Money Week Houston

You may want to consider the opportunity below to provide the community with information about your efforts to educate Houstonians on financial issues or your financial products and services. There is also an opportunity to provide presentations on financial topics during the festival.

Houston READ Commission is gearing up for The McGraw-Hill Companies Financial Fitness Festival, a free event filled with money management activities open to the entire family, on Saturday, April 24, 2010 at the Houston Public Library.

We invite you, or a representative from your company, to join us as an exhibitor in this fun, relaxed event, in which Houstonians receive information on how to buy a home, save for college, plan for retirement, and learn valuable money management strategies in what can be a very confusing economic time.

With your participation, you will be able to reach hundreds of Houstonians to promote your company or organization at no cost by setting up a booth from which you will share printed materials and explain your company’s services with attendees. Most importantly, you will be doing a community service by educating Houstonians on financial issues and solutions.

Serving as the finale of Money Week Houston, The McGraw-Hill Companies Financial Fitness Festival will not only offer exhibitor information on Houston’s financial institutions, but it will also offer intimate financial seminars throughout the day, in which speakers give presentations on their topic of choice. Please indicate if you would like to give a seminar on the registration form attached.

Please complete and return the attached form by e-mail (ann.criner@houread.org) or fax (713-640-8202) to secure your participation.

Houston READ Commission:
Enriching the lives of adult Houstonians and their families by helping them achieve their full potential through literacy, and to contribute to a workforce that will ensure a strong economy and a promising future for Greater Houston.

What We Do for the Community:

• Operate Demonstration Learning Centers that offer basic literacy skills, pre-GED, GED and English as a Second Language courses;
• Provide free literacy training for tutors and instructors at our new Demonstration Training Center at Denver Harbor;
• Forge public/private sector partnerships to sponsor literacy programs and public awareness activities;
• Track the progress of literacy program participants to measure effectiveness of services and help students achieve their goals;
• Maintain a central database on literacy services to identify neighborhoods and groups in need of programs;
• Raise needed resources to support and coordinate literacy services in Houston;
• Maintain the city-wide literacy helpline to place students and tutors in programs; and
• Advocate to local, state and federal agencies and the business community to enhance awareness of the literacy problem in our state and nation.

The roots for Trees for a Change really sprouted when I was 5 and decided to start my own business selling glittered pine cones on a card table in front of my house. Ever since then I have wanted to own my own business, and I just had to figure out how to combine that desire with my love for nature and making things.

Many years back I started to feel overwhelmed by the commercial focus put on gift giving, especially at Christmas. I noticed that most of the people I cared about already had enough “stuff,” so I started making their gifts instead of buying them a new pair of slippers.

My family and friends have endured many of my unique (and sometimes scary) creations over the years including windchimes, photo calendars, garden stepping stones, kaleidoscopes, gift baskets, mixed CDs, keepsake boxes, and jars of olives I picked and cured myself. I give something different each year, and by now they probably wonder what I will come up with next.

New information about climate change has created an urgent need to focus on the environment even more than before. I got the idea for Trees for a Change when I was reading that one of the best things you can do to fight global warming is to plant a tree. Planting a tree in the name of someone you care about really seemed like the perfect gift idea: it benefits the planet, it makes you feel good to be giving a unique and personal gift, and it makes the person you are planting the tree for feel good because something wonderful has been done in their name and because you didn’t give them a gift they will eventually get rid of at a yard sale.

Many months and a lot of work later, we opened for business, excited about the chance to share our enthusiasm for planting trees. I hope you find our Tree Gift to be a beautiful and meaningful way to celebrate another person while doing something good for the earth and her future generations. Please know that when you order a gift from Trees for a Change, your gift has been created with the care and attention I would put into gifts for my own family.

I am thrilled to offer you Trees for a Change because a change in the way we give gifts can mean a change in the world.

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation’s annual gala celebration, The Lemon Ball, was a smashing success. Held at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown on Saturday, January 9, 2010.  The Lemon Ball presented by Volvo, with major support from Cigna, saw record attendance with over 800 guests, and set a new record for funds raised – over $605,000!

