Golden West Pioneer Giving and Volunteering Did you know that the TelecomPioneers is the largest corporate volunteer group in the world? The Golden West Pioneer Council is proud to be part of this organization. Our corporate sponser, Qwest Communications, provides us with support funding for many of our volunteer projects. Volunteer hours are reported each month on a PA7 form and sent in to our chapter headquarters. Our continued support from our chapter and region are based upon our reported volunteer hours. Presently, the Golden West Council has four very nice volunteer and giving projects that are active: "I Like Me Books" for Kindergarten Children White Eraseable Boards for School Students Adoptive Families -- 2008 Check for $1000.00 Presented to Central High School's Library Okay, let's talk about these projects. I Like Me Books "I Like Me Books" are personalized books for kindergarten children. Books are ordered and distributed for each child in a kindergarten class. The books are made personal by some up-front effort by Golden West Pioneers, teachers, and principals. Each book, when given to the child, contains their own name, two of their classmates names, teachers name, principals name, and which organizations sponsor the books (e.g. provide funding). The Golden West Council can be very proud of being the #1 council/club in the state of Colorado for the number of books ordered and distributed. Dave Collard, Golden West Pioneer, heads up the project for our council. He has been doing this for about 7 years. The number of books ordered and distributed has grown each year. For the 2005-2006 school year, over 1200 books are being delivered to schools in Meeker, Maybell, Collbran, De Beque, Clifton, Grand Junction, Fruita, Palisade, Delta, Olathe, and Montrose. The "I Like Me Books" budget for the 2005-2006 year is over $8400.00. TelecomPioneers contributed over half of the funds for this project. Altrusa organizations of Grand Junction and Palisade, Max and Anna Levinson Foundation, Western Rockies Federal Credit Union, Junction Bell Credit Union, the Collbran Lions Club, and the Montrose School District are all financial sponsors. Four Golden West Pioneers and 4 representatives from the the Altrusa Palisade Organization were present for the delivery of the "I Like Me Books" at Taylor Elementary School, Palisade, CO, on Thursday, March 29, 2007. The children were very happy to receive their very own book, and lots of hugs were given by them. Rebecca Watson, 1 of the kindergarten teachers at Taylor Elementary, has been involved with the "I Like Me" book program since its beginning at Taylor in 1998. She has taught the children to say thank you to Altrusa Palisade and the Golden West Pioneers in 4 different ways (1) To say "Thank You," (2) To give hugs, (3) To give smiles, and (4) to sing us a a song. The song is titled "I Am Very Special." The children act out body parts as they are presented in the lyrics of the song. In the following photo, the children are acting out the 10 toes that each of them have by putting their feet up into the air. Kindergarten Class at Taylor Elementary, Palisade, CO

Vern Wheeler, author and publisher of the "I Like Me" books, honored us with his presence during the week of February 20, 2005. Vern was able to attend three "I Like Me" book presentations to the kindergarten children during his visit. Vern developed the "I Like Me" book as a tribute to his father, who passed away in his early 60's. Approximately 3,000,000 personalized books have been produced and distributed to young age school kids since the books were published in the early 1990's. Vern and his wife Carol, who is a big help to him in the production process, live in Topeka, Kansas.

At the Banquet

On the evening of February 24, 2005 our council honored Vern with a banquet in Grand Junction, CO. Most of the Golden West Council Board Members, along with a few special guests, attended the affair. Vern told some heart warming stories about how the "I Like Me" book got started, and pointed out some of the trials and tribulations that took place during the course of its history. In the photograph to the left are a few of the banquet attendees. Shown from left to right are Gayle Griffin, Phyllis Carroll, Dave Collard, and Vern Wheeler.

White Eraseable Boards for School Students

The Golden West Pioneeers are beginning to produce and deliver "white boards" to local school students. The white boards are cut into smaller pieces by a local lumber yard. Each board is approximately 9" by 11 1/2" in size. The boards are then delivered to schools on a per class basis. When the teacher interacts with class members and asks questions, each student can write their reponse on the white board with an eraseable marker and hold it up so the teacher can see the students response to the question. This project is just getting started here in the Grand Junction area and is headed up by our Council President, Bernie Vahling. To learn more about the project or get involved, contact Bernie.

