WCI Delivers

GFWC Woman's Club of Indio

April 2024 Volume 8, Issue 4

www.wcindio/home

GFWC WOMAN’S CLUB OF INDIO IS A PROUD MEMBER OF CFWC AND GFWC

The California Federation of Women’s Clubs (CFWC) is a statewide non-profit service organization with 10,000 members. Its motto, “Strength United in Service,” reminds us that more can be accomplished when we unite our efforts to serve others.

The General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) is an international organization dedicated to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service. Founded in 1890, and with clubs in every state, Washington, D. C., and more than a dozen countries, GFWC members transform lives every day.

Leadership: Officer Reports

President's Message

April 2024

The end of our club year and my term as your President are quickly approaching and now is the time to celebrate what we accomplished this year as we head toward our summer break. 

Please be sure to attend our April meeting where we will elect our Executive Board for the 2024 – 2026 term. The program will be one of our most fun events of the year, BINGO . . . a chance to relax, socialize, and win some cash at the same time. 

Finally, we may not be able to physically hug all those our volunteer efforts benefit, but I hope you will attend our Donation Day Brunch to support some of those organizations we assist. This is a new event for us this year. We hope to make it easier for our scholarship recipients to attend by moving the event from a weekday to a weekend. We are including representatives from each of our non-profit beneficiaries for the first time. 

I look forward to seeing you soon and best of luck at Bingo! 

Your President, Marlon Carrier

Donation Day

Brunch

Saturday, May 18th

Mark your calendar TODAY to celebrate our students and community non-profits at our Donation Day Brunch to be held Saturday, May 18th at the Heritage Palms Clubhouse. 

This will be a new event for our club where we designated a special Saturday to recognize our High School and Empowering Women Scholarship recipients along with leaders from each of the non-profit organizations we support with our charitable donations. 

The cost of the fabulous Heritage Palms Brunch Buffet is only $29.00. You will have an opportunity to meet our scholarship award recipients, learn about their plans for the future, and hear from each of the organizations we support. 

We hope all our members will be there to celebrate our fundraising success this year and see firsthand how we are able to support our local students and community.  

From the Nominating Committee

Mickie Reed, Chair

The Nominating Committee (Peggy Mathieson, Karen Acker and myself) are very pleased to present our slate for the 2024-2026 Woman's Club of Indio's Executive Board. We are proud of the quality and enthusiasm of our candidates, and are pleased to have a good mix of candidates with prior WCI board experience and those new to the board. Please see the candidate statements below for details of their qualifications. Thank you for allowing us to serve.

The Time Is Here

Membership Dues

Claire Whitney, Treasurer

Membership - Don’t miss out on all the exciting upcoming events, summer socials, and monthly newsletters!

Thank you to all the members who renewed their 2024 membership. If you are still on the “WE MISS YOU LIST,” you can pay the $100 yearly dues by going to our website, womansclubofindio.org, and selecting “Membership” at the top of the home page. Click “Join Today,” and scrolling down, you’ll find “Annual Dues” and then “Renew Membership.” This leads to a form to fill out. Don’t forget to finish the renewal process by completing the PayPal page.

If you joined from October 2023 through December 2023, your renewal fee is $23.00 (which covers the district, state, and federation dues).

You can also pay by check payable to WCI at the April 3, 2024 meeting or by mailing a check to Claire Whitney, PO Box 1503, Indio, CA 92202-1503.

Don’t miss out on being in the club, district, state, and national federation.

Marlena Hernandez, 2nd VP

Annual Bingo Game

Please join us on Wednesday, April 3rd, for an afternoon of Bingo and fun. Cards will be sold for $5 each - CASH ONLY. Four games will be played with cash prizes! Don't forget to bring your good luck charms!

The Short List

Upcoming Events

📌Beginning of April, please report volunteer hours and contributions to Christal Cansino, dean@womansclubofindio.org.  

📌Board Meeting via Zoom: Thursday, March 28th, 5:30 p.m.

📌De Anza District Arts & Crafts Contest Deadline: Entry Form due no later than Saturday, March 30th. See article below for Entry Form and information.