In addition to these achievements, the gala welcomed a performance by Grammy nominated recording artist and ALSF supporter Jordin Sparks. It truly was a magical night, honoring many influential volunteers and supporters of the Foundation, and reminding us why we are all here – to find a cure for all childhood cancers.

Alex's Lemonade Stand Ball

Thank you to all our sponsors, especially – Volvo, Cigna, Canada Dry Delaware Valley Bottling Co., ElyseRyan Jewelry & Pranda North America, GlaxoSmithKline, The Hillman Family, Johnson & Johnson, Teleflex Incorporated, Unique Indoor Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning, The Center for Childhood Cancer Research & The Department of Pediatrics at CHOP, CBS 3, Advanced Staging and Brandywine Valley Talent. Click here to view all of the sponsors!

UPDATES:

• Over $600,000 raised at the 2010 Lemon Ball – thank you to all our guests, sponsors and volunteers!
• Upload your photos by creating an account on our site!
• View ALSF photos! (more coming soon!)
• View Photos by Philip Gabriel Photography! (use passcode: lemonball)
• View Philly landmarks that went yellow to support ALSF!

In January 2010 Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation turned Philadelphia yellow with the Lemon Ball gala celebration!

The annual Lemon Ball event continued to grow this year with over 800 guests, as supporters from all corners of the country came together for a fun, memorable, and most importantly, inspiring evening to raise critical funds in the battle against childhood cancer.  The evening began with a short program featuring the words of Liz & Jay Scott (Alex’s parents and 2010 Lemon Ball Co-Chairs), followed by a fun-filled night of dancing and auctions.

For the past three years, the Lemon Ball has attracted more than 500 guests from the Greater Philadelphia Area and beyond, raising nearly $1.5 million toward achieving Alex’s dream – a cure for all children with cancer.

The event included:

• Elegant Yellow-tie (optional) cocktail reception and silent and super silent auctions.
• Presentation of the Alex Scott Crystal Cup award to Jano Cohen & Jeremy Nowak for their continued support of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.
• Presentation honoring the 2010 Stand Host of The Year and 2010 Volunteer of The Year.
• Live auction featuring one of a kind experiences and packages.
• Dancing to the wonderful sounds of BVT (Brandywine Valley Talent).

This is our major fundraiser held annually in the spring.  It is always an event to remember. Join us Saturday, April 24, 2010 from 12pm to 4pm at the Aahmes Shrine Event Center in Livermore, CA.

Tickets are $50 per guest, you are able to use half ($25) as a tax deductible contribution. Register at the Assistance League of Amador Valley website or pay with a credit card by calling Tawnya Trunnell at 925-454-2927.

For more event related information please call Carmeen at 925-371-4566.

Members and guests enjoy an afternoon of tea, food, music, raffle prizes and entertainment. This year we are reliving the past with “THE GOODWILL BAG FASHION SHOW” featuring authentic vintage clothing.

The Goodwill Bags

50 tables are uniquely set by our members and are available for viewing one hour before the tea. The reservation deadline is April 9, 2010.

Come relive the past with “The Goodwill Bags Fashion Show” featuring authentic vintage clothing. The Goodwill Bags have performed more than 1,000 shows.  Since most of the clothing was donated from community members specifically for the vintage shows, packed into bags and sent to Goodwill, the group became known as the “Goodwill Bags”.

The Assistance League of Amador Valley, a chapter of National Assistance League®, was formed in 1990 by 40 charter members from Pleasanton, Livermore and Dublin.

Our chartering ceremony took place in March of 1995.

Then and now, our goals are to identify and fulfill worthwhile needs in the Tri-Valley community through philanthropic programs.

In 1993, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, the Alameda County Health Care Foundation, and the Alameda County Commission on the Status of Women established a permanent Women’s Hall of Fame.

The purpose of the Women’s Hall of Fame is to recognize outstanding women for their achievements and contributions to the overall well being of our county and its citizens. In addition to honoring outstanding women, in the past, the event has generated funds to help provide comprehensive breast cancer prevention, education, and treatment services in Alameda County. The Alameda County Women’s Hall of Fame is endorsed by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors.

