December Program

Refreshments, Music, Jollity — and Gift Bag Wrapping, Too!

Saturday, December 14, 12 noon

        at DD's Home

We'd love to see you at DD's home on the14th for a noontime Holiday Celebration, and our annual AAUW San Luis Obispo Gift Bag Assembly Line!

Please come if you can, and bring guests if you'd like, to our December AAUW Festivities. This meeting is always entertaining, and comes with food and beverage, music and jollity!

We'll start with an assembly line to fill and be-ribbon cello bags with small gifts and toiletries, treats and supplies,* which Branch members and supporters donate for CAPSLO (Community Action Partnership) clients. It's a fun and fast-moving project, hands-on for the Holidays!

And thanks for participating! Hope to see you on the 14th.

Mary Howell
Chair

* More details are in our September Branch Newsletter, and we're happy to say we already have over 100 toothbrushes with toothpaste and several dozen washcloths donated!!

President's Message

November provided us two important opportunities to fundraise for our branch scholarships. On Election Day, our branch staffed two Adopt-A-Poll precincts. A little later in the month, our November branch "meeting" at the House of Bread Farmhouse gave all those who were able to attend a chance to connect over good food and lively conversation as we raised some additional funds. You can read more about the success of both of these efforts in this month's newsletter. Thank you to all who participated and donated!

I am happy to report that Erica Baltodano, who our board voted to endorse in her run for SLOUSD School Board - Area 6, decisively won her race with 71.9% of the vote. I was able to meet her in person and give her our congratulations when she stopped by the House of Bread Farmhouse to pick up a quiche in support of our fundraiser!

Our December branch meeting and holiday get together will offer another opportunity for building community with the assembly of our annual Care and Comfort Gift Bags. These have long been a branch tradition and benefit those using CAPSLO's services at 40 Prado. After assembling the gift bags, we'll have lunch and merriment. I hope to see you there!

It may seem that winter will last a long four years, but we have the warmth of friendship and the power of our convictions to help us continue the progress WE ALL have made in empowering women and girls, and in advancing equity for all. In processing the ramifications of the presidential election, I keep running across quotes from the Black lesbian poet, writer, feminist, and activist Audre Lord (1934-1992). One of her most famous — and powerful — quotes is about self-care:

Caring for myself is not self-indulgence. It is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.

So, I join with others who are sending similar messages at this time to say I hope this holiday season provides you some time to relax and recharge, to spend time with those you love, to reflect on all that fills you, and to reach out, when you can, to others as well.

Happy holidays!

Debra Valencia-Laver
President

A Successful November Fundraiser!

A busy night at our HOB Farmhouse fundraiser

On Friday, November 15, members and their families and friends gathered at The House of Bread Farmhouse to support students in the community via our AAUW scholarships fundraiser. From 4-6 pm, there were 23 members who came by, at least 24 signed-in guests, plus assorted spouses and others. Thank you to all who attended and/or got others to attend!

In all, there were 64 orders made during the two-hour happy hour period. Our portion of the proceeds for the evening was $330.51; plus we raised another $171 from the on-site donations, and DD received another $200 from mailed-in donations! The total raised was $701.51 - a SLOHS scholarship+!!

We had a very full house for the entire time. There were lots of opportunities to connect and to enjoy some good food and drinks!

I so appreciate how many of our members were able to attend, in many cases before rushing off to other evening events. And I was impressed by the many new faces who dropped by to support our work! Thank you to those members who took the time to promote the event — it was the word of mouth that was most effective in bringing others in. I'm very hopeful that there will be some new members among those attendees!

Thank you to Susan Updegrove for arranging the Tech Trek student presentation and to Patricia Ponce and Gail Wakefield for serving as bartenders for the evening. A special thanks to owner and breadmaking master Sheila McCann, who donated a baking class gift certificate as one of our door prizes and 25% of the evening's profits!! Thank you, Sheila! Thank you, all!!

Debra Valencia-Laver

Adopt-A-Poll Update

   Setting up the polling place for the November election.

Our Adopt-A-Poll workers were busy, busy, busy in preparation for Election Day and on Election Day itself. Prior to the election, volunteer workers – made up from our branch members and other volunteers — attended trainings and a few helped with set up on the Monday before election day (see photo). Election Day November 5 was modestly busy but very manageable. Across our two precincts, we took in a couple of hundred (maybe more!) drop-off vote-by-mail ballots and processed about 150 precinct voters and over 60 provisional voters. Many of the voters were first time voters, who were fun to celebrate!! From the feedback we received, it was clear that our efforts were highly valued by the voters and the elections office.

We are most appreciative — and fortunate — to have had Diane Howard serve as our Chief Inspector. It is not an understatement to say that her many responsibilities for this election started the day after the June primary!! From recruiting and scheduling workers to serving as our main contact with the elections office, her work was stellar. I know that I couldn't have done my precinct inspector's job without her leadership, energy, and attention to detail!

Our half-day provision ballot specialists were Esther Pudlo, Peggy Papathakis, Susan Updegrove, and Gary Laver. Other workers were members Shay Blackburn, Maggie Bodemer, Lorie Johnson, Dianne DeTurris, Maureen Dresp, Cindy Treichler, Mary Howell, Patricia Ponce, and Laurie Schneemann. We were joined by family members and friends Yvonne Hoffman, George Janeway, Alice McNeely, John Papathakis, Jacqueline Rose, John Roullard, Cynthia Rozamus, John Schneemann, and Dennis Young. This was the first election for a few of our workers, and other were new to their positions. Overall, there were few problems, and nothing we couldn't handle!

