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2021 Wednesday Volunteers Officers
President - Donna Bouterie
Vice President Pam Villsgran
Secretary - Gloria Messenger
Treasurer - Betty Bankston
Reporter - Pam Villagran
Parliametarian - Sue Nelson
International Chair - Gloria Messenger
Environmental Chair - Gwen Domiano
Literacy Chair -,Cathy Valardo
Family Life Chair Ethel Gilless
Club Historian - Sue Nelson
Earlier this month, several members of WVFC gathered at the home of club secretary, Gloria Messenger, to stuff Christmas gift bags with personal care items purchased in
advance with club funds by Ms. Messenger. On November 25th, Ms. Messenger, along with members Millie Meyers, Jean Johnson, Carla VanVrancken, and Sharon Miano, took
the bags to Belle Maison Nursing Home in Hammond and distributed them to the 34 residents in attendance at the club sponsored Bingo activity.
Millie Meyers is WVFC’s chairperson for the monthly activity. After the activity, the ladies served refreshments to the residents.
Several members of WVFC, along with a few guests, gathered at the “Painting with a Twist” Gallery in Hammond on November 18th for a fun night of painting and socializing. The event was a fundraiser activity for the club and was planned by the Fundraiser Committee whose members are Gloria Messenger, Gwen Domiano, Susan Melancon, Jean Hebert, and Jamie McDonald. The owner of “Painting with a Twist,” artist Marilyn Kennedy, directed the attendees in the painting of a nativity scene, while art instructor, Billie Vicknair, circulated around the room assisting the attendees with their projects.
L to R: Standing/Sitting - Jean Hebert, Susan Melancon, Pam Villagran, Maureen Felder, Sue Nelson, Guest Lucie Hanewinkel, Gloria Messenger, Jamie McDonald, Karen Moran, Guest Jeannie Luckett
Kneeling - Gwen Domiano,Julie Desselles, Lynn Garro
Not Pictured - Jean Johnson
On November 6, 2024, nineteen members of WVFC and a guest gathered at the home of club secretary, Gloria Messenger, for their final monthly meeting for 2024. After the normal monthly business was completed, nominating committee co-chairs, Gwen Domiano and Susan Melancon, installed the new WVFC officers for 2025 in a short ceremony. The new officers and chairs will be serving a two-year term from 2025 to 2027.
Donna Bouterie and Pam Villagran will both be staying on in their positions of President and Vice President respectively for the new term. Gloria Messenger and Betty Bankston will also be staying on in their positions of Secretary and Treasurer respectively for another term. Jean Hebert will be taking over the position of Parliamentarian from Sue Nelson, and Jamie McDonald will be taking over the position of Reporter from Pam Villagran.
New Educational Chairs were also recognized. They are Gwen Domiano for Environment, Susan Melancon for International, Jean Johnson for Literacy, and Julie Desselles for Family Life. Sue Nelson will remain in charge of membership and scrapbook while Karen Moran will be taking over the responsivities from Cathy Vilardo for Hospitality. After the meeting, Ms. Messenger along with her co-hosts, Gwen Domiano and Jamie McDonald served a delicious luncheon meal.
1st: Jamie McDonald, Donna Bouterie, Jean Hebert, Gloria Messenger, Pam Villagran, Betty Bankston
2nd: Sue Nelson, Karen Moran, Jean Johnson, Julie Desselles, Gwen Domiano, Susan Melancon
Each year during the fall, members of WVFC make visits to two elementary schools in Tangipahoa Parish to present dictionaries to the third-grade students and their teachers. WVFC purchases the dictionaries each year through a nonprofit national organization called the Dictionary Project. The WVFC conducts various raffles and fundraisers earlier in the year in order to raise funds for the purchase of the dictionaries as well as to support their other volunteer projects. Occasionally, they will receive a donation from a generous donor to put towards the purchase of the dictionaries.
