Lending a Helping Hand

Women and children are not forgotten during the holidays when Quota thrives in their community. Here's a quick look at some of the many service efforts offered by Quota International from North America to Down Under.

CANADA
Unique Family Service in Saskatchewan

UNITED STATES
Cupertino Club Remembers Kids at Holiday Time

Remembering Needs at the Shelter

NETHERLANDS ANTILLES
Christmas Dance in Curaçao

AUSTRALIA
Gold Coast Quota Leads Walk of Hope

CANADA
Unique Family Service in Saskatchewan

The Quota club of Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada, created a unique program that makes families happy—a toy lending library! The club donates Can.$500 annually to the local library for new toys that kids can take home for two weeks at a time. Parents and children from all socioeconomic backgrounds use the service. It allows kids to try new toys and, by the time interest wanes, it's time to return it to the library.

As one parent commented, "There are certain toys that kids always want, but parents can only tolerate them, usually due to the noise factor, for a couple of weeks. This way, everyone is happy!"

The club recently donated more than $2,000 to the library towards a redesign project in the children's section. New features include child-level shelving, child-sized furniture, and a toy cupboard.

UNITED STATES
Cupertino Club Remembers Kids At Holiday Time

Christmastime finds the Cupertino Quota club in California, U.S.A., busy creating holiday cheer for kids. In partnership with Cupertino Community Services, Quota volunteers ring bells in front of local stores to raise funds, and they gather gifts for the "Adopt-a-Family at Christmas" program.

The club also helps with other projects throughout the year. Recently, CCS asked Quota to provide Easter goodies for families in need. Cupertino club members sprang into action to fill colorful baskets with toys, games, and candy and assemble ingredients for full Easter dinners that fed numerous families.

UNITED STATES
Remembering Needs at the Shelter

When women leave women's shelters and start a new household, they typically begin with next to nothing. But in the Corning-Painted Post, New York, area, Quota makes a difference by providing these women with new kitchen items, toiletries, and other household goods to make the transition easier. Quota members Marilyn Maloney and Gloria Bingaman recently shopped for their club's donation to a local shelter.

NETHERLANDS ANTILLES
Christmas Dance in Curaçao

Curaçao Quota members unanimously agree that their annual Christmas celebration at a local orphanage is the highlight of the year. When the club planned the party for children at Villa Maria Orphanage, club members assembled gift packages, food, and lots of goodies; they arranged for a children's choir to carol; and they hired a professional Santa Claus to visit.

Two days before the big event, Santa called in sick! Rather than disappoint the children, club member Ingebord Campman donned the red suit, stuffed it with a pillow, and belted out her very best "ho ho ho!" for an unforgettable experience. When she entered the room filled with 150 youngsters, Ingebord made eye contact with a delighted little boy. "The sparkles in his eyes were enough to encourage me to go forth!" said Ingebord.

Then Santa asked the boy to join "him" in a Christmas salsa. After the dance, Santa pulled the boy into a big hug, and the boy whispered into her ear, "I usually don't dance with men, but with that voice and that pillow in your suit, I think it's O.K."

AUSTRALIA
Gold Coast Quota Leads Walk of Hope

In the Australian Relay for Life to raise funds for cancer research, the Gold Coast Quota club entered a team called the Quota Queens. The weekend trek takes place each May. At the conclusion of the relay, all team members walk one complete circuit together, an effort called the Walk of Hope.

The Gold Coast Quota club was invited to lead the Walk of Hope this year. Members of the community followed behind, carrying blue and white Quota balloons (fully biodegradable, of course!) At the end of the walk, the one thousand balloons were released in unison. "It was a memorable occasion. It certainly made our members proud and raised our profile in the community," said club President Rozlyn Lees.

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