RWTA Making a Difference

Heather Emberley, Publicity “It all started with a conversation after one of our lunches,” says Cécile Alarie-Skene, President Elect of the Retired Women Teachers Association of Manitoba. “ A casual comment about what to do with all those little bottles of shampoos, lotions, soaps and samples sparked a volunteer effort to collect toiletries and items requested by women’s shelters.”

Forty-five bags of personal items were recently delivered to Winnipeg women’s shelters, thanks to the Retired Women Teachers’ Association of Manitoba.

Since putting the call out to its membership in 2012, the RWTA has supplied fifteen shelters and drop-in centres with bags and boxes of personal care items and toiletries needed for daily living. Through generous donations from the association items including shampoo, soap, sanitary products, deodorant, dental products, sunscreen, lotion, hair products and new underwear to name but some of the essentials shelters require are distributed to women in need. Items specific to children are also collected.

There is a Bhuddist saying that generosity is the first sign of love. Retired teachers come by that love from years as front line workers and witnesses to the needs of not only families in their schools but on an international scale as well.

In the past four years the RWTA has collected 700 pairs of used eyeglasses for the Lions Eye Bank in Central and South America. “We are told that persons receiving our used glasses are very excited to be able to see clearly for the first time in their lives,” reports Cécile. This is an on-going project and we encourage you to keep looking in your drawers for old glasses. To make arrangements to donate eyeglasses or items for women’s shelters please e-mail caskene@mymts.net

Because teachers know so many Winnipeg children come to school hungry, the RWTA collects monetary and food donations at the yearly February luncheon and a special Winnipeg Harvest truck is dispatched to the RWTA.

Besides the gala fashion show at the October 1 lunch, the camaraderie and the commitment to lifelong learning through workshop sponsorship, there are many reasons to join RWTA. For more info contact President, Ruth Hartnell: 204-287-2146/ hartneller@shaw.ca or President Elect, Cecile Alaire-Skene at caskene@mymts.net §

Forty-five bags of personal items were recently delivered to Winnipeg women’s shelters thanks to the Retired Women Teachers' Association of Manitoba

tHe retireD WoMen teaCHers’ assoCiation (a chapter of the retired teachers’ association of Manitoba)

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FOR 2015 - 2016 ❏ RENEWAL ❏ NEW Complete this form and return it with your cheque for $7.00 before October 5, 2015. After this date, notices will be sent and phone calls made only to paid-up members. Circle one (MISS, MS, OR MRS.) Last Name First Name E-mail Address

Postal Code Phone

❏ Check here if you are aged 90 or over to be eligible for a Free Lifetime Membership (do not send any money). Make cheque (no post-dated cheques) for $7.00 payable to: Retired Women Teachers’ Association, Cécile AlarieSkene, RWTA Membership Convener, 227 Parkville Bay, Winnipeg MB R2M 2J6. caskene@mymts.net. Phone 204-256-6176