Ms. Bouterie and committee member, Ethel Gilless, met at Ms. Villagran’s home on September 27th to put labels in all of the dictionaries. The labels read “This dictionary was donated by Wednesday Volunteers for Family and Community to assist you in becoming an active reader, a skillful writer, and a creative thinker.” On October 9th, Ms. Bouterie and Ethel Gilless, delivered dictionaries to the third graders and their teachers at Midway Elementary School, and Ms. Villagran along with help from members Jamie McDonald, Sharon Miano, Julie Desselles, and friend Gail Calderone delivered dictionaries to the third graders and their teachers at Eastside Magnet Elementary. Before passing out the dictionaries to the eager students, the ladies gave a short presentation on how to access information in the dictionaries. A total of 230 dictionaries were given out by WVFC in all.
On October 2, 2024, WVFC held their monthly meeting at the BBQ Station Restaurant in Independence, LA. Hostesses for the meeting were Maureen Felder, Sue Nelson, and Susan Melancon.
Following the business part of the meeting, members put individually written cards and personal hygiene items into gift bags. Afterwards, WVFC secretary, Gloria Messenger, and members, Julie Desselles and Sharon Miano, delivered the gift bags to Southeast Advocates for Family Empowerment (SAFE) in Hammond.
The mission of SAFE is to promote social change by providing services that empower battered and abused individuals and their dependent children to achieve safe, violent-free lives.
On behalf of the WVFC, club President Donna Bouterie and Secretary Gloria Messenger recently visited St. Margaret Queen of Scotland Catholic Church in Albany to make a
donation of several baby items, nursery furnishings and maternity clothes for their Walking with Moms In Need program. The goal of the program is to offer a support system
for pregnant and parenting mothers. The organization tries to ensure that any woman, who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, or parenting in difficult circumstances,
can turn to them and be connected to the resources she needs. Their volunteers walk with moms throughout the journey of motherhood, offering them authentic Christian
mentorship and ongoing support while connecting them with resources within their communities.
The Director of Working with Moms In Need, Janeen Broussard, wholeheartedly
contributes their success to the support of their St. Margaret Queen of Scotland church community and its generous and kind volunteers who help them answer the needs
of the ministry. If you know any woman who is in need of support with an unexpected pregnancy or who is a parent currently having difficult circumstances, please tell them to
call St. Margaret of Scotland Church at 225-567-3573 ext. 104 and leave a name and number. Someone will get back to them as soon as possible.
On March 6th, WVFC held their monthly meeting at the home of club president, Donna Bouterie. Following the business part of the meeting, members put individually written cards and personal hygiene items into gift bags that members would later deliver to Southeast Advocates for Family Empowerment (SAFE) in Hammond. The mission of SAFE is to promote social change by providing services that empower battered and abused individuals and their dependent children to achieve safe, violent-free lives.
After filling the bags, the members were treated to a delicious meal of soup, salad, and dessert prepared by Ms. Bouterie and her co-host, Jean Hebert. When everyone was finished eating, Ms. Bouterie invited all those who would like to stay longer to join her in a decoupage activity.
L to R:
Beverly Webre, Donna Bouterie, Ethel Gilless, Maureen Felder, Gwen Domiano, Julie Desselles, Karen Moran, Carla VanVrancken, Cathy Vilardo, Betty Bankston, Susan Melancon, Jean Hebert, Sue Nelson, Pam Villagran, Millie Meyers, Gloria Messenger.
Not Pictured: Karen Acuna, Kathleen Hayman, Jean Johnson, Ann Marie Kenny, Cecilia Miller, Lauren Moore
On February 7, 2024, WVFC held their monthly meeting at the home of member Gwen Domiano. One issue discussed including ticket sales for the club’s fundraiser event for this year. Monies raised from the fundraiser will help defray the cost of many of the club’s charitable projects such as buying dictionaries for third graders at two elementary schools in the parish, their monthly bingo activities at Belle Maison Nursing Home, sewing burp pads for the new mothers at North Oaks Hospital, their participation in Samaritan Purse’s Operation Christmas Child Shoe Box program, and their work supporting women’s shelters in the area.
