Our deepest thanks to Winston Churchill High School (Potomac, Maryland) Ambassadors and Marie Umali Gasaway, Assistant Principal for hosting a book drive for us during MLK Day. Thank you for getting your whole school involved in serving those in need!
Every year the Takoma Foundation recognizes folks in Greater Takoma (i.e., Takoma Park and the immediately adjacent neighborhoods) who strive to serve our community in a variety of ways, seen and behind the scenes. This year we have 11 categories to honor those who provide outstanding community service.
Congratulations to Seth Grimes and Steve Whitney (Neighborhood Volunteer) and others for being included in the nominations for Azalea Awards. Azalea Award voting will close at midnight on Thursday, February 20th. Winners in each category (11) will be announced at 3:00 pm on Sunday, February 23, at the Historic Takoma Office, Takoma Junction.
Please log on https://www.takomafoundation.org/events/
azalea-awards-ballot. Your vote counts. Everyone is a winner.
Our thanks to Taylor Dibbert for our wonderful feature in the February issue of the Takoma Park Newsletter. https://takomaparkmd.gov/news/newsletter/
Our thanks to Barnes & Noble Tysons Corner for hosting a book fair for us on Saturday, February 8, 2020. Mete and Lana had a wonderful time sharing our club’s mission and making bookmarks with the kids. Our thanks to Barnes & Noble Tysons Corner giving us the chance to raise money for our program and for their generous donation of books and DVDs. We are grateful for your continued support!
Our thanks to Washington Episcopal School for helping us make 75 fabric paper bookmarks and 10 handdrawn bookmarks, and for hosting a wonderful book drive to support our Books for Bedtime Program which provides brand new books to children in need on Friday, February 7, 2020. Our thanks to Tiffney Brockway, Registrar & Assistant to Middle School Director for coordinating our visit. We had a wonderful time being part of your First Friday celebration where your students also made snack bags and sandwiches for Bethesda Cares, drew Valentine’s Day cards for Children’s hospital, made blankets for animal shelters, and spent time with the elderly at Sunrise Village. Kudos to all of you for your kindness.
STM Kokua Foods distributed 10,230 lbs of fresh produce, grocery, dairy, bread, frozen foods, canned goods and other nonperishable items to food insecure families this January serving students at Takoma Park ES, Piney Branch ES, Rolling Terrace ES, Wheaton Woods ES, Takoma Park MS, and Montgomery Blair HS. We are grateful to our food partners at Wegmans Germantown, Wegmans Woodmore, Imperfect Foods, TPSS Co-op, KOL Foods, U-Haul Moving & Storage for donating the use of their truck, The Nugent family for their weekly donation of a grocery bag of nonperishable foods, Margie Billian for her donation of fleece gloves, The Elinoff family, The Degasperis family, and AmeriCorps The Choice Program at UMBC for volunteering with us. Special thanks to our distribution partner Bryan Goehring & Difference Makers/TPMS, and site managers Doris Duarte /Hampshire Tower Apts and Helen Winder/WWES. Thanks also to our STM members (Lana, Jacob, Abigail, Jacinto, Luis, Yeni, and Gabriel) for helping with the distribution as well as giving out new books at TPMS and RTES, student volunteers (Yacouba and Hadrian), and adult volunteers (WWES Principal Daman Harris, Wendy Kent, Jeff Diamante, Seth Grimes, Stephen Whitney, Ken Allen, Jim Douglas, Sarah Stella, Luis Almar, Thomas Jacob, Wei Li, Leandra Nichola, Taylor Dibbert, Sawa Kamara, Aurelie Bush, Kevin Buchanan, Yajaira Garay, Enrique Garay, Pia Acol, Iris Antezana, Mr. Seid, Ms. Perez, Ms. Bonilla, Mr. Kassaye, Anthony Murray, Jill Nicolas, Kia Robinson, Margaret Sutton, Robin Hernandez, and John Anderson) for their tireless dedication and hard work.
If you are interested in volunteering us please contact us! www.smallthingsmatter.org
Our thanks to Brownie Troop #34039 who made 3 large tied fleece blankets with us for the families at the The Children’s Inn at NIH on January 26, 2020. These lovely girls are learning how to think about what people need and how to fill that need with compassionate giving. They put alot of love and heart into making these blankets. The troop also collected canned foods to help serve our Kokua Foods families. Way to go!!!
We made some fun 2.25″ mirror buttons using Jean Gray Reed’s lovely animal designs. These will be used as a fundraiser for Lettuce Craft – Formerly Craftster! Hope they are a hit!
Our thanks to Kathy Jentz/ Washington Gardener Magazine for ordering some cute 1″ buttons for her upcoming #seedswapday event.
Making buttons is just one of the many ways we help spread awareness while raising funds for STM. Choose from round 1″, 1.5″, and 2.25″ buttons with a turnaround time of usually 1 week. Thanks!
STM had a wonderful time at the MLK Day evening celebration at Takoma Park Middle School on January 20, 2020. It was such a beautiful way to end a day of community service in honor of Dr. King with inspiring speeches, music, and a community dinner. Thank you Doris Duarte for recognizing all of our members (Aurelie Bush, Leandra Nichola,Taylor Dibbert, Sawa Kamara, John Anderson, Steve Whitney, Ken Allen, Jim Douglas, Seth Grimes, Wei Li, Amber Cameron, Thomas Jacob, Sarah Stella, Luis Almer, Yajaira & Enrique Garay, Jeff Diamante, Sam, Sam, Lana, Jacob, Abigail, Brigitte) and our many partners ( Imperfect Foods, Wegmans, Wegmans, TPSS Co-op, KOL Foods, Silver Spring Cares, U-Haul Moving & Storage, Bryan Goehring/Difference Makers) involved in Kokua Foods rescue efforts. Congratulations again on your well deserved Unsung Hero Award!