17th Annual Alameda County Women’s Hall of Fame Awards Luncheon

April 17, 2010
12:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Doors Open/Silent Auction: 11:45 AM

Greek Orthodox Cathedral
4700 Lincoln Avenue
Oakland, CA 94602

Please call 510.272.6510 for more information or register at the Alameda County website.

2010 Inductees include:

• Suzanne Shenfil
• boona cheema
• Favianna Rodriguez
• Regina Jackson
• Sandra J. Threlfall
• Gayle Quinn
• LaDonna Harris
• Kathy Kuhner
• Lisa A. Poyneer
• Vanessa Woodmansee
• Taylor Marie Lyons

February 2010 Monthly Working Girls Lunch Quest

Wendy VanHatten

This month Wendy VanHatten (VanHatten Writing Services) and I (Anna Campbell a soon to be real estate agent in Pleasanton, CA), visited the charming and amazingly full town of Danville, CA.   Danville, CA is located in Northern California, south of Sacramento and north of San Jose.  The city of Danville, CA website boasts of a “Small town atmosphere, outstanding quality of life”.

Our quest started by finding our destination for lunch, The Peasant & The Pear located at 267 Hartz Avenue Danville, CA 94526.  When first entering this town our visual senses are immediately aroused by the colorful window coverings, antique doorways, and assortment of shops and eateries.  We had found a piece of heaven tucked away in the hills of Northern California.

The Peasant & The Pear

The Peasant & The Pear was slightly hidden behind the buildings of where we first entered, and after driving into town and around the corner we found a very nice free parking area that opened up to even more gift shops and delicatessens.  Wendy and I  like to meet at 11am so that we can enjoy a full two hours of  time together each month.

Since The Peasant & The Pear didn’t open until 11:30am we had ample time to stroll through town and select the few shops we would stop at after our lunch. The decision became increasingly harder as we continued to work our way around this very full small town.  Doors to exquisitely decorated shops were standing open to us, shop owners greeted us cheerily, and passerbys smiled friendly as we continued our stroll.

The Peasant & The Pear

It was getting close to 11:30 am and we headed back to our destination for lunch. We browsed the menu upon entering the warm and cozy restaurant. The selections included Nicoise Salad (Seared ahi tuna, potatoes, green beans, olives & hard-boiled eggs on organic baby greens with sherry-shallot vinaigrette), Harvest Flat Bread Pizza (Bacon, mozzarella, dried champagne grapes & rosemary), and a Grande-Mere Gourmet Sandwich (Grilled Fulton Valley Farms chicken breast, crisp granny smith apples, brie, lettuce & mayo on a ciabatta roll).  The air was filled with the scents of herbs, garlic, butter, and bread coming from the kitchen. We were seated within minutes and immediately felt at home.

The server arrived with a charming large bottle of water and glasses. She made us feel welcome, shared the daily specials and encouraged us to take our time to make the perfect selection for our lunch time get away!  We drank in every word of our menu and kept sharing our desired selections with each other until we had finally decided upon the perfect dishes!  Wendy selected the Pear Quesadilla (Fresh pears & brie in a grilled flour tortilla, served with spicy pear chutney) and I selected the Rodzilla Burger (Grilled certified Angus burger with cheddar, bacon, crispy fried onions, lettuce, tomato & barbeque sauce on an artisan bun). Basic lunch prices range from $7.95 to $13.95 and their large lunch entrees ranged from $12.95 to $23.95.

We slowly enjoyed our meals and chatted away as happy little birds feasting on our favorite delicacies.

It was now time to investigate the cute and charming shops we had selected to visit! We were off on a quest to find a superb little shop that we could share with our readers! Our favorite shop of this trip was the “Garden Seed” owned by Robyn Robertson located at 352 Hartz Avenue Danville, CA 94526.

Upon entering this shop our eyes explored the garden pots, flowers, and garden decorations. And then the entire world stopped!  We were enveloped into pink feathers, glittery stones, and sweet aromas. We had entered a brand new world. This world was full of keepsake cards, fun jewelry, yummy candies, and amazing art.

We knew that to truly enjoy this shop we would have to return and visit several times before seeing everything Robyn had carefully placed throughout this maze of creations and gifts.