The fundraiser chairman, Ms Domiano, was able to secure a generous donation from the Steamboat Natchez Company for a Creole Lunch Jazz Cruise for two on the Mississippi River aboard the New Orleans Steamboat Natchez. The price for one ticket is $5.00, and the drawing will be held on May 1, 2024. If you would like to purchase a raffle ticket, you can contact Ms. Domiano at GwenDomiano55@icloud.com.
L to R:
Gloria Messenger, Susan Melancon, Jean Hebert, Betty Bankston, Gwen Domiano, Millie Meyers, Cathy Vilardo, Julie Desselles, Donna Bouterie, Karen Moran, and Maureen Felder
Present but not pictured: Ethel Giless and Pam Villagran
Photographer: Pam Villagran
On December 6, 2023, WVFC held their annual Christmas luncheon at Murphy’s Seafood Restaurant in Hammond, LA. Eleven club members attended the event along with two guests. One of the guests was Deputy Susie Cambre with the Tangipahoa Sheriff’s Office. WVFC President, Donna Bouterie, presented Deputy Suzie with a check from WVFC to help fund Sheriff Edwards’ Christmas Crusade for Children. WVFC has donated to this worthy cause every Christmas for several years
On October 30, 2023 WVFC held their monthly Bingo at Belle Maison Nursing Home in Hammond. WVFC member Millie
Meyers was the official caller for the event and WVFC members, Gwen Domiano, Susan Melancon, and Jean Johnson were on hand to provide assistance when
needed to the senior citizen attendees. Following ten rounds of Bingo, the ladies served slices of cake to everyone present.
Every year during the fall, members of the Wednesday Volunteers for Family and Community (WVFC) make visits to area elementary schools in Tangipahoa Parish for the purpose of presenting student dictionaries to the third grade students in the participating schools along with their classroom teachers. WVFC purchases the dictionaries each year through a nonprofit national organization called Dictionary Project.
WVFC President, Donna Bouterie, and Vice President, Pam Villagran co-chaired the project this year. Ms. Bouterie and member, Gwen Domiano, met at Ms. Villagran’s home to put labels in all of the dictionaries prior to delivering them to the schools. The labels read “This dictionary was donated by Wednesday Volunteers for Family and Community to assist you in becoming an active reader, a skillful writer, and a creative thinker.”
On September 29th, Ms. Bouterie and member, Ethel Gilless, delivered 90 dictionaries to the third graders at Midway Elementary School. Before passing out the dictionaries to the eager students, the ladies gave a short presentation on how to access information in the dictionaries. On October 3rd, Ms. Villagran, Gloria Messenger, and Ms. Domiano delivered a total of 127 dictionaries to Hammond Eastside Magnet Elementary School. The ladies also gave a short presentation on how to use the dictionaries to the students in each third grade classroom.
A total of 217 dictionaries were given out by WVFC in all. The purchase of these dictionaries was partially made possible by a generous donation of $500 given by long time and beloved WVFC member, Maria Swinney, who passed away in 2022. Ms. Swinney made arrangements for the donation in her will prior to her passing.
Pictured below are Gwen Domiano, Gloria Messenger, and Pam Villagran.
On September 25, 2023, Wednesday Volunteers for Family and Community (WVFC) gave a baby shower at The Restoration House Pregnancy Resource Center in
Hammond, LA for three expectant mothers, Brittany Archer, Briana King, and Julia Nunnery. WVFC Treasurer, Betty Bankston provided a beautiful cake, and member,
Gwen Domiano made a tasty key lime punch for the event. The delicious appetizers were supplied by WVFC Secretary, Gloria Messenger and member Susan
Melancon.
Ms. Messenger directed several games giving the expectant mothers opportunities to win baby items as prizes. Each expectant mother received a crocheted blanket
along with a gift bag containing various baby items donated by WVFC members. Each bag also contained a small hat crocheted by women from a local prison.
