Helping at Home

From flowers to fingerprints, Quota clubs worldwide address the needs of their local communities with great ideas!

• THE PHILIPPINES
  From Garden to Greenhouse: Manila South Quota Brings New Life to Aged Persons
  
  
• AUSTRALIA
  Mums for Mums: Townsville Quota Turns Flowers into Cash
  
  
• AUSTRALIA
  Hoping for Top Banana in Murwillumbah
  
  
• CANADA
  Orillia Quota Club Promotes Kid Safety

THE PHILIPPINES
From Garden to Greenhouse: Manila South Quota Brings New Life to Aged Persons

On the outskirts of Manila, within a Boys Town compound in Parang, Marikina, stands a home for the aged called Luwalhati ng Maynila. Residents there are picked up from the city streets, hungry, disoriented, often senile, and placed in the government-run home, because their families cannot be located or refuse to take them in. "Each of them has a sad story to tell," said past club president Corazon de Castro.

Since few visit the home, the Manila-South Quota club decided to make a difference by planting a garden that the residents could tend and enjoy. Early one March morning, club members arrived with potted flowers and herbs for the green patch, plus 165 goodie bags filled with cookies, candies, fruits, and beverages for the residents and a large donation of medicines and cleaning products for the home.

"Their faces lit up as we entered the hall," noted Corazon. "They had prepared a program of songs and dances for us. The opening number was a very touching Filipino song sung by an old man. Its message was that we should treat old people with respect, because we will also grow old. That song is their anthem. Then they asked us to dance, so we all laughed and had fun."

In response, Quota members sang an unrehearsed native song entitled "Dahil Sa Iyo," meaning "because of you." "The whole visit turned out to be a party," added Corazon.

The club decided to expand their plan with a GREAT IDEA. What began as a simple garden plot for the residents was transformed into a major service effort to construct a greenhouse on the property that will allow the home to generate some income for the home's upkeep as it gives residents an interesting hobby to enjoy.

AUSTRALIA
Mums for Mums: Townsville Quota Turns Flowers into Cash

The Townsville Quota club in Queensland, Australia, celebrates Mother's Day with a lucrative chrysanthemum sale. For the past quarter century, the club has gathered the day before the sale to sort and bunch an ocean of mums—frequently revived by cups of tea, coffee, and munchies, of course! Then on Mother's Day, sporting their blue Quota shirts, members fan out throughout Townsville to sell the flowers. This GREAT IDEA fundraiser brings in nearly Aus.$2,000 each year for club service and offers the community a way to get those last minute mums for their mums.

AUSTRALIA
Hoping for Top Banana in Murwillumbah

"Murwillumbah," in the aboriginal language of Australia, means "place of many possums." But in late August, this pleasant town along the banks of the Tweed River north of Sydney is the place of many BANANAS!

When the banana crop is harvested, throngs arrive for the festivities. And the local Quota club's GREAT IDEA takes advantage of this great opportunity to raise funds for service projects and enjoy the fun. The club sponsors a candidate for Banana Queen and donates thousands of dollars to the festival planning committee to use as needed to put on the event.

For more information on the annual festival, visit http://www.bananafestival.asn.au/

CANADA
Orillia Quota Club Promotes Kid Safety

The Quota Club of Orillia, Ontario, Canada, hit upon a GREAT IDEA in partnering with local police and Child Find Ontario to provide free fingerprinting for kids. During their "Kidcheck Clinic," parents drop by to receive an information packet with child safety tips and have their little ones fingerprinted and foot-printed for safety identification. In the event that the child would become missing, police would have prints and other identifying information on record.

Back to Top of Page>>>

Back to We Share Foundation e-zine Cover>>>

More Great Ideas>>>

e-zine Articles by Category>>>