On set up day, Gail Wakefield was also able to help. And some coffee and donuts supplied by Esther helped get us through election day. Thank you to all who participated with Adopt-A-Poll! As a branch, we appreciate the opportunity to serve the community and to raise funds for our branch!

Debra Valencia-Laver

In Memoriam: Carol Dover and Shirley Erickson

November brought the passing to two long-time, active, and beloved members of our branch community.

Carol Dover passed away on November 19 at the age of 91. In her obituary, her connection to AAUW is prominently highlighted, "After Carol retired in 1997, she moved to San Luis Obispo, near her son, Ross's family. Here she took up Bridge, joined First Presbyterian Church, became an active member of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), and volunteered as a Reading Buddy with elementary school children. She was a fierce advocate for education, and particularly passionate about advancing education for and empowering girls and women, especially single mothers." Carol served our branch in multiple capacities: as a co-president, Secretary, and VP for the AAUW Educational Foundation, AAUW Fund, Public Policy, and Membership. She coordinated the Dine Out Interest Group. She was a Named Gift Honoree in 2006. Sue Fong recalled, "Carol is one of the first AAUW mentors I remember. She was always so interested in what others had done and had to offer." My personal memories of Carol are very much the same. Per her family's request, donations in her memory can be directed to the Cuesta College Re-Entry Scholarship.

To donate by check:

Donation by check payable to: Cuesta College Foundation

Memo Line: AAUW Reentry Student Endowed Scholarship
Mail to: Cuesta College Foundation, P.O. Box 8106, San Luis Obispo, CA 93403-8106
To donate online:
https://www.cuesta.edu/about/foundation/donate.html
Choose ‘AAUW Reentry Student Scholarship Endowment’ from the drop-down list. 

 

Shirley Erickson passed away on November 17th, though no obituary information was available at the time of this writing. She was 93. Shirley joined AAUW in 1996 and was a Named Gift Honoree for our branch in 2013. She served our branch as Programs VP, and coordinated the Dine In, Dine Out, and Mystery Readers Interest Groups. I attended one of the meetings of the Mystery Readers Interest Group when I first became president. I was very impressed by Shirley's knowledge of the genre and her obvious love of reading and discussing mystery books and series!

 

I know that both women meant a lot to so many of our members; their participation in our branch made a difference. Our condolences to their families and friends.

 

Debra Valencia-Laver

Meet our New Member

Our newest member is Margaret "Maggie" Bodemer. She was born and raised in Salt Lake City, and has also lived in Phoenix, Seattle, Honolulu, Scotland, England, and Hanoi, Vietnam before moving to SLO. Her passion for culture, history and language drove her to study International Studies at the University of Washington for her B.A., then Anthropology at the University of Hawai'i. She conducted research for her dissertation on Vietnamese anthropology and museums under a Fulbright. She is fluent in Vietnamese, speaks a little Spanish and German, and is currently learning Mandarin and Japanese. She is preparing to take Cal Poly students to Tokyo and Seoul next summer. She loves jigsaw puzzles and runs a local swap! Please welcome her at our next meeting!

Gail Wakefield, Membership Chairperson/VP

Dining Out

Our November Dine Out had to be changed due to the fact that the chosen restaurant couldn't accommodate the number of attendees. The Spirit of San Luis became our restaurant for the month, and no one was upset with this change of venue. The ten of us had the side area all to ourselves, and we had a tasty meal and a wonderful waitress who catered to our every need. She even took the picture that is attached to this article.

Next month is our annual December Dine Out venue--Madonna Inn's Copper Cafe. It will be held on Wednesday, December 18th, at 6 pm. I will make the reservation for 10, as George and I will not be able to attend due to Pink Martini tickets at the PAC at 7:30. I will be there to welcome all of you who attend and wish you a very Joyous Holiday Season.

Do email me if you plan to attend. I can always add or subtract to the number the reservation is for. Remember, if you plan to attend, do bring cash. Madonna Inn does not provide separate checks. This is such a festive time at Madonna Inn with all their holiday decorations. Do plan to attend and enjoy the holiday spirit in the cafe and the company of fellow AAUW members. Rides to the Inn can be arranged.

Esther Pudlo
Dine Out Coordinator

 

Brown Bags 'N' Books

This group gathers monthly (usually September through May) on second Tuesdays. We’ll meet next on December 10 at 12:30 pm in the library room at the Laguna Lake Mobile Estates on Prefumo Canyon Road in SLO. Beverly Cohen will lead a discussion of Mary Coin who was photographer Dorothea Lange's iconic 'Migrant Mother'. Marisa Silver is the author.

BB&B readers often bring a lunch or something to share to our meetings - likely a holiday treat this time. 

If you have questions, reach out to Gina Kirk.

December Birthdays

Diane Howard Dec. 19th

Delfina Medina Dec. 21st

Donna Perales Dec. 30th

Laurie Schneemann Dec. 19th

Debra Valencia Laver Dec. 17th