The grand prize was a stroller and a car seat set won by Brittney Archer. TVFC members left gift bags and blankets at Restoration house for five other expectant
mothers who were unable to attend the shower.
Wednesday Volunteers for Family and Community (WVFC) held their monthly meeting on September 6th at the Tourist Center in Hammond. The meeting was called to
order by Vice President, Pam Villagran, due to the absence of President Donna Bouterie. At the end of the meeting, members put personal care items along with
personally written notes into 15 different gift bags. Afterwards, WVFC members, Gwen Domiano and Gloria Messenger, delivered the bags to SAFE to be distributed
to their women residents.
Pictured are Gwen Domiano, SAFE employee Kristi Giammolva, and Gloria Messenger.
On January 4, 2023, ten members of Wednesday Volunteers for Family and Community (WVFC) gathered at the home of member Gwen Domiano, for their first
monthly meeting for the year. Outgoing president, Jean Hebert called the meeting to order, and the first order of business on the agenda was for the members
to vote in the club’s new officers for the 2023-2025 term. The nominees were Donna Bouterie for President, Pam Villagran for Vice-president, Gloria Messenger
for Secretary, Betty Bankston for Treasurer, and Sue Nelson for Parliamentarian. All nominees were unanimously voted in and subsequently installed during a
short ceremony.
Afterwards, the new president continued with a full agenda, discussing items to be addressed as we move forward into the new year including
the assignment of the new Committee Chairs for 2023-2024. They are Gloria Messenger for International Chair, Gwen Domiano for Environmental Chair, Cathy
Valardo for Literacy Chair, and Ethel Gilless for Family Life Chair. Sue Nelson agreed to continue maintaining the club history though our scrapbook, and Pam
Villagran agreed to continue as club reporter. Following the meeting, Ms. Domiano and fellow hostess, Donna Bouterie, served a delicious luncheon meal. After
everyone finished eating, Ms. Messenger placed a video call to club member, Karen Acuna, who lives in Ohio and was not present at the meeting so that all the
members in attendance could wish their fellow member a happy birthday.
Pictured, left to right: Karen Moran, Sue Nelson, Pam Villagran, Gloria Messenger, Kathy Valardo, Donna Bouterie, Ethel Gilless, Betty Bankston, and Gwen Domiano.
Photographer/Not Pictured - Jean Hebert
New Chairpersons for the 2023-2024 year. Left to right: Pam Villagran, Gloria Messenger, Kathy Valardo, Gwen Domiano, and Ethyl Gilles.
On November 3, 2022, members of Wednesday Volunteers for Family and Community (WVFC) gathered at the home of club secretary, Gloria Messenger, for their
monthly meeting. Various topics were discussed at the meeting including the nominations for next year’s officers and committee chairs. Before adjourning the meeting,
club president, Jean Hebert, reminded members about the club’s upcoming Christmas party which will be held at Murphy Seafood Restaurant on December 7th, and
she took a head count of all the members who planned to attend. Following the meeting, Ms. Messenger served a delicious luncheon meal of homemade shrimp creole,
salad and desert.
After everyone finished eating, the ladies gathered on Ms. Messenger’s back patio where they filled fifteen tote bags with personal hygiene items for the residents at
Southeast Advocates for Family Empowerment (SAFE). The ladies also wrote personal notes to be included in each bag for the recipients. Following the filling of the
SAFE bags, the ladies also stuffed seventeen Christmas Child shoe boxes with numerous items for young girls. WVFC has adopted the Samaritan’s Purse shoe box
project over the last several years as their annual international project, and they have participated in it together with their sister club, Sunshine Ladies, in conjunction
with their parent organization, Tangipohoa Volunteers for Family and Community. The goal of the project is to bring Christianity to children all over the world through the
shoe boxes. The project is spearheaded by Ms. Messenger who is the International Chairwoman for both WVFC and TVFC. Most of the items that the ladies put in the
boxes were paid for by WVFC and purchased by Ms. Messenger prior to the meeting, but a few items were also donated or made by individual members. Some of the
items the ladies put in the boxes were toothbrushes, barrettes, pencils, markers, colors, coloring books, note pads, costume jewerly, backpacks, sunglasses, and jump
ropes. All seventeen jump ropes were made by member Ethel Gilless out of strips of material from old T-shirts.
