TWOQC holiday season a chance to help youth

Diane Quinn

The Women of Quail Creek will celebrate the holidays in festive style at a luncheon on December 12 at noon. This year’s theme, O Christmas Tree, will set the mood for a gathering of friends old and new in the Madera Clubhouse Ballroom. Entertainment will be provided by a trio of musicians known to residents of Quail Creek. Cyndy Gierada, Ray Herbert and Robert Lewis will provide holiday tunes. Lunch will include a traditional menu of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, along with a festive dessert.

Amidst the holiday decorations will be a sleigh filled with donations for young women participating in Youth on Their Own (YOTO), one of the newest charitable causes supported by TWOQC. At the Membership Brunch in October, members were given the opportunity to pick up a Christmas card with the name and age of a YOTO participant. Members were then asked to bring a gift, not exceeding a $25 value, to the holiday lunch. TWOQC hopes to fill the sleigh with over 200 gift bags from the members’ response.

YOTO is a program of support for youth who are homeless through no fault of their own. The primary goal of YOTO is to keep these young people in school so that they can graduate and have an opportunity to create a stable life for themselves. YOTO was founded over 30 years ago in Tucson. It served over 1600 youth 10 to 21 years of age in 2015, with a 92% retention rate to graduation. Further information about YOTO is available at their website, yoto.org.

Tickets for the holiday luncheon are already on sale. Watch What’s Happening announcements for the next ticket sale time and location or contact Nancy Wilson, [email protected]. The luncheon is open to all TWOQC members and guests. Non-refundable tickets are $20 for members, $25 for guests.

Members who did not get a donation card for YOTO may contact Carol Mutter at [email protected] to receive one.