weather – my daffodils, camellias and pansies are loving it.

Marilyn Anderson

President 

Presidents" Blog - 2019 In Review and 2020 Events

December 22, 2019

Dear Ladies of Palo Alto Auxiliary,

In this lovely, and quite busy season, I want you to know how much the work of our members and friends is effective and appreciated.

2019 has been a good year – our “Sip and Shop” event in March made a little money and many new friends. The Summer Garden Party with a Silent Auction was quite successful and, again, introduced some new folks to our work.  The Nutcracker Tea last month was lovely, fun for our many young guests and well received by their parents.  Then, too, we made $12,500. 

These events and your dues and donations have made it possible for PAA to make donations to LPCH totaling $45,000 this year!  Congratulations to all our members who have made that possible.  If any of you want to make “year end” donations, we will be happy to receive them and guarantee their good use.

You all know, by now, that the Annual Membership Luncheon will be back at the University Club (again guests of John McGilvray).  Please get your reservations in to Dallas Manning as soon as possible.  We will be talking about the Special Project for 2020 and, I think, you will be delighted with the auxiliaries have chosen t support.  It’s exciting!

We have started planning the Spring Fashion Show and Tea.  The date needs to be confirmed but it looks like it will be May 17^th at Allied Arts Guild.  So put that date on your calendar and you will hear more about it soon.  In the meantime, a number of you have mentioned having china cups and saucers that you no longer use. We think they would be perfect for our spring event so if you want to donate some, please let me know.  I’d be happy to pick them up.

As we end 2019, I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukah and a great New Year.

Blessings,

Marilyn Anderson

President's Blog - May 2019

                                                                                                          

Dear Friends,

It looks like Spring is finally here – everything is blooming, allergies are reinserting themselves and we can put away our raincoats and umbrellas. It’s time to get outdoors and enjoy the sunshine.

Speaking of enjoying ourselves, the “Sip, Nibble and Shop” event that took the place of our Spring Tea on March 31^stwas lovely. Nan Larsson generously opened her home and our vendors set-up shop in several rooms.  Ladies sipped champagne, nibbled on treats offered in the kitchen and shopped and shopped and shopped.  We all had a good time and generated about $2,000 for this year’s special project: “Caring for Hearts”.

Two days later, on April 2^nd, the annual Celebration of Auxiliaries was held at the Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club.  While all the auxiliaries were celebrated and appreciated, this year’s event was special as it was the 100^thanniversary of the founding of Charter Auxiliary!!!  What an example of dedication, creativity and service that group has been for all the rest of us.  Jeanne Berube, Malissa Magallanez and their crew from LPFCH put together a lovely time together.   The large crowd enjoyed a wonderful auxiliary historical display, inspirational speakers, beautiful tables, the best salad I’ve ever eaten and raffle items that raised another $1,600 for “Caring for Hearts”.

The “Thursday Girls” will be gathering for lunch on Thursday, April 26^that 11:30 at Cibo’s, 3398 El Camino in Palo Alto.  RSVP to JoAnnPfost@gmail.comor to JoAnn at (650) 967-4679.  If there are other “Day” groups meeting, please let us know so we can put you on the calendar.  

The next thing on the calendar for PAA is our Restaurants with Heart lunches and dinners at Kabul Afghan Cuisine in San Carlos.  I hope you remember the staff’s warm welcome and the wonderful food that is so plentiful everyone takes home enough for another meal. Be sure to go on line to: paloaltoauxiliary.com or call (650) 364-2588 to make your reservations.  

Restaurants with Heart (capably run by Nancy Cameron and her committee) is PAA’s very dependable fundraiser and needs your support.  Get a your family together or a group of friends and enjoy an evening out.  The more the merrier!

Also, upcoming, is our May General Meeting.  We will meet at Allied Arts Guild, 75 Arbor Drive in Menlo Park at 10:00 a.m. with a no-host lunch following at the Wisteria Café there at Allied Arts.  This will be in conjunction with our Restaurants with Heart program in May.  Look for an email or snail mail invitation coming soon.  It will include reservation information.  

Happy Spring!!