📌General Meeting: Wednesday, April 4th

• Social time 11:30 a.m., lunch and meeting 12:00-1:00 p.m.
• Election of Officers
• Bingo
• Collection: Spring Clothing and Diaper Drive for Galilee Center
• Collection: Penny Pines
• Pay your $100 yearly dues if you have not done so

📌De Anza District Convention:  Saturday, April 6th; Woman’s  Improvement Club of Corona clubhouse

• Mickie Reed’s Installation as De Anza District President
• Arts & Crafts Contest 
• See article in the Federation section for agenda and bylaws changes

📌CVRM Women’s Life Program: Saturday, April 13th, CANCELLED

📌ESO: Tuesday, April 16th, 6:00 p.m., Shelley Diemer's home

📌WCI Delivers May Newsletter to be published Tuesday, April 23rd

📌Tentative Galilee Tour Followed by Volunteer Work: Tuesday, April 23rd,9:30 a.m.

📌Galilee Center: April volunteer opportunities: Contact ltorres@galileecenter.org. 

SAVE THE DATE

📌General Meeting: Wednesday, May 1st

• Social time 11:30 a.m., lunch and meeting 12:00-1:00 p.m.
• Collection: School Supplies and Backpack Drive, Part 1, for CVRM and Galilee Center

📌First Annual Mother’s Day Party at CVRM Woman’s Care Center (DMCC), Saturday, May 11, 10:00 -11:30 a.m. See details in newsletter.  Sign up at General Meeting or RSVP health@womansclubofindio.org.

📌Donation Day Brunch: Saturday, May 18th, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Scholarships and Community Service Donations; $29

📌Fly the Flag: Monday, May 27th for Memorial Day. Counts as two hours  

Meetings and Programs for 2023-2024

Indio Rotary 

Math Field Day

Saturday, April 20th

8:00 a.m. to noon

Rotary Math Field Day will be held on Saturday, April 20th, at John Glenn Middle School in Indio.

Middle school students from across the Coachella Valley prepare months in advance to participate as teams against other schools in math events and games. Last year, several of our members volunteered to assist with this event as graders and proctors. Please join us again this year as we support this event co-planned by Indio Rotary with Desert Sands Unified School District.  

Sign up to participate before April 1st, 2024, via email to Marlon Carrier, president@womansclubofindio.org. Your information will be passed along to Sue Stedding to provide specific details.  

Leadership: Chair Reports

Community Action

Marcia Daniels, Chair

First, a BIG BUNNY HUG to our members who recently donated thousands of items for our Spring Easter Basket Project. And another BIG BUNNY HUG to the 23 WCI members and their three guests who both joyously and efficiently assembled all these items into 300 baskets. We delivered those baskets to the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission (CVRM) staff and the Galilee Center (GC). By March 30th, 300 kids will be the happy recipients of these baskets.

Looking ahead to April and May happenings, we have five activities planned for you.

• Our Spring Clothing and Diaper Collection Event for Galilee Center is on April 3rd. Galilee Center (GC) provides food, clothing, shelter, and assistance to needy families in the East Valley. Items most wanted include adult-sized work items for farm workers, field hats, long-sleeved shirts and jackets, pants, socks, and boots, and children’s everyday clothing, socks, and shoes. Diapers and baby formula are always in demand. You can donate money on our website (click here), and we will shop for you. Please bring your items to our General Meeting on April 3rd. 

• Our monthly Meal Prep and Serve is on Saturday, April 27th, 10:00-11:30 a.m. Three openings are still available. If interested, sign up at the April 3rd meeting or health@womansclubofinio.org.

• Our first part of the Summer School Supply and Back Pack Collection Event is May 1st. We will collect at the May 1st General Meeting while the weather is still mild. However, as we have traditionally done, we will collect more supplies and backpacks over the summer. Look in future newsletters to learn details about that second collection. Please bring your school supplies or backpacks to the May 1st meeting. Monetary donations for supplies are also accepted on our website (click here). We will store these items until August, when we donate them to CVRM and GC.

• Our Annual Mother's Day Card Writing Event for the Desert Mountain Care Center (DMCC) will occur on May 4th from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in the Heritage Room at Heritage Palms. We will create fabulous cards and have a lot of fun. All snacks and supplies will be provided. Please RSVP at the monthly meeting or health@womansclubofindio.org.