Robyn Robertson

Wendy purchased the  prettiest ring from Robyn and I can’t wait to hear about when and where she wore it for the first time!  The Garden Seed brings together creations and treasures from today and years past. The quality of items was unsurpassed.

Every corner shared a new secret and new treasure.  We found a stuffed chicken decorated for the ball, a Christmas tree made from a mannequin’s body and a chandelier, beautiful umbrellas, and the most amazing glittering chandelier I have ever seen.

Garden Seed Chandelier

Robyn and her staff are truly creative spirits. They custom decorate lampshade and chandeliers for their clients. Unusual ribbons are sold by the yard in their back room, and watch out for the amazing assortment of candies.

I am excited about visiting again to select a different type of candy. It would probably takes us a several years of visiting Robyn’s store before tasting each of her chocolaty and candied treats.

Their treasures from the past include antique furniture, artwork, silver, and glass items. Robyn is always on the look out for antique items her clients are looking for.

Wendy and I will be exploring Danville, Ca again on Friday, March 12, 2010.  On that trip our quest is to visit Sideboard for lunch, the Garden Seed, and a new shop destination for exploration and conquest!

March Success Event ~

Strategic Social Media for Entrepreneurs and Small Business

Date: March 10, 2010

Time: 09:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Location: Lakewood Village, 5100 Randol Mill Road, Fort Worth, TX 76112

Register: http://www.c3forwomen.com/events?eventId=119328&EventViewMode=EventDetails

Strategic Social Media for Entrepreneurs and Small Business

Social Networking can be a great benefit to your brand. Knowing what “socnets” to use, how to use them and the critical elements to consider when creating a successful social brand for your business or non-profit. Discover how this free medium can help your business to connect with your target market, build client databases and cultivate relationships in just a few hours per week.

Move beyond the buzzwords and learn how to use Social Media to make a tangible difference in your marketing strategy.

In this seminar you will learn:

1. Types of social networks

2. Key elements in creating successful networks

3. Do’s and Don’t of business social networking.

4. Create an efficient system to integrate into your current marketing/PR plan.

5. How to increase your brands “socnet” worth.

Dawn Mann, personal brand expert, is the Founding Principal and President of the award-winning firm Break of Day Design AD & PR LLC (BOD) in Dallas, Texas. The firm was established in January of 2000 with several major clients on their roster.

BODD is a strategic branding and advertising agency specializing in creative for entrepreneurs and small businesses including the global arts, sports and entertainment industries. Earning two IABC Bronze Quill Awards for design and recognition from Girls Incorporated National, this award-winning firm is a leader in the branding industry.

With over a decade in the business, Dawn’s career path has included working as an art director for Magnolia Media, publishers of Ft. Worth Texas Magazine, PetLife, and Kitchens & Baths. Dawn concluded her corporate career in branding for the sports industry as a senior designer for Donruss/Playoff where she developed and designed sports trading cards, sales collateral and POP. Her skill set also includes photography, typography, and corporate identity development.

C³ for Women’s monthly Success Events feature a different business topic each month, delivered by a professional speaker. By attending regularly, you’ll become educated on a variety of topics related to your business, empowering and equipping you to create more success where you want it.

During our unique Success Events, you’ll also have the opportunity to collaborate with a small group of women in business, receive encouraging feedback and gain much needed support. With C³ for Women on your side, you will be equipped to create a successful busines in 2010!

Success Events are FREE for Members, and guest registration is $35. You’ll meet new women business owners, and have the opportunity to collaborate on challenges, gain feedback on decisions, or brainstorm new ideas with a small group of women business owners.

Countryside Connection was founded by Heléne Leichter-Saxby, a former Country Innkeeper, Artists’ Representative and Author of  Cooking Inn Style. Today, alongside Countryside Connection, Heléne and her husband Alan run their own rural business, Once Upon a Pine www.onceuponapine.co.uk where they offer handcrafted reclaimed wood furniture and decorative items, cushions created from their vintage fabric collection, unique clocks and art combining selections from their vintage magazine collection with reclaimed wood to add history and warmth to your home.

