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We were to treated to a Charcuterie board and Hor d’Oeuvres created by Chef Will. Our President Rita Williams and board members talked about the upcoming season of luncheons and social events.
We are so grateful to all who sponsored, contributed, purchased tickets and attended our 2021 Community of Strength Fundraiser. We raised $23,404 to distribute equally to Betty Griffin Rape Care Unit, Emergency Services and Homeless Coalition & Food 4 Kids.
The 21st Annual Marsh Creek Art and Craft Show was held May 5th-May 6th at Marsh Creek Country Club. Art from our Marsh Creek neighbors was displayed at the Club during this time.
From our President, Christine Matthaei
It was such a pleasure seeing many of you on Sunday afternoon for our welcome back cocktail party. I want to thank Camille Kay and Paula Hutson for organizing the Angel Tree. I also want to thank Kathy Sharpless for putting the directory together. It truly makes my heart feel good to see you all.
On July 13th the MCWA Board of Directors met at Debbie Coates, Past President & Advisor, home. Seaside Magazine arranged for a photo shoot. They will be featuring our organization in the August issue.
The new board met today and were thankful to do so in person rather than Zoom. A very big thank you to our gracious host, Barbara Mahoney, for allowing us to meet on her large veranda outside in the shade, and with an incredible view.
Our new president, Christine Matthaei introduced our new theme:
COMMUNITY OF STRENGTH
Debbie Coates handed the gavel to Christine Matthaei, marking the official turnover of the board and beginning of a new season.
Christine presenting our outgoing president, Debbie Coates, with flowers.
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Happy birthday to these lovely ladies with March birthdays!!
We began our program today with performances by students from St. Augustine High School. We were entertained with a variety of guitar, horns, acting, dancing and singing. The talent in that group was amazing and we are all grateful for their time and performance.
Our president, Debbie Coates announced that we have raised $10,450 in sponsorship towards our annual Fundraiser. Also, make sure to mark your calendars for May’s luncheon. Due to a change in location, we will have our monthly luncheon program on the third Wednesday of May at the Embassy Suites. It will hold up to 300, so an opportunity for more of our members to attend the luncheon on May 20th.
We had 4 members present with birthdays this month - Happy Birthday, ladies!
Kathy Sharpless, Membership co-chair, asked everyone to come with their cell phones to the April luncheon for a group phone introduction to our new website session. The big news there is that if you would like to register and pay online to renew your membership, that is now an option. For those of you who would prefer to pay by check, there will a table at the April luncheon, where you can renew your membership and pay with check. We are asking all current members to verify the information we have listed on our private membership directory online to ensure accuracy for the next printed membership directory.
Hilde Berdine, co-chair for Outreach Committee, shared the following. One of our selected charities, INK, is having their annual fundraiser in April. Investing in Kids is the charitable foundation benefitting the St. John’s County School District. This would be a wonderful opportunity to participate in our Giving Circle as we supported the Wildflower Healthcare fundraiser. The event is the Boot Scootin’ BBQ which will take place at the Tringali Barn on US 1, April 18 from 6 - 10. You can attend, sponsor or volunteer. Click here for more information. ****This event like so many others has been cancelled, unfortunately, due to COVID-19.****
We are continuing to bring you information about our selected charities through our Charity Liaison Speaker Series. Pat Lopinto, our Liaison to the Betty Griffin Center-Rape Care Unit presented.
“The Betty Griffin Center is the only Center in St. Johns County that has provided free services to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. The Center offers protection and quality services to victims and their children thru the operation of safe & secure shelter & outreach programs, offering assistance, counseling and transitional support.
The Rape Care Unit, which we support, was formed in 2006 to meet a need in our community. For the 12 month period beginning July 2018, sexual advocacy was provided to 57 victims, ranging in age 18 to 81. Survivors of sexual abuse are provided emergency shelter, helpline support, injunctions for protection and counseling, which are all free.
The Rape Recover Program preserves the victim’s dignity and reduces the psychological trauma by providing improved, quality medical services by trained professionals.
When victims come to the Recovery Unit, everything they are wearing becomes part of the evidence, whether or not they choose to report to law enforcement.
We have supported the Recovery Unit for 8 or more years providing them with, among other things, Recovery Bags that include clothing and other essentials for victims when they leave. So far this year, we have given the Unit $200 worth of socks, snacks, ginger ale and water. We contact the Unit each month to determine if they have any other needs.
If you would like to tour the Recovery Unit, please let me know and I will make arrangements.”
Our annual art show is coming. Make sure you have registered if you would like to submit an entry, Click here to register or pick up an application at the front desk of the club. A sign up sheet was passed around at the luncheon for hostesses for the art show. If you would like to sign up and have not, you can email An Marshall. ****This event like so many others has been cancelled, unfortunately, due to COVID-19.****
Happy Birthday to our members with February birthdays!
Camille Kay thanked all the members for being involved and interested in our selected charities. She also thanked the board for approving $200 a month through May for snacks for the children at The Homeless Coalition, a total of 800 spread out over 4 months. The board also approved $50 per month to fill backpacks for 2 children ($25 each per month) to Food4Kids.
We continued with our Charity Liaison Speaker Series at this month’s luncheon with Marilyn Kerr explaining the program at Wildflower Health Clinic.
The ladies who attended the Port in the Storm and the ES/HC tours last month found them to be enlightening. A tour of the Betty Griffin Rape Care unit has been planned for Friday, February 14 at 10:00.
An Marshal invited all artists to contribute and attend the 20th Annual MCWA Art Show is coming up April 8th and April 9th. You can click here for all the details.