• Our FIRST ANNUAL Mothers’ Day Party for moms and their children at the Woman’s Life Center at CVRM on May 11th, 10:00-11:30 a.m. We will help the kids make presents for their moms and then celebrate all of them. Look for more details at the monthly meeting and in the following newsletter. Please RSVP at the meeting or health@womansclubofindio.org.

Questions? Contact Marcia Daniels at health@womansclbofindio.org.

Arts & Culture

Victoria Rutherford, Chair

Marvyn’s Magic Theatre

Karen Acker

Marvyn’s Magic Theatre opened in La Quinta in September 2019. It is one of the newest entertainment venues in the Coachella Valley, featuring the world’s best magic, comedy, and variety artists from Las Vegas, Broadway, and worldwide. Many acts appeared on America’s Got Talent, Penn & Teller’s FOOL US, the CW’s Masters of Illusion, and the World’s Greatest Magicians.

Marvyn’s is a 130-seat theatre exclusively for a 21-and-over audience. Audiences are dazzled with sensational new shows each week. A unique attraction of the theatre is coming one hour before show time and enjoying pre-show entertainment in the lounge.

The inspiration for this venue is Marvyn Roy, aka Mr. Electric. Along with his partner Carol Roy, they traveled the world for over five decades, entertaining international audiences, including numerous television appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show. While they are no longer with us, their bright spirits remain within the venue. They resonate with the world’s finest magic, comedy, and variety artists through the thousands of entertained guests.

The Master of Ceremonies is Jeff Hobson—one of the most in-demand comedy magicians working today. Jeff has performed all over the world. He appeared on HBO’s Showtime’s Comedy Club Network, Fox’s Masters of Illusion, NBC’s World’s Greatest Magic, and the star of Thames Television’s Magic Comedy Strip, a 16-week television series in England. In 2010, Jeff Hobson was awarded the Magic Castle Stage Magician of the Year from the Academy of Magical Arts. In December 2013, he appeared on the top-rated U.K.’s ITV with The Illusionists and a 2016 prime-time NBC special of the same name. 

Come early to the theatre and enjoy an hour of magic and comedy in the lounge. You can purchase tickets at Marvyn’s Magic Theatre for $75.00 per person. Shows are usually performed on Thursdays through Saturdays.

De Anza District 

Arts & Crafts Competition Coming Soon!

Enter Now

Peg Boortz, De Anza District Arts & Culture Chair

Step 1: Unearth a drawing, needlepoint, necklace, or any project in the Arts & Crafts categories.

Step 2: Email or mail the Entry Form to Peg.

Ta da! Your work is officially entered in the contest and will be on display for clubwomen to admire at the Convention in Corona on Saturday, April 6th. Good luck! We hope you win.

 ARTS & CRAFTS CONTEST

Work could be completed in any year.

Send Entry Form to Peg Boortz by March 30, 2024

Click on the link below to find 

complete instructions and forms for this contest.

Civic Engagement

Margaret Nieto, Chair

Communication

Desert Sun Publicized Our Fundraiser

Click the link below to read the coverage and see photographs of our Mardi Gras Party fundraiser in the Desert Sun Newspaper. Kudos to reporter Carole Stephen-Smith and the Desert Sun for giving us a lengthy and glowing report. 

Domestic Violence

Barbara Fairbairn, Chair

The DV Committee is tapping their collective fingers on the desk! Waiting and waiting. We made progress, but it is prolonged, like a turtle. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. We are currently waiting for final approval from upper management at Burtec regarding placing the placards in the bathrooms around the community. With suggestions from Glenn Miller, our City Councilman, Jim Curtis, our City of Indio Service Manager, and finally, Mark Veto at Burtec, we reached the right people to authorize the placement of the placards. We will place them in the portable toilets used at events throughout the Coachella Valley. Our goal is to have them put up sometime prior to Coachella Fest or Stagecoach. These will stay adhered to doors as long as the porta potty is in use, as they are recycled year after year. Our next endeavor will be the bathrooms in our casinos. We were directed to tribal leadership. That is a work in progress. “Can’t” is another word for choosing not to. Stay tuned!

If you have any gently used holiday decorations you have grown weary of, Shelter from the Storm would love to have them. Contact me, and I will ensure they are delivered to the right person. As always, thanks so much for your generosity.