After filling the shoe boxes, members, Gloria Messenger, Betty Bankston, Sue Nelson, Donna Bouterie and Gwen Domiano delivered the tote bags to the SAFE facility
in Hammond. Ms. Meka, a representative for SAFE, was on hand to receive the bags for the residents, and she thanked WVFC for their continued support.
On November 17th, Ms. Messenger and Donna Bouterie joined Ann Bourliea, the president of Sunshine Ladies, to deliver the shoe boxes from both clubs to River
Fellowship Church which is Samaritan’s Purse’s designated collection site for Tangipahoa parish.
Pictured are: Donna Bouterie, Karen Moran, Gwen Moriano, Gloria Messenger, Betty Bankston, Sue Nelson, and Maureen Felton.
Members of Wednesday Volunteers Donna Bouterie, Gwen Domiano, Karen Moran, and President Jean Hebert, went last week to deliver dictionaries to local schools. Every child in third grade gets a dictionary
of their own as part of our Literacy program. These ladies delivered 134 dictionaries to students at Eastside Elementary School. Members Donna Bouterie and Ethyl Gilless also
delivered dictionaries to Holy Ghost Elementary and Midway Elementary schools. A total of 268 dictionaries were delivered to these three schools. Great job, ladies!
Mrs. Sue Nelson has been a member of Wednesday Volunteers for Family and Community for 50 years now. She was recently honored at our Volunteers
Awards Banquet for her many years of service in our community. Thank you, Sue!
Five members of Wednesday Volunteers for Family and Community (WVFC) gathered recently to sew burp pads for the North Oaks Hospital nursery. Jean Hebert,
Sue Nelson, and Ethel Gilless were the seamstresses. Betty Bankston and Pam Villagran served as helpers. Members Millie Meyers and Maureen Felder could not
be present at the sewing workshop, but they contributed to the project by making more burp pads from their homes. WVFC contributed a total of fifty burp pads
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On April 6, 2022, Wednesday Volunteers for Family and Community (WVFC) met for their monthly meeting at the home of member, Donna Bouterie.
Several topics were discussed including Tangipahoa Volunteers for Family and Community’s (TVFC) upcoming Volunteer Appreciation and Scholarship Award Luncheon.
The event will be held on May 25th at Mike’s Catfish Restaurant in Amite this year. Another upcoming event discussed at the meeting was Louisiana Volunteers for
Family and Community’s (LVFC) statewide annual convention. TVFC will be hosting the one day event this year at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Ponchatoula on
June 7th, and WVFC’s secretary, Gloria Messenger, is the chairperson for the event. This will be the first time LVFC has been able to hold a convention since 2019
due to Covid. After the meeting, members enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by Ms. Bouterie.
Sitting: Millie Meyers, Ethel Gilless, Cathy Vilardo
Standing: Gwen Domiano, Gloria Messenger, Karen
Moran, Sue Nelson, Pam Villagran and Jean Hebert
Once again members of Tangipahoa Volunteers for Family and Community (TVFC) served as judges for the 4-H Fashion Show, Sewing, and Beef/Sugar Cookery held recently at the Florida Parishes Arena. There were three judges who judged the fashion portion of the event, two of which were TVFC members, Jean Hebert and Gwen Domiano. The third judge for the event was Ms. Carla Kirkland from the Tangipahoa Parish School Board. Ms. Hebert, on behalf of TVFC, presented a pair of quality cutting scissors to the fashion winner Ms. Chloe McKinney, who designed and sewed a complete outfit and modeled it at the event. Knowing how to sew is a homemaker skill that will carry through a lifetime, and TVFC was proud to award this young lady with the scissors to aid in her future projects.
