The annual holiday pot luck luncheon will be preceded by social time 9:30-10:00 and a short business meeting at 10:00 am. Lunch and luncheon activities will follow. Please bring a festive dish to contribute to the feast! Show off your skills or stop at the grocery — it’s the sharing that counts! Kitty Janiga will be in charge of meal set up and decorations, and we’ll be participating in a community volunteer effort as a before-lunch activity: “Giving Art Giving Hearts”.

Here’s how it works:

Members are asked to bring kid-safe gently used or new art supplies (markers, rayons, sketchbooks, watercolor sets, kid’s scissors, coloring book, etc.)  children’s socks and  toothbrushes that will be contributed to the Interfaith Welcome Committee, coordinated at University Presbyterian Church.

These materials will be added to ziplock bags, decorated with stickers (provided) and added to backpacks that are being given to women and children who are leaving the South Texas Detention Centers. Many families are now being relocated fairly quickly, but often have few or no possessions to use and help them on their journeys. For more information, see the website here: http://texasiwc.org/news/

We will also make shoe box collections of other art supplies and school supply materials (anything a teacher could use is welcome) to donate to the four elementary schools near the Center for Refugee Services.

This Center supports legally settled refugee families in the area. The schools that most of the children attend are near the Medical Center, and by mid year most teachers are out of their art supplies and
must either buy their own or do without. Member Diana Kellerman is an active volunteer with this agency and is our liaison for the project. For information, see this link: http://www.sarefugees.org

Each table of members will be given wrapping paper, ribbon, tape and stickers, collage materials, 1 shoe box for a school and 5 Ziploc bags for backpack supplies. After 15 minutes, an “impartial” panel of judges will select one table with their choice for the  best decorated bags and boxes. All members will also vote on a Givers’ Choice Award for a second table. The  winners will receive a small gift of recognition.

AND OF COURSE: Your donations of goods and cash for the Alamo Heights Christian Church Food Bank are greatly welcome as well. Peggy Foerster will let us know what items are particularly needed this time of year.

Let’s make this a record year of giving for FASA. We all have so many blessings (you really don’t need something else to unwrap, right?) and our organization and our members are generous participants in the community — this pot luck will feed our festive spirits, our appetites and our giving hearts. Hope to see you there.

Susie Monday