Countryside Connection was born out of the desire to offer a new kind of  networking. Much is made of the term, but at its heart it simply means “getting the word out”. Making new contacts with other rural businesses, run by people who share your ideals; for local producers to supply local business and individual consumers and for local enterprise to benefit and strengthen the communities in which we live ~ our goals are the exactly the same as yours. In addition, with mail order and online availability members are able to expand their ties and networking to include members in other parts of the country as well as internationally.

Our monthly  ’News and Views’  category features information, experiences, networking, products and ideas from members of our ‘village’. Please return often as new input is added as it happens ~ on the farms, in their studios, bed and breakfast inns and  rural businesses. Enjoy what they have to share and please send an email with anything you would like to comment upon. We would LOVE to hear what is happening in and around your own home and in the villages, towns and cities you live in!

The combining of agriculture and tourism is a natural and rewarding one for everyone. Farmers describe “Agritourism” as a perfect marriage that benefits individuals pursuing both endeavours as well as the community as a whole. Please click here to learn more about Agritourism

Countryside Connection has a strong foundation and history of cooperative country enterprise. We know from firsthand experience as former owners of  Beckwood Pond: “An English Inn in the Vermont Countryside” the success one derives from sharing and supporting one another. Without creating a strong networking system we would never have achieved the success and international recognition we enjoyed. The connections forged are invaluable and enrich all aspects of one’s personal and professional life.

Farming communities in New England and England enjoy a proud and strong agricultural history. We are grateful to have lived as part of those towns and villages in both countries. Bonds forged with the important tourism industry enable many farmers to thrive in ways previously unimagined. Excerpts from some of the many Testimonials we have received attest to the benefits our Founding Members firmly believe resulted from their close ties with us and others in their rural business community.

Please take a few moments to read Heléne’s personal letter Letter from founder Our business combines our expertise and experience in the most fulfilling way possible ~ using our firsthand knowledge to help and support others to grow and prosper. Our goals reflect the very best of rural life and its people. We hope as consumers you will also choose to Join Us today through our Public Support Membership and in working together to support the offerings country living and its businesses have to offer. Please help us in our goal to keep country life and its history alive and thriving.

Founder Heléne Leichter-Saxby has spent more than thirty years living in England and America.  She is a former Country Innkeeper, Artists’ Representative and Author of  Cooking Inn Style:  A Collection of Country Inn Recipes from England,  Ireland, Wales and New England.

The first gender-focused small business development center in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

Formed in July 1995 with the assistance of a matching grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Women Business Ownership, the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC) fosters the development and retention of successful businesses by delivering resources that enable individuals to start new businesses and grow existing ones. While the center is dedicated to the economic empowerment of women, the services are open to all individuals.

Our mission, aligned with the mission of the Greater Philadelphia Region, is to:

• foster economic development,
• advance small business initiatives, and
• create and retain jobs in low-and moderate-income areas.

WBDC offers a comprehensive menu of training, counseling, and networking programs and services. The Center continuously offers the following programs:

Programs are funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. SBA’s funding is not an endorsement of any products, opinions, or services. All SBA funded programs are extended to the public on a non-discriminatory basis. Reasonable arrangements for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance.

Entrepreneurial Training
Offers a 10-week start-up business plan course, a 5-week start-up program, 2-hour workshops, a 10-week business growth series and a 1-day strategic planning session for established businesses.

Business Finance Program
Helps you evaluate your business’ current financial conditions, plan for growth, access loans from banks, government agencies, community organizations and provides loan packaging assistance and individualized financial counseling along with financial education programs.

Child Care Program
Offers an 8-week Family Child Care Entrepreneurial Program that teaches the basics of running a profitable family home-based child care business. Assists family, group and center-based child care businesses by providing training and counseling.

WBDC also facilitates the relationship between corporations, government and women-owned businesses to provide growth and sustainability through our Women’s Business Enterprise Council of Pennsylvania, Delaware and Southern New Jersey (WBEC PA-DE-sNJ).

Women’s Business Enterprise Council PA-DE-sNJ
A marketing, procurement and certification assistance council whose goal is to increase the growth of business between corporations, government and women-owned enterprises and to assist corporations and government agencies to open the door of opportunity for women-owned businesses by developing world class supplier diversity programs. As a partner with the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), WBEC certifies women owned businesses to do business with the Fortune 1000 corporations.

http://www.womensbdc.org