Mrs. Sue Nelson, a 50 year member of TVFC, was also on hand at the event to sell raffle tickets for a large throw quilt which is the club’s 2022 raffle item. This beautiful handmade item was quilted and graciously donated to the club by Ms. Nelson for this year’s raffle. Tickets for the quilt are available now until December 1, 2022. The ticket sales support the club’s Scholarship Fund which is used to award a $1,000 college scholarship each year to a graduating high school senior from Tangipahoa parish. For more info on our scholarships or to buy tickets, call TVFC’s scholarship chairperson, Jean Hebert, at 504-259-1412.
TVFC is an all-volunteer arm of the LSU Agriculture Extension Services. There are two groups parish wide: Wednesday Volunteers for Family and Community and Sunshine Ladies Volunteers for Family and Community. Tangipahoa parish is one of several parishes that belong to the statewide organization, Louisiana Volunteers for Family and Community. Anyone wanting more information about our local groups can contact the TVFC secretary, Donna Bouterie, at 985-415-5676.
This year once again we've chosen to make shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. This project gives needy children around the world a
wonderful gift - a shoebox filled with toys, school supplies, and personal items. This year, Tangipahoa Volunteers For Family And Community filled and
donated 90 filled shoeboxes. Items for the boxes are generously donated by our members, often with help from their families and friends. Making the
shoeboxes together is a fun project the whole family can enjoy!
Left to right: Members of of Wednesday Volunteers Ethel Gilless, Donna Bouterie, Betty Bankston, Sue Nelson, International Chairman Gloria Messenger, Cathy Vilardo, Millie Falgout, Karen Moran, Gwen Domiano, Pam Villagran, and Maureen Felder are shown with their shoeboxes.
Also pictured is Karen Acuna, a member of Wednesday Volunteers who is currently living in Ohio. She shared the word there about Project Christmas
Child and got together with other friends and family to put boxes together. Here she is shown delivering shoeboxes to her local collection center!
Wednesday Volunteers for Family and Community Celebrate Birthday of 97 Year Old Member
Several members of Wednesday Volunteers for Family and Community (WVFC), gathered recently outside the Oak Park Village Assisted Living Home in Hammond to celebrate their
oldest club member, Marie Swinney’s ninety-seventh birthday. Ms. Swinney did not know the members were coming so she was very surprised and elated to see so many of her long time friends right outside the entrance to the home bearing balloons, gifts and cards all for her. In fact, she was so happy, she asked them to sing “Happy Birthday” to her twice. Ms. Swinney has been in WVFC for twenty-two years. Those WVFC members in attendance at the special outing are pictured below.
First Row - Donna Bouterie and Marie Swinney. Second Row - Retired WVFC member Mitz Verberne, Club Reporter, Pam Villagran, and member Carla VanVranken. Back row - Club Vice President, Karen Moran, Parliamentarian, Sue Nelson, Secretary, Gloria Messenger, Legislative Chair, Maureen Felder, and member Irma Walker (Ms. Swinney’s niece and caregiver.). Not pictured but present - Carol Carter.
On May 5, 2021, nine members of Wednesday Volunteers for Family and Community (WVFC) and one guest, gathered at Mike’s Catfish Inn in Amite, LA for their monthly meeting. It was a memorable occasion because it was the first time the club was able to meet in person and indoors since last year.
During the meeting, the members discussed several topics including four upcoming events: 1) Tangipahoa Volunteers for Family and Community’s (TVFC) Appreciation Luncheon which will be held on May 20th at Joe’s Italian Ristorante in Hammond. 2) Area Fun Day to be held in July (exact dated to be announced) at the Knight’s of Columbus Hall in Ponchatoula. 3) The Louisiana Volunteers for Family and Community’s (LVFC) annual state convention which will be hosted by TVFC this year on September 23rd. The event will only be a one day affair this year as opposed to the normal three day event in the past due to Covid concerns. It will also be held in Ponchatoula at the Knight’s of Columbus Hall. 4) TVFC’s annual Holiday Ideas Showcase which will include Bingo this year. It will be on September 30th and will be at Ponchatoula’s Community Center. (This event will be from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and is open to the public.) All four of these events had to be cancelled last year due to Covid restrictions.
