Every Good Turn Deserves Another

Since 1950, the Quota club of Waterloo, Iowa, U.S.A., has hosted a fund-raising brunch to support service to the community. Each April, the group attracts about 600 local residents for an outstanding meal that helps a worthy cause.

The brunch typically raises U.S.$8,000-$10,000, which the club uses to fund work at a battered women's shelter, eyeglasses for school children, assistance to hearing-impaired children, and other projects.

In 1998, the club took on a popular project as mentoring partners in two local schools. Quota members tutor children as needed, fund library purchases, and contribute to a scarf and mitten drive each year. And the effort has not gone unnoticed by students, who, in return, surprised club members by volunteering to help the Quota club bag and deliver nuts for their annual sale and to serve and help out during the annual brunch fund-raiser. "Their eagerness and energy added a real sparkle to the occasion, and we were grateful and proud," reported club member Jean Appleby. Their reward? Gift certificates from the Dairy Queen and opportunities to pile up citizen points necessary for graduation from eighth grade!