Diane Quinn
As we look back over this last year we’d like to thank the Quail Creek community for their generous support of the many charitable programs of The Women of Quail Creek (TWOQC). It’s been said it takes a village to raise a child, and it’s taken the 350 members of TWOQC and many of our neighbors and friends to support the programs we’ve worked on in 2017. Throughout the year we have asked the public to help support: the baby shower for military families, the fashion show benefiting the American Cancer Society, the school supply and holiday gift bag drive for Youth on Their Own, both a benefit concert and Oktoberfest supporting TWOQC’s scholarships for high school students and women in transition and the clothing drive for homeless veterans. Each of these appeals has been met with a generous and heart-warming response. To be more specific, the community’s generosity has resulted in:
* Over $3000 donated to purchase gifts for the baby shower and award cash prizes during the event. Hand-made quilts, knitted and crocheted blankets, booties and hats numbered in the hundreds. People also contributed clothing, strollers, toys and books.
* $11,000 donated to the American Cancer Society as a result of the fashion show co-sponsored by TWOQC and The Relay for Life.
* Hundreds of school supplies and 250-plus holiday gift bags valued at an estimated $12,000 for Youth on Their Own.
* $7300 in scholarship funds were given to local high school women and a woman in transition as a result of collaboration with Sahuarita Educational Enrichment Foundation and other fund drives by TWOQC. Recent activities such as Oktoberfest and collaboration with the Quail Creek Education Committee have raised enough funds to guarantee the granting of more scholarships in 2018.
* 8,000-plus items of clothing, $250 cash and 100 pounds of toiletries were donated to the Southern Arizona Veterans Administration for homeless veterans.
Membership in TWOQC costs $25 annually. From those funds, the organization has made grants to: Continental School District’s Sweet Art Gala, QCCC Walk/Run, Quail Creek 2017 Employee Appreciation, the Green Valley Fire Department Toys for Tots Christmas and Southern Arizona Honor Flight.
Each month prior to the program scheduled for its members, TWOQC puts out a call for collection of items to help various groups. As a result, TWOQC members have provided:
* 1254 letters for Honor Flight Veterans Mail Call
* Career clothing for men and women who are homeless veterans
* Over 1000 items including calendars, playing cards, toiletries and 400 pair of reading glasses for homeless and hospitalized veterans
* 213 pounds of food and $150 for the Community Food Bank
Thank you! TWOQC cannot do all this without you. We look forward to a productive 2018.