The Annual Fundraiser is March 23rd and we have sold all the tickets for attendance. You can still be a sponsor. BY DONATING AT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING LEVELS
Mendoza - $100 - Listing in the program as in-kind donor
Marlborough - $50 - Listing in the fundraiser program
We were entertained by Burt Keirstead who regaled us with story and song of early St Augustine.
We have some wonderful events coming up this spring. Contact Linda Sollie or Diana Emehiser for additional information
Hope to see you at the following events:
March 5th, Carrera Wine Cellar, “The Big 6” Wines
April 6th, TCP Sawgrass, Tour, Lunch & Shopping
April 17th, Jax Symphony & Lunch
May 11-12th, Disney Springs
May 16th, Alhambra Theater, “Grease”
WE KICKED OFF THE NEW YEAR WITH A BANG AND SOME GREAT CHEER FOR THE WORK WE DID IN 2019. Thank you so much to Ann Farnell who once again made sure children and families were taken care of during the holiday season of giving. As a recap on the Angel Tree, we supplied 64 gifts for the children and families of the Emergency Services/Homeless Coalition. The remaining funds from the cash donations will be used to purchase backboards for the basketball courts. Your donations are so appreciated because they make a difference.
Outreach will begin the New Year with tours of the facilities of three of our charities. T
The tour of Port in the Storm, a shelter for homeless teens, is scheduled for Monday, January 13th at 10:30.
The tour of Emergency Services/Homeless Coalition will take place on Tuesday, January 21 st at 1:30.
A February date for a tour of Betty Griffin Center—Rape Care Unit is being discussed with the Director of this facility.
Each of these tours can accommodate a limited number of people, so if you are interested in attending, please contact either Camille Kay or Hilde Berdine. For each tour, we will meet in the Club parking lot one-half hour prior to the scheduled tour start time so that we can carpool and arrive at the facility on time as a group.
Our charity liaison speaker series continued this month with the focus on Food4Kids. Liaison Adrienne Lyons spoke, helping us better understand how we can be of support. Food for Kids provides backpacks of food during weekends and summer months for over 200 underprivileged students and their siblings at South Woods Elementary School in Hastings. To feed one child costs $300 for the year. Anyone interested in wanting to support a child can offer their monetary contribution. They always need volunteers to pack the backpacks. MCWA will primarily provide monetary funding for food as well as occasionally supply items for the children.
Now that the New Year has arrived, our efforts will be directed towards our Charity Fundraiser “Sip and Savor” which will take place on March 23rd at Barbara and Charles Mahoney home. They have graciouslhy agreed to host another year. Please save this date; and if you are interested in lending a hand, please let us know.
Tickets can be purchased by putting a check in the envelope in the ladies locker room. Please write in the memo of the check “for fundraiser.” The cost is $75 per person. We are limited to 150 tickets and we already sold half at the luncheon.
Please continue to donate bottles of wine valued at over $20 to donate to the wine pull as part of the fundraiser. You can drop the wine off at the front desk with Jennifer at the clubhouse or bring to the next luncheon in February.
Another fun social where a group of lovely ladies gathered to make flower arrangements to be used on the tables for the January luncheon. A big thanks to Diana Emehiser and her elves Linda Sollie and Val D’Angelo for making this happen and showing us the basics.
Before enjoying a delicious lunch of salmon in a dill sauce with rice, broccoli, rolls and salad, the members attending today’s luncheon were treated to holiday songs sung by the Marsh Creek Chorale led by our own, Carolyn Brown. Patrice Cosier played piano. The theme was “Home for the Holidays,” with a variety of songs from We all enjoyed the music very much! Cal Brown and her daughter Carolyn wowed with “Benedictus.”
Dr. Lydia Daniel helped us all understand the needs for Port In The Storm, one of our outreach charities. These are teenage children on the cusp of being let loose into the adult world without the benefit of strong family support behind them. This is a place where they can come when home is not the best place to be and are in need of a safe place.
In our efforts to offer everyone an opportunity to contribute through our Giving Circle, if you are wanting to help in some way without an overwhelming commitment, consider being on the list of meal providers. One day a week, on Mondays, Port In The Storm relies on the generosity of those willing to bring in lunch for these kids. If you are interested, please contact: You will be added to the growing list of volunteers and contacted when your meal is needed, with back up if you cannot fulfill that day.
Angel Tree Donations are on the way to their destination thanks to Ann Farnell and her elves. The children and some families will benefit from MCWA generosity. Not only were all the angels taken and fulfilled, many of you made cash donations to the amount $2,000. Ann will make sure all gifts are equitable and fair. From that, $2000 will be used for afternoon snacks at The Homeless Coalition. Any extra funds will be put to good use among our charities and we’ll keep you posted.
Several new members were in attendance at the lunch today. A big welcome to them.
Ann Marshall and her sister Kit Zayas presented on the topic of downsizing and the inevitability of “not if, but when.” Anne Farnell organized The Angel Tree where MCWA members could select from the tree to provide gifts for the families at Emergency services and Homeless Coalition of St. John’s County (ESHC). Nina Pitkin as the liaison for this organization shared ways we could all help and also offered to provide a tour of the facility.
On November 4th, a caravan of MCWA members headed south to Daytona to explore Cici and Hyatt Brown Art Museum, The Museum of Arts and Sciences and Planetarium Root Family Exhibit
Local author, Karen Harvey was the presenter at this luncheon sharing her history of St Augustine
Jackie Ronco is a local St Augustine resident and Psychic Medium, She came to Marsh Creek Country lcub to demonstrate a night of Mediumship, giving messages to audience members from their loved ones who have transitioned to the Spirit World.
