The Night Department

The Night Department offers the opportunity for Woman’s Club members to meet in the evenings. Monthly events take place in member’s homes or in the community. Members explore learning and volunteerism in each of the club’s six different departments: Arts, Conservation, Education, Home Life, International, and Public Affairs. The meetings planned for the 2007-2008 calendar year are:

Holiday Cookie Exchange!

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September (Home Life) ELEMENTS OF FENG SHUI
Learn basic Feng Shui tips for creating a balanced environment that promotes harmonious living. Jenna Boyd of Elements of Harmony will present suggestions for making positive adjustments to your HOME through arrangement, color, and natural principles.

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October (Conservation) ENERGY SAVINGS IDEAS
Energy and water saving ideas that will help you conserve and reduce your bills. Lois Nixon will present helpful handouts and examples that will make you Resource-Wise.

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November (Education) HISTORY OF FAYETTEVILLE STREET
Meet at the Raleigh City Museum and view the new Fayetteville Street exhibit and enjoy a guided tour of the museum.

December HOLIDAY PARTY
Exchange cookies and gifts. Donate gift cards for the mother’s of Interact (Public Affair’s Department outreach). 

January (Art) NC MUSEUM OF ART TOUR AND DINNER
Help us celebrate ART at Northern Carolina’s premier museum with dinner and a tour.

February (Public Affairs) CHEF RAMEAUZ’S COOKING CLASS AND DINNER
Focus on New Orleans and learn how to cook a Cajun meal and taste your efforts. 

March (International) TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES PRESENTATION
We will learn about Fair Trade presented by a spokesperson from Ten Thousand Villages with dinner to follow.

April LADIES NIGHT OUT
 “Meet and greet” the Juniors at a shared dinner! 

May WOMAN’S CLUB GENERAL MEETING hosted by the Night Department

 The Night Departments projects are short term in both time and commitment. For 2007-2008 the community volunteer opportunities are:

* Children’s Christmas Stockings for the Salvation Army

* Easter baskets for the Salvation Army and Summit House

* Interact “Holiday Bazaar” gift certificate donations

* Dream Dinners for Hospice

For more information contact The Night Department Chairperson at night@womansclubofraleigh.org

Please use the calendar link to check dates.  Guests are always WELCOME!

 

INTERACT Elves

I bet you did not know that Santa has outsourced his workshop to Raleigh, North Carolina! The Woman's Club of Raleigh made this discovery and members were deputized as elves! 

How did this happen? The Night Department of the Woman’s Club of Raleigh helped facilitate the club’s participation in INTERACT of Wake County’s Annual Client Holiday Bazaar. INTERACT is a private, non-profit, United Way agency that provides safety, support, and awareness to victims and survivors of domestic violence and rape/sexual assault. Every December more than 120 families and more than 200 children are thrilled to have the opportunity to “shop” for one another at INTERACT’S offices. The INTERACT building is transformed into “Santa’s workshop” with the help of volunteers and generous donations from individuals and the community. At the Bazaar, one area of the building is devoted to the children so they can design holiday arts and crafts, ”shop” and wrap a gift basket to give to their mothers. In a totally separate area, “elf” volunteers help the mothers select age appropriate gifts for their children. Every mother is sent home with a “Santa sack” filled with toys, books, games, clothes, gift cards, wrapping paper, bows, tape, labels and even disposable cameras to help make their holidays a joyous one. 

The Woman's Club of Raleigh participated in three ways:

• $550 was collected from our members and used to purchase gift cards for teens.
• Members helped organize donations and turn Interacts offices into various “shops” for each of the different gift areas: children’s toys, teenage gifts, mother gifts, children’s craft areas, clothes, etc.
• Members volunteered as “elves” on the day of the Bazaar to help the mothers select gifts for their children and help with the children’s activities while the mother’s shopped.
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What a merry time the Woman's Club of Raleigh had helping the INTERACT families prepare for the holidays. It was a wonderful way to touch the lives of these woman and children and show them that they have our care support. Participating in INTERACT’s Holiday Bazaar is just as about as exciting as actually working for Santa in the North Pole!

For more information about INTERACT and opportunities to support their mission, here is their website http://www.interactofwake.