Marilyn Anderson

January PAA Newsletter

For those of you who missed our annual meeting today, I’m sending these notes as our newsletter this month.  We had a lovely luncheon with about 50 members and three guests of members. In addition we had three invited guests:

            Debbie Burkholder, Director of Auxiliary Relations

             Malissa Magallanez, Auxiliaries Relations Associate

             And our guest speaker, Shawna Montoya, parent of an LPCH patient

I thanked our hostess at the University Club, Catherine McGilvray , our luncheon organizer Gerry Nelson and our reservations and nametags guru, Dallas Manning. Past presidents were also acknowledged and photographed. Members and guests heard a short summary from me as outgoing president, mostly reported below.

In 2017, we started the year with 162 members and ended with 153.  We were missing some board members all year but despite a reduced number of members and active board members, we did manage to raise enough to make $50,000 for our annual gift despite losing our lucrative American Girl project which has provided the bulk of our gift for several years. Last Spring was slow, as I was disappointed that we did not accomplish a literary based event last year although we spend a lot of time on it. 

In August, the second annual Summer Garden party was popular and a lot of fun. In Nancy L.’s beautiful back yard, we raised $11,900 from the auction of goods, services and events about twice what was made the first year. Many of the popular items like golf games, sports tickets, dinners, wine baskets and mountain cabins were donated by our own members. Now is the time to be thinking of what you can donate for next year’s auction. The proceeds from the Garden Party were given to “Talk, Read Sing.” the literacy program for the very young that was the designated annual charity for all of the auxiliaries.

Restaurants with Heart, started and chaired the first three months of 2017 by Marlene Bollhoffer, was revamped and continued another 7 months by Karen Stevens, Ginny Wilson and myself. It was expanded to three new locations and we introduced job sharing with six new hostesses. We also found a new and enthusiastic coordinator in Nancy Cameron to continue the program which earned a profit of about $11,700.  You can help out by signing up to be a hostess on a day you plan to come and eat. You can also  sign up with Karen Stevens online or by phone for the next RwH dinner at Sultana on January 29th  and 30^th.

Our direct donation campaign where I mistakenly said that the requested  NICU recliners also rocked, earned about $6,000 much to my surprise and delight. We added enough from PAA general funds to complete the gift to the NICU.

 Thanks to Sharon Brugos, the Holiday Boutique at Allied Arts raised another $800 in December despite selling only cookbooks, totes, aprons and a few other items. 

A few members under Luisa Pliska’s guidance are continuing to sell cookbooks both by individual orders and to several commercial venues and are down to about the last 240 books. Dallas Manning and Nancy Bronstein and others made and delivered 112 totes to the hospital in December.  Gerry Nelson, her loyal students and other members made and donated 134 bears to the hospital in 2017 .

A huge part of our gift to the hospital comes from the multitude of handmade items by our marvelous Thora’s thimbles ladies and associates. Together they produced about 720 cough pillows, 248 owls and some 200 other items including respirator covers, bags for the Teen Van and Beads of Courage, and knitted blankets. Their collective time spent is over 700 hours. In addition, we have the wonderful seamstress who alone donates over 300 blankets to the NICU. If you would like to join the circle or stuff and sew at home, please see Ellen Smith. 

In addition to the many PAA projects we have several members who also work with the Affiliates, including Packard Pantry, Teen Van, Dec My Room, and Hearts and Hands. Each one of them could use more help.

Former president, Nancy Larsson, announced the upcoming March 4^th event: a Fashion Show and Trunk Sale to be held at Allied Arts and in collaboration with AA Guild. She has a great committee of some “older” members and a number of young members , some of them former American Girl mothers, who are organizing this new event. Watch for your invitation coming soon!

I then introduced Mr. Brian Perrone, the Senior Vice President for Development and Administration of the Packard Foundation and ask him to receive our mock-up check for our 2017 cash donation of $50,000. He thanked us and spoke a few minutes about the new hospital and its state of the art design.  Debbie Burkholder also spoke about the value of volunteers and the many physical gifts that PAA produces. 

Then I presented our President Pro-tem for the first trimester of 2018. Currently serving as treasurer, Marilyn Anderson agreed to fill in as president when no one else did. Marilyn spoke briefly on her hopes for creative new ideas and events to start this year. She then introduced our speaker, Shawna Montoya, who told her a stunning account of her child who collapsed at school from an unknown heart defect, was airlifted to Packard,  treated for 3 weeks by a multitude of doctors, nurses and therapists and has made a miraculous and almost complete recovery. Her role as the mother of a severely sick child was fascinating and moving to hear. 

Afterwards, we enjoyed a lovely lunch at the University Club.

Sarah Beetem, 2017 President