Education and Libraries

Peggy Mathieson, Chair

ESO

Epsilon Sigma Omicron Literary Society

Ellen Cafferata, Chair

Please join us for a potluck ESO dinner as we welcome guest speaker and local resident, Peter Bedard, author of Convergence Healing and Billy and the Anxiety Monster: A Grown-up Book for Your Inner Child.

We will meet at Shelley Diemer's home at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16th, to discuss the books with Mr. Bedard. Please bring an appetizer to share. Shelley will provide the main dish. Shelley's address can be found in the roster and in the Calendar when you register. Please RSVP via the Calendar in the membership portal as we will need to give a list of attendees to the guard gate (we'll send a reminder, too). Looking forward to seeing you for a fun evening of delicious food and a lively discussion with Peter Bedard.  

As we explore the Self-Help category for ESO, two books were suggested by Mickie Reed as possibilities to read to complete this category (David and Goliath and When Breath Becomes Air). Please bring your suggestions to our potluck meeting in April.  

ESO for Everyone

 March is National Reading Month

In honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday, March is designated as National Reading Month - a month to motivate Americans of all ages to read every day.

Project for April

April 12th is the day to honor Beverly Cleary’s birthday. She is a well-known children’s author. Plan to read one of her books to a child - for example, Romana Quimby, Age 8, from the Romona series.

Environment

Yard of the Month

Bernadette Subia-Martinez

Recognition Chair

You may have noticed patches of purple wildflowers popping up throughout the Coachella Valley recently.

2022-2024 Officer and Chair Contact Information

Membership

Meet Our New Members

Jeri Eversole 

I’m Jeri Eversole. My friend Marcia invited me to visit in February, and now I decided to join. I’m originally from Long Beach where I worked as an RN at Memorial Hospital. When we retired in 2017, my husband and I became full-time residents in Sun City Shadow Hills. We have two adult kids and one grandson. We keep ourselves really busy with all the friends and activities in our community. 

Elizabeth Miffleton

Elizabeth was raised in the Inland Empire and began her career in the banking industry managing banking centers as a Senior VP for Bank of America. During that time, she was ranked #3 in the country for her dedication to excellence in customer experience. After she departed her career in finance, she began assisting immigrants with the process of becoming lawful residents and citizens. Many of her clients also needed assistance with homeownership. As a result, Elizabeth started offering real estate services in addition to her paralegal services in 2015. Due to her commitment to providing excellent service, her business grew to over $8 million in sales. In 2021, Elizabeth joined her sister Veronica on the Trust Properties USA Team, helping families navigate the probate and trust process and gain the most equity from selling their homes. Elizabeth and her husband, Richard, have two beautiful daughters. They enjoy spending their time with family and traveling together.

Elizabeth joined the Woman's Club because she and her sister Veronica helped many families in the Coachella Valley and surrounding areas, and they would love to give back to the community that offered them so much support. She enjoyed sponsoring the fun events WCI created and the causes you support and looks forward to being another resource for your organization.

Care & Concern

Gail Sand Update

Good news: Gail was being prepped for an injection of medical “cement” in her coccyx when it was discovered that during the long wait for the procedure, the broken bones healed on their own. She is feeling much better.

Do You Know a Member 

Who Needs to be Featured in Care & Concern?

Please send information to pegboortz9@gmail.com about yourself or a friend who could use some get well cards and cheering up.

Volunteer Spirit

Three hundred children will be exceedingly happy to receive a special toy and candy-filled basket in time to celebrate Easter. As our Community Action leader Marcia Daniels said, “A big bunny hug” for the 23 members and three guests who worked in an assembly-line style to make each basket fun and attractive for the boys and girls at CV Rescue Mission and Galilee Center. 

Dear Bonnie,

Our thanks to you and your group for your Girls Love Mail contribution! We received your package and are excited to get your kind words out to a woman in need. We appreciate you organizing everyone together to help GLM!

"Giving out the letters touches my heart. I get hugs, tears, smiles, and gratitude from our patients!" - Deana V., Oncology Nurse 

Again, thank you for your hard work and please pass along our gratitude to all of the letter writers. Your efforts are greatly appreciated!

Best,

Nancy 

Nancy Shaw, Volunteer Coordinator

Girls Love Mail

193 Blue Ravine Rd., Suite 120

Folsom, CA 95630

Moment in Time

Women’s History 

HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT 

OUR CLUB PRESIDENTS?

