Zonta Club of Montgomery Alabama
Chartered by Zonta International
Advancing the Status of Women Worldwide through Service and Advocacy
Services
Zonta provides a great opportunity for a few of us in Montgomery to join with others to make an impact across the world.
At our October 4, 2011 Meeting, our Club adopted the following Goals and report of the Service Committee.
Goal: To continue our support of AIM as volunteers with Storybook and members continuing to donate books for this program. Also recommend that we engage in a project on behalf of the Nellie Burge Center. The details will be further developed as we have more opportunity to find out from Julie what the options might be. Perhaps something hands on, that might involve members contributing funds for the project (as was the case with MACOA which we are not doing this year). The service committee recommends:
- The Service Committee would also like to plan another Applebee’s pancake breakfast fundraiser with all or most of the net profits going to AIM to be utilized by them at their discretion.
- Contribute $500 to Zonta International, with $100 allocated to the Amelia Earhart Fellowship Fund, $100 to the ZISVAW fund, and $300 to the UN International Projects.
- Maintain a relationship with the Family Justice Center.
Submitted by Service Committee Members
Pat Ivie
Sarah Lee
Angela Allen
Becky Peaton
Brenda Smith
Misty Fairbanks
Marietta Kouns
Local Service
Aid to Inmate Mothers (AIM) www.inmatemoms.org AIM Storybook Project: We help women to tape bedtime stories for their children. During the course of the morning, each volunteer will help 15 to 20 women record readings for their children. (Recorders are provided). The women are allowed to record for 20 minutes. The tapes are then sent with the books to their child at home to keep, listen, and read along with their mother's voice. The project is held inside the prison chapel every fourth Saturday of the month from 9am to 12pm. We also donate books. We provide funds for purchase of supplies and help with inmates reentering society.
Entry Procedures
If you want to volunteer, you must submit your driver's license number, your social security number, and your date of birth to the AIM office so that the prison can do a background check before you enter the facility.
Their website is http://www.inmatemoms.org/. The phone number is(334) 262-2245. Larnetta Moncrief is the coordinator of the program. You must also register your intention to participate each month with our Service Chairman, Pat Ivie. She always sends out email reminders in advance of each event. Be sure to get back to her in a timely fashion. She will be glad to assist you with this process.
In order to be allowed entry into the prison, it is important for AIM volunteers to familiarize themselves with the institution's rules. Please be sure to follow them carefully:
- No physical contact with inmates (no hugging)
- Do not give an inmate anything.
- Do not agree to do anything for an inmate.
- Do not give out your address or phone number.
- Do not take photos of inmates together.
Dress Code
- No white clothing.
- No shorts or capri pants above the knee. Below the knee is acceptable.
- No sleeveless tops.
- Sandals must have backs.
- Jewlery is limited to a watch, a wedding ring, one bracelet, one necklace of a non religious nature. Females may wear modest/conservative earrings.
- No purse or wallet.
- Nothing in pockets.
- No gum.
- No hats or scarves.
- Proper undergarments must be worn.
A state ID is required to enter the prison. If you drive to the prison, you must leave your keys at the front gate.
Iron Jawed Angels
Our Event October 19, 2008 was a HUGE SUCCESS! We had at least 150 in attendance. We showed this tremendous movie about women obtaining the right to vote for no admission charge. It's really a "must see". It makes you appreciate the fact that all women in the US have the right to vote. The movie and reception were sponsored by the Montgomery Zontians, the League of Women Voters and AAUW. We hope to host other similar educational events in the future.
Girl Scouts
In 2008 we donated $500 to support camp participation for girls who could not otherwise participate.
International Service Projects for
2008-2010Zonta & the United Nations Focus on Service
Since our local club contributes to the Zonta International Projects, we share the passion and responsibility of helping women around the globe.
- Safe Cities For Women: Guatemala & El Salvador -This is a project designed especially for Zonta by UNIFEM patterned after other successful Safe Cities projects that greatly reduced violence against women within a particular city.
- Prevention Of Mother To Child HIV Transmission In Rwanda - This UNICEF project will save many lives, both of mothers and of children and reduce the huge population of orphans in this country by providing prenatal care and follow up to pregnant women.
- Reduction Of Obstetric Fistula In Liberia - In 2003 UNFPA started the project to eliminate the existence of fistula worldwide. A fistula is a tear in a woman’s internal organs that occurs during prolonged – sometime-unattended childbirth.
ZISVAW Program
These grassroots projects will be funded through the UN Trust Fund to Prevent Violence Against Women, which is managed by UNIFEM
- Comprehensive Strategy to End Burns Violence Against Women in Cambodia, Nepal and Uganda. Acid violence and othe forms of burning are prevalent forms of violence against women and girls. The UN Trust Fund, administered by UNIFEM, will implement this program.
- Security and Empowerment for Women and their Families: Ensuring a Gender-Responsive Humanitarian and Early Recovery Response in Hati - Hatian women and girls have experienced heightened exposure to acts of violence and in particular sexual violence since the devastating earthquake. UNIFEM will implement this program.
International Educational Projects
In addition to our programs with the UN, each year we offer the following three types of scholastic awards that are uniquely our own. Globally, Zonta Clubs may encourage applicants to the following programs
Amelia Earhart Fellowships of $10,000 each for women pursuing Ph.D./doctoral degrees in aerospace-related sciences and aerospace-related engineering
Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarships for women pursuing undergraduate degrees in business management; and
Young Women in Public Affairs Awards for pre-university and pre-college women students (age 16-20) committed to the volunteer sector and dedicated to the advancement of the status of women.
Learn more about our International Projects at the Zonta International Website.
Nellie Burge
- To meet homeless women’s immediate need of stable housing so they can become independent.
- To help women to learn skills (such as parenting, budgeting, life skills), so they can live a healthy and independent life.
- To help women meet educational and job skills goals so they are able to provide for their families.
- To help women become self sufficient, emotionally healthy and economically stable.
- To build on the individual strengths of the women so when they leave the center, they are prepared to care for their children and themselves.
And...
Mary Ellen’s Hearth goal is to be fully operational by January 2012.
Zonta Can Help by:
- Donating money to Mary Ellen’s Hearth.
- Pledging to furnish/decorate a room in the center.
- Sponsoring a woman and her children that receive services from the Center.
Our Club previously supported
Visit their site at http://www.womenforwomen.org/to learn more about this wonderful program and make your individual contributationa
