Since the year-end holidays are busy, we did not meet as a group but continued to donate to Terry's House. In December we raised $225.00 to provide a family with a week’s paid stay. For those who don't know, it costs $30 per night to stay at Terry's House. Some residents stay for months on end. The costs can be overwhelming. We wanted to provide some comfort to a family in need. It was an easy way for several couples to pitch in and to continue our spirit of giving during the busy holiday season.
In February, our Dinner Club re-grouped. We were still reeling from the busy holiday season. In order to keep our mission of getting together for dinner and providing dinner to Terry's house, we kept things easy. We ordered food and gathered at a house for dinner. We then collected money and had 12 heart-shaped pizzas delivered to Terry's house on Valentine's Day. We wanted to remind the residents of Terry's house they were loved on Valentine's Day.
The February donation was easy to facilitate and made the residents of the house feel loved. Special thanks to Ian and Allie Wieland, Karen and Davinder Gill, Faith and AJ Driscoll, Ashley Mohammadi,
Mackenzie Hartung, Anthony Waters, Tim and Ashley Bartell, Justin and Holly Vartanian, Kevin and Renee Rees, Kim and Nick Rocca, Katelyn and Jarod Ashton, Nathan and Francesca Negri and Brandon and Alexa Visscher for making this all possible. During this spring season, my word of the month is BALANCE. Life can be busy and overwhelming at times. We are constantly being pulled in different directions. Maintaining a healthy life balance is not only essential for happiness and well-being; it can be a tremendous boost to your productivity or business success.
As a young professional, I can easily get wrapped up in my career. However, my personal interests then take a back seat and I find myself yearning for more. I am working to balance my career, social and philanthropy interests in order to live a more balanced life. For me, having "dinner club" every other month ensures that I will see my friends and give back to the community on a regular basis.
Time and money are in short supply, but I cannot use that as an excuse to throw in the towel. It’s important to set aside quality time for your personal interests, including philanthropic interests. It’s all about quality, not quantity. I encourage you to find balance in your life by finding a way to give back to your community in any way you can. If you are interested in getting involved with Terry's House, please do not hesitate to contact me at clairetmeredith@gmail.com or contact Terry's House directly at 559-459-7200.
Our next event is scheduled for April. We are collecting money to sponsor a special family. Stay tuned for a re-cap on our April event. Lastly, June will be our one-year anniversary! I am so excited to celebrate this milestone and cannot wait to share it with you. Until next time, I encourage you to strive for balance and find time for philanthropic interests.
Claire Meredith, a regular Terry’s House donor