1. From 1912 (Estella Hall) to 2024 (Marlon Carrier), how many women served as WCI presidents?

2. Which of our presidents served the longest time? (Hint: She’s still a member.)

3. How many past presidents are members today? Can you name them?

(Answers can be found below Heritage Palms Maps on the last page.)

Birthdays & Anniversaries

April Birthdays

Anisha Garcia - 2

Susan Francis - 7

Angela Zepeda 10

Grete Cox - 11

 Mary Martin-Akhigbe 12

Millie Luszczak 13

Linda Mesman-Poirot - 13

Bernadette Subia-Martinez 16

Irene Calderon - 20

Glenn Miller - 22

Donna Rose - 23

Mickie Reed - 25

Linda Cofer - 26

Jeri Eversole - 29

April Anniversaries

Susan Francis - 11 years

 Barbara Rysavy - 11 years

 Rosalva Campos - 8 years

 Marcia Daniels - 6 years

 Gail Sand - 6 years

 Maryann Herman - 2 years

 Joy Beck - 1 year

Rachel Marrujo - 1 year

Victoria Rutherford - 1 year

Photo Galleries

Federation

De Anza District 

67th Annual Convention

Finding New Roads By Connecting the Dots*

The De Anza District Convention will be held at the Woman’s Improvement Club of Corona’s clubhouse on Saturday, April 6th. Registration, Arts & Crafts Contest check-in, and raffle baskets begin at 9:00 a.m. and the meeting is from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. There is a one-day charitable project to make, entertainment, club awards, dynamic guest speaker CFWC President Barbara Briley-Beard, and most importantly, the installation of Officers when Mickie Reed becomes the District President. A champagne celebration will close the convention. Carpooling will be available. Let’s all go!

*Finding New Roads is District President Alison Eccleston’s theme and Connecting the Dots is incoming President Mickie Reed’s theme.

121st Annual 

California Federation of Women’s Clubs Convention

May 11-18, 2024

San Jose-Silicon Valley, California

Members should refer to the Call (agenda) for registration information. They are responsible for completing their Credential and Meal Reservation Form, submitting it directly with payment to arrive no later than April 30th.  

Mickie Reed

Mickie Reed  diligently and  with great energy worked  her  way  through the board offices to the position of President of the De Anza District. She will be installed on April 6th at the Convention in Corona. Plan to attend to support her as a member of our club and as the new leader of the District.

DE ANZA DISTRICT PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

A. CFWC CATEGORIES: These four photos will advance to the CFWC contest.

• OUR WORLD UP CLOSE: Marva Murray, Temecula Valley Woman’s Club, Beauty and the Beast
• NATURAL WONDERS: Susan Legere, Elsinore Woman’s Club, Desert  Sunrise
• REFLECTIONS: Pamela Edwards, Woman’s Club of Holtville, Sunrise
• GFWC LIVING THE VOLUNTEER SPIRIT: Shelby Price, Temecula Valley Woman’s Club, Celebrating at a Meeting Contest

B. DE ANZA DISTRICT CATEGORIES (No photos available in the linked gallery)

• ANIMALS: Barb Purdy, Temecula Valley Woman’s Club, Lioness
• PORTRAIT: Sonia Smith, Women’s Club of Holtville, Are We There Yet?
• STILL LIFE: Deborah Thornburg, Woman’s Club of Holtville, Dover Castle Kitchen

C. BEST IN SHOW: Deborah Thornburg, Woman’s Club of Holtville, Black Widow

D. JUNIOR DIVISION: Johnny Bercerra, high school student in Hemet, submitted 3 winning photos.

Click here to see the CFWC Category Winners

What’s happening in other clubs?

Read the following publication

to see projects, events, and articles in the Elsinore newsletter.

WCI Delivers is shared with this and other clubs.

Heritage Palms Maps

PRESIDENTS QUIZ ANSWERS

1. 70 presidents

2. Gloria Franz served 3 terms (6 years).

3. The four past presidents who are current members are Gloria Franz, Betty Shaffer, Bonnie Tucker, and Mickie Reed.

We Thank and Support Our Sponsors

 Brought to you by the talented WCI Editorial Staff:

Peg Boortz & Dona LaFrance

www.WCIndio.org

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