Another topic the club discussed was TVFC’s annual raffle which is held to support the club’s scholarship program. WVFC President, Jean Hebert is the TVFC Scholarship Chairperson, and she was happy to announced at the meeting that Bill Hood Nissan’s car dealership has generously agreed to once again sponsor the raffle for which TVFC is extremely grateful. Ms. Hebert passed out raffle tickets to each of the club members present so that they could sell them to friends and family. This year’s raffle item will be a beautiful Americana themed quilt throw blanket made by one of the club’s retired members, Mitz Verbene, who has been an an avid quilter for many years. After the meeting, the members all ordered and enjoyed lunch together.
TVFC is an all-volunteer arm of the LSU Agriculture Extension Services. There are two groups parish wide: Wednesday Volunteers for Family and Community (WVFC) and Sunshine Ladies Volunteers for Family and Community. Tangipahoa parish is one of fifteen parishes that belong to the statewide organization, Louisiana Volunteers for Family and Community (LVFC). Anyone wanting more information about our local groups can contact the Tangipahoa Volunteers for Family and Community (TVFC) secretary, Donna Bouterie, at 985-228-3048, or TVFC’s membership chairwoman, Sue Nelson at 225-567-9769
Front Row - WVFC Secretary, Gloria Messenger, Reporter, Pam Villagran, and Environmental Chair, Donna Bouterie. Back Row - Guest, Rhonda Young, Vice President, Karen Moran, Hospitality Chair, Cathy Vilardo, Treasurer, Betty Bankston, President, Jean Hebert and member Millie Falgout.
Pictured below is the beautiful quilt we are going to be raffling off this year for our Scholarship Fund, hand-made by one of our members. The pattern is called Floating Star, and the quilt measures 56"x56".Tickets are $1 each, and can be purchased from any member. 100% of the proceeds go towards
our scholarship program. This year we will once again be offering scholarships to TWO deserving seniors in our parish.
This year’s scholarship raffle item will be a beautiful gem tones pattern quilt made from completed squares donated by the family of a past club member,
Mary Lou Batty, who passed away in 2019. Ms. Batty, an avid quilter, never got a chance to assemble the squares into a quilt before her untimely death.
Club member Ms. Carla VanVrancken graciously took on the task in Ms. Batty’s honor and did a wonderful job.
On February 27, 2020 members of WVFC gathered with their oldest club member, Marie Swinney, and four guests at Mike’s Catfish Inn to celebrate
Ms. Swinney’s 96th birthday. Ms. Swinney has been in WVFC for twenty-one years. Those club members present at the special event were
Jean Hebert, Nell Dubose, Gloria Messenger, Sue Nelson, Donna Bouterie, Hilda Alphonso, and Irma Walker. (Ms. Walker is Ms. Swinney’s niece.)
Guests included past club member Mitzi Verberne, Julia Humphrey, and Donna Bouterie’s two granddaughters Kaitlyn and Zoey.
Members of Wednesday Volunteers held their annual Christmas party at Murphy's Seafood, with Officer Susie Cambrie from the Tangipahoa Sheriff's Department
as their special guest this year. We were pleased to be able to present Officer Susie
with a check for $500 as a donation to Sheriff Daniel's Christmas Crusade for Children. This charity helps provide toys for children who may otherwise not receive any gifts.
