MHS wraps up Pennies for Peace with flair

On Friday, March 21, students and teachers at Montrose High School wrapped up their Pennies for Peace project in a big way. A Loomis armored car arrived at the school to pick up bags of coins and bills collected in penny jars and at fundraisers during the past two months. Montrose County Sheriff Officers escorted the armored car to Timberline Bank, where the donations were counted.

L to R: Diane Winger (Altrusa), Linda Riba (Timberline Bank, Altrusa), Dillon Kogle (MHS student), Kayla Watson (MHS student), Randy Havens (Timberline Bank), Russell Evans (MHS teacher), William Witte (MHS student)

The students collected a total of $2,346.32. Altrusans contributed close to $70 of that amount in pennies collected at meetings. Officers at Timberline Bank presented a check to "Pennies for Peace," a program of the non-profit organization Central Asia Institute. In addition, Starbuck's Coffee is donating $1,000.00 to the program, bringing the total MHS donation to $3,346.32.

The monies raised through the efforts of the group at Montrose High School are enough to purchase annual school supplies for 80 primary students, plus pay the salaries for a year for 3 teachers. For some of the remote mountain villages in Afghanistan and Pakistan, this might support an entire school for a year.

Russell Evans, a teacher at MHS, expressed his hope that Pennies for Peace will be embraced by even more students and schools next year.

Carol Parker (Altrusa) and ASTRA members
assemble Pennies for Peace collection jars.

Other groups in Montrose, including ASTRA, are still involved in ongoing Pennies for Peace projects. ASTRA members have distributed Pennies for Peace jars and brochures to numerous Montrose businesses and organizations. They will be collecting funds from the jars through the end of April. Other penny jars in our community have been placed by Altrusa members.

Altrusa of Montrose Donations

Connie Majors, chair of the Service Committee, recently announced the following donations/grants given by Altrusa of Montrose to various organizations:

Montrose Community Dinners - $250 (Thanksgiving Day dinners)
Black Canyon Boys & Girls Club - $500 (Supplies for Power Hour Program)
Bosom Buddies - $500 (Annual Walk/Run for a Cure)
21st Century After School Program - $500 (After school programming)
Youth Appreciation Day - $200
Hospice & Palliative Care of Western Colorado - $250 (Hospice Hug Bears)
2008 Olathe High School Graduation Night - $100 (graduation night party)
Montrose Methamphetamine Coalition - $320 (transportation vouchers for treatment)
The Pregnancy Center of Montrose - $250 ("earn while you learn" program)
Passage Charter School - $150 (knitting supplies and patterns)
Habitat for Humanity - $500 (computer software)
Montrose County School District - $500 ("New Me" curriculum for 5th & 6th graders)
Senior Class of 2008 Graduation Party - $300 (graduation night supplies)
2008 Monte De Rosas Fiesta - $250 (7th annual cultural celebration)

Altrusa of Montrose is pleased to be able to help support organizations and functions in our community. These grants are made possible with funds raised during our annual Spring Luncheon, Golf Tournament, and Holiday Festival.

Altrusans support Passage Charter knitting class

Recently, Altrusa of Montrose awarded a grant of $150 to Passage Charter school for knitting supplies for classes being taught there. The young parents are learning to knit items for their babies, such as hats and sweaters.

Connie Majors shows off a knit sweater -- an example of what the students are learning to create.

Promoting Health & Education in Himalayan Regions

Jim Nowak, a local mountaineer living in Ridgway, and co-founder and Executive Director of the dZi Foundation, spoke at a recent meeting and showed a moving video about the many humanitarian projects the foundation has underway. dZi began when Jim and his wife, Kim Reynolds, were inspired to support a safehouse in Kathmandu for girls at risk while on one of their many trekking and climbing trips to Nepal. In the years since then, dZi has also become involved in numerous educational and health projects.

As part of this year's international projects, ASTRA will be raising funds for Friendship House in Kathmandu, a Girls' Education Program sponsored by dZi. These girls have been rescued from the fate of human trafficing and attend a school where most become nurses, midwives, or health assistants of some kind. The girls at the home will use ASTRA funds to identify and fund worthy local projects, thus helping ASTRA pass on the habit of community service to others. Judy Snedeker announced that an anonomous donor has given $1,000 to ASTRA toward this project. In previous years, ASTRA funded an Infant Nutition Program and a teacher in the Nepalese village of Nuntalla through dZi.

Other health-related projects by dZi have been to provide dental clinics and eye clinics for children. The organization also supports schools, trains teachers, and helps bring clean drinking water to villages.

Over the years Altrusa of Montrose has supported several projects in Nepal, including sending books and high quality clothing to poor villages where Val and Terry Burnell are well known. We have also assisted ASTRA by collecting supplies and personal items for them to deliver to Nepal.

February/March 2008 Newsletter

The current issue of our local newsletter, ALTRUSUN, is available online:
February/March 2008, Volume 31, Issue 8 (715 Kb PDF)