Quota Cares Month—Top Winner
Quota International of Orange

Do you know how Victorian fashion relates to early childhood education? The Quota club of Orange in New South Wales does. They used their Quota Cares Month fund-raiser, a fashion show of authentic Victorian clothing, to help fund the Orange and District Early Education Program.

On March 13, the Orange Quotarians put on "A Portrait of a Victorian Lady," a seminar and display of the dress, accessories, and customs of Victorian women from 1850 to 1900. Charlotte Smith, owner and curator of the Darnell Collection, provided the historical display and gave a talk that fascinated the sellout crowd of 132. Attendees enjoyed wine and cheese before a dinner prepared by the Quotarians. The evening closed with a raffle of prizes donated by local businesses and wineries. However, no one left without hearing how the proceeds of the event would be used.

The nearly $2,500 that the Orange Quotarians generated with that evening's entertainment was donated to the Orange and District Early Education Program. The early intervention program currently operates in a community-owned preschool facility, but their work with children from birth to school-age who are experiencing developmental delays or disabilities would be better served by a purpose-built structure. They have been raising funds for that purpose for some time, but the Quota club donation overwhelmed them.

Staff and parents from the program attended "A Portrait of a Victorian Lady" and helped promote Quota, as Quotarians worked to fund and promote their school. Also in attendance were members of the National Trust & Historic Society as well as fashion design, English, and fine arts students from local schools. These groups were new sites of outreach for the Orange Quotarians, and their Quota Cares Month efforts brought four new potential members who, after seeing the life-changing work of this project, immediately joined the existing members in living the Quota mission.

To read or print the club's winning application, click here*.

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