Sitting - Gloria Davis, Hilda Alphonso, Maureen, Felder
Middle Row - Pam Villagran, Gloria Messenger, Carla VanVrancken , Nell DeBose
Back Roe - Officer Suzie Cambre, Mitzi Verberne, Jean Hebert, Millie Falgout, Betty Bankston, Sue Nelson, Karen Moran, and Donna Bouterie
Since 2017, the Wednesday Volunteers for Family and Community club (WVFC) has sponsored a bingo activity for the residents of Belle Maison Nursing Home in
Hammond. Since beginning the activity, WVFC has given out Christmas gift bags at the end of November to the residents who usually attend their bingo activity.
As always, Ms. Alfonso’s homemade hats were the most popular item in the bags. Following the activity, club members served lemonade and holiday themed
cake made by Ms. Falgout to the residents.
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Left: Sitting - Justin Williams and Frankie Mitchell, Standing - Sue Nelson and Jean Hebert
Right: Front Row - Pam Villagran and Gloria Messenger, Back Row - Sue Nelson, Betty Bankston, and Jean Hebert
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September 2019
Wednesday Volunteers were Happy to present dictionaries
to each third-grade student in our local elmentary school!
Pictured here are (L to R) Donna Bouterie, Gloria Messenger,
President Jean Hebert Lambert, and Pam Villagren
Sorting the dictionaries for the students are Gloria Messenger, Sue Nelson, Donna Bouterie, Nell DuBose, Hilda Alphonso, and Maureen Felder.
State Convention
The 2019 State Convention for Louisiana Volunteers for Family and Community was held May 14-16 at the Doubletree Hotel in Lafayette, Louisiana. This was the 88th annual convention for our state.
This year's featured non-profit organization for the convention was the Acadiana Therapeutic Riding Organization. This organization promotes the rehabilitation of individuals with disabilities through equine facilitated activities.
1. Wednesday Volunteers President Jean Hebert with First Timer Scholarship Award winner Karen Moran
2. Fun night at the convention. Sue Nelson, Pam Villagran, Betty Bankston, Jean Hebert, Karen Moran, Donna Bouterie, and Gloria Messenger get in the spirit of the evening.
3. Enestine Freeman, Treasurer of LVFC, accepting the raffle prize from Pam Villagean.
4. TVFC Treasurer Pam Villagran making the donation to Acadiana Therapeutic Riding Organization.
5.President Jean Hebert, Betty Bankston, Sue Nelson, Donna Bouterie, Pam Villagran, Gloria Messenger, and Karen Moran.
6. Sylvia Guillot, past president of Louisiana Volunteers for Family and Community installing Gloria Messenger of Wednesday Volunteers as LVFC Area 1 Director for 2020-2021
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Sewing Day 3/12/2019
Sitting (Left to Right) Front Row: Sue Nelson, Marie Heck, Hilda Alphonso
Second Row: Betty Bankston, Donna Bouterie, Jean Hebert
Back Row: Millie Falgout. Not Pictured/Photographer: Pam Villagran
Standing (Left to Right) Pam Villagran Millie Falgout,
Betty Bankston, Nell Dubose, Marie Heck, Jean Hebert, Sue Nelson
Not Pictured/Photographer: Donna Bouterie
(left) Handing out refreshments to residents at Belle Maison Nursing Home are Wednesday Volunteers members, from left, Ann Marie Kenney, Millie Falgout, Jean Johnson, Sue Nelson, Nell Debose and Margaret Felder.
(right) Delivering Christmas Bags for bingo attendees at Belle Maison Nursing Home are, from left, Jean Johnson, Nell Debose, Maureen Felder, Gloria Messenger and Ann Marie Kenney.
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Get Involved
You Can Make a Difference!
Your support is vital to our work at TVFC. There are so many ways you can
contribute to our on-going projects, and every little bit that you commit goes
a long way in helping us to help others. Contact us to learn more about how
you can get involved, and have fun with us as we help the people of our parish!.
We are a 501(c3) organization, so your
financial donations are tax deductible!
Whether you help through your donations, volunteering your time,
or spreading our mission through word-of-mouth, thank you so much!
We couldn't accomplish our goals without the help of supporters like you.
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