Adoptive Families -- 2008

This will be a great Christmas of giving for the Qwest Pioneers. Qwest Pioneers, Colorado Chapter donated $2000.00 to the Golden West Council to be used for adoptive families in the western slope for Christmas giving. The Golden West Council added to the chapters $2000.00 with a donation of $1500.00 for a total of $3500.00 for giving. In a board meeting on November 10, 2008 it was decided to distribute the $3500.00 as follows:

$1000.00 to Grand Junction

$1000.00 to Delta

$700.00 to Montrose

$400.00 to Palisade

$400.00 to Fruita

$400.00 Donation to Palisade, Altrusa

On the evening of November 17, 2008 the $400.00 check for Palisade, Altrusa was presented to Jen Steele, President of Palisade, Altrusa by Judy Shelp, Qwest Pioneer Board Member.

A picture was taken at the Palisade, Altrusa presentation and it is shown in the following photograph.

Left to Right - Ron Shelp, Jen Steele, Judy Shelp

Fruita $400.00 Donation

A check for the amount of $400.00 was presented to Ruth Farley, who is in charge of the Fruita Agape Food Program. Jerry and Cookie Wilds, Qwest Pioneers, presented the check to her for the purchase of food items. Ruth will purchase perishible food items with the money. She will put the items into bags along with non-perishable items and will hand the bags out to needy families in the Fruita area.

$1000.00 to Grand Junction Adoptive Families

The $1000.00 donation for support of adoptive familes was spread over 5 families. Judy Shelp, Golden West Council board member headed up the project. The total number of recepients were 19 family members. Of the 19, 5 were adults and the remainder was 14 children. Hilltop Social Services provided us with 3 charities that are much in need of assistance. They are:

Latimer House -- Battered Women's Shelter

Family First -- Social Services for Needy Families

Single Dad's -- Help for Single Fathers

In addition, 2 very needy children from Nisley Elementary School were provided for with gifts.

On the evening of December 18th 7 Qwest Pioneers along with some of their children gathered at the Qwest building at 800 Main St. to wrap gifts for the adoptive family project. This project is well supported by active Qwest Pioneers who work at this location. Thanks to all for your support. In the photo below, Ron Bennett, Claudia Fehlman, who are Qwest Pioneers and Stacy Cox's son were there to help wrap the gifts.

December 18, 2008 Gift Wrapping Session

$1000.00 for Delta Giving

Larry Bellmire, Qwest Pioneer, headed up the Delta gift giving. The Delta Food Pantry was given the $1000.00 check for their use.

Dr. C. Marvin Cox, Secretary/Treasurer of the pantry responded with a letter that explained how the funds were used. Dr. Cox stated "With the money provided we again brought SMILES to the faces of 7 families faced with difficult circumstances. The families comprised of the following: (1) A family of 5 who lost everything they had in floods in Kansas and had to move in with a brother who works odd jobs. The mother in this family had to have open-heart surgery and the father is disabled and is applying for SSI. Only the uncle had a bed and he shared it with a nephew." (2) Another family of 5 facing eviction because dad became unemployed. (3) A grandmother living on Social Security whose daughter and 3 children moved in with her with no means of support. (4) A mother whose 16 year old son had to have 2 kidney transplants. (5) A mother whose husband left her with children to care for, and (6) A very young family whose dd is working odd jobs and working attain a GED. and, (7) Another young family with a very ill 6-month old baby.

Dr. Cox stated that it was a privilege to work with the Qwest Pioneers to bring Christmas Cheer to some very needy families in the Delta County area. He said that the smiles on the faces, and tears of joy on others, make this a very worthwhile event.

$700.00 for Montrose Giving

Verlee Strahmann, Qwest Pioneer, headed up the Montrose gift giving. There is a great need at Montrose for community food giving. Therefore, all $700.00 was designated to the Montrose Food Bank, and it was greatley appreciated.

Check for $1000.00 Presented to Central High School's Library

Thank You Qwest Pioneers, Colorado Chapter for making $1000.00 available to the Golden West Council to support our Central High School Library. Central High School is located near Clifton, Colorado. The check was presented on November 13, 2008 to the Librarian Sarah Shelp by Judy Shelp, Golden West Council Board Member (see photo below.) Also present were Ron Shelp, Council Co-President, and Jody Frost, Central High School's Principal

Sarah said that the check would be used to purchase books for special needs students, and all present said that that was a great use of the money. Alexis Head, a Central High School staff member of the Central High School's newspaper, was present and took the picture below.

Left to Right -- Judy, Ron, Sarah, and Jody