ASTRA stands for:
Ability
Service
Training
Responsibility
Achievement
Would you like to know more about ASTRA? This post about our Service committees provides some additional information about ASTRA. Or, click here to read all of this website's articles about ASTRA.
The following members are serving as Committee Chair for 2008-2009
Communications - Roberta Hoey
The current issue of our local newsletter, ALTRUSUN, is available online:
June 2008, Volume 32, Issue 1 (600 Kb PDF)
Community service is a fundamental part of Altrusa. Our Club's Service committees are:
Service - Reviews funding requests from other non-profit organizations for projects which provide a service to our local community and beyond, and makes recommendations to the Board to issue grant money. The Service committee oversees the other service-related committees listed below, and presents new service projects to the Club.
ASTRA - An extension of Altrusa for young people age 12 to 25. Provides opportunities for school, community and international service projects, personal development, and career planning. The ASTRA club strives to create an environment that will promote fellowship and better understanding among all people by fostering positive relationships.
Awards -
Bell Ringing -
Christmas Baskets -
Educational Services - Prepares scholarship applications, distributes to schools, reviews applications, interviews students, and awards scholarships.
Environmental -
International Relations - Seeks to improve awareness of and relations with other cultures and countries. The committee seeks to achieve this goal by carefully selecting projects and programs with an international focus and by highlighting various United Nations International days throughout the club year.
Lifeline - Installs & maintains Lifeline units in the homes of over 100 Montrose-area residents.
Literacy - Provides funding for Adult basic education; recognizes 8 local teachers per year with Apple Awards; creates Buddy Bags filled with reading books, activity books, crayons, etc. and distributes about 200 bags per year to Hilltop, the Dental Clinic, Tri-County Resource, Women's Resource Center, and Medical Mission; organizes a project for Make a Difference Day; collects new and used books for Seasons Readings, which are given as holiday gifts for children identified by Social Services.
Love Hug Bears - Delivers approximately 60-80 stuffed bears to Montrose Memorial Hospital emergency room & same day surgery unit to be given to children when they enter the hospital. This project, started in 1998, continues to be an outpouring of love from Altrusa members to bring comfort and security to children who have to make a trip to the hospital.
Member Issues - Seeks to address concerns to women, men, and children's health and welfare. Major on-going project is to provide assistance for the annual Bosom Buddies Walk/Run.
Tender Touch Turbans - Knits and sews turbans for cancer patients to keep their heads warm after losing their hair. Provides between 30 and 50 turbans each year for people in the Montrose area.
Montrose High School's ASTRA Club, sponsored by Altrusa of Montrose, kept very busy this past year completing an outstanding number of hands-on service projects that will impact people in need both locally and internationally. Their application for a Service Award from Altrusa International can be read here.
Our local ASTRA Club has won this international award 3 times in the past, including last year (2006/2007). We wish them the best of luck with this impressive resume, and hope this year will mark their 4th win.
Here is a summary of their projects -- keep in mind that all this was accomplished in just ONE year:
Did you know....
Altrusa Key:
Amity
Loyalty
Talent
Reciprocity
Unity
Service
Achievement
The name "Altrusa" was originally coined from "Altruism" and "USA" back in 1917 when the first Altrusa club was formed. Altrusa became international in 1935 with its first club in Mexico.
Today there are over 150 Altrusa clubs throughout the US (including Puerto Rico), plus clubs in Canada, England, Scotland, El Salvador, Guatemala, Bermuda, India, New Zealand, Korea, Russia, and Ukraine.
