CAPCA NEWS

CAPCA Helping to Feed the Hungry in Cook County—April 15, 2000

   A CAPCA group will be volunteering at the Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD) on Saturday, April 15—there’s still time to sign up!  CAPCA volunteers will spend about four hours—from 1:30 to 4:30—doing things like inspecting, sorting, and re-packing food.  The GCFD collects food from a variety of donors and delivers it directly to soup kitchens and shelters—at a rate of 60,000 meals per day.

   In Cook County, 200,000-300,000 people regularly rely on the food provided by the Food Depository.  Of these, 35% are children 17 years old or younger, 17% are 65 or older, and 25% are homeless. Volunteers make it possible for the GCFD to keep its operating costs low and distribute more food to the needy.

 Contact Hannah Leiterman, 773/275-6503, by Friday, April 14 if you’re interested in volunteering.

The GCFD is located at 4501 S. Tripp Avenue in Chicago.
By CTA:  Take the Orange line from the loop to Kedzie Avenue.  Board the #47 bus westbound and get off at Keeler Ave. Walk one block west to Tripp Ave. and two blocks north to the GCFD.
By car:  Take the Stevenson Expressway (I-55) south from downtown to Pulaski Road. Turn south on
Pulaski and continue until you reach 47th Street. Turn west on 47th Street, which will take you to Tripp Avenue. Turn north on Tripp until you reach the GCFD.
 
 

Website Documents Flooding in Mozambique
 

 CAPCA President Leslie Wilson was recently in Mozambique working with Save the Children’s crisis assessment and intervention team dealing with the floods there.  She put together a website journal of her experience, at http://lfwilson.homestead.com/index.html.   Be sure to visit the Photo Album link and share the site with others.  Of the experience, Ms. Wilson comments: “keep the Mozambicans (and other southern Africans) in your thoughts as the rains have resumed mightily there.  The town which I ‘feature’ in my photos (Xai-Xai, pronounced shy-shy) is due to be hit with another wall of water rolling down the Limpopo River, at whose mouth it sits.”
 

Telling Kids about Peace Corps
 

A sincere thank you from all CAPCA members to the 27 volunteers who volunteered their time on and around
Peace Corps Day March 7th. If you missed the opportunity to share your experiences with Chicago area school children, it isn’t too late.  As CAPCA Reconnect Coordinator Carol Wilkerson is often heard saying, every day is Peace Corps Day!  The following schools have requested a visit by an RPCV and are flexible as to when.  If you see a school in your area, please contact Mary Collins (, 847/733-1853), or just call and schedule a visit.  You may change a child’s future!
 

Michelle Lavoie Ariel community Academy Chicago, IL   773.755.4128
Colleen Bram Central Elementary School Lake Bluff, IL     847.234.9405
Tammie Winters Carliss High School  Chicago, IL             773.535.5136
Kim Armstrong Ariel community Academy Chicago, IL   773.535.1336
Terry Slaney Newark Community H.S. Newark, IL             815.695.5164
Sandra Hill 1st Church of Lombard Lombard, IL                630.627.3561
Ms. Smith-Andoh   Mill Street Elementary Naperville, IL  630.420.4263
Mary Gomo Waterbury Elementary Roselle, IL                   630.893.8180
Mary Rooks Morris Community H.S. Morris, IL                 815.942.0046
Linda Heesemann Whitney Young Magnet H.S. Chicago, IL  773.534.7500
Al Moy  Juarez H.S.  Chicago, IL                   773.534.7116
Cheryl A. James Byrd Community Academy Chicago, IL  773.534.8430
Michelle Ludford Cleveland   Chicago, IL                            773.525.9054
Sarah Landeros George Washington Elem. Chicago, IL    219.473.1888
Margie Knox Dixon School  Chicago, IL                          773.375.5243
Sherida Winn Jonathan Burr Elem. Chicago, IL              773.534.4090
Alex Masciarelli    Chicago, IL                                           773.847.9677
Sanchez Lopez Carl Schrua H.S.  Chicago, IL                 773.776.1375
Mr. Brownstein Mollison   Chicago, IL                          312.409.7972
Ms.  McAuliffe John D. Shoop Academy Chicago,  IL   773.281.5080
April Blount Children of Peace  Chicago, IL                  312.421.6200
Patricia Dougherty Pilsen  Community Academy Chicago, IL          312.819.0809
Hector Calle Tonti Elementary  Chicago, IL                    773.735.0557
Helene Barnett Ebinger School  Chicago, IL                  773.534.1070
Ms. Russell Park Manor Elementary Chicago, IL          773.535.3070
James Kowalsky Morgan Park Academy Chicago, IL    773.881.3345
Yvonne Womack White Career Academy Chicago, IL     773.535.5671
Shirlonda Allison Northwest Institute Chicago, IL          708.681.0299
Nancy McGurn Hay Academy  Chicago, IL                    773.534.6000
Sue Strongin North Shore School Chicago, IL                 773.274.5143
Dianne Rosenfeld Burroughs Elem 35th/South Chicago, IL   773.535.7226
Jim Ayers Elk Grove High School Chicago, IL                   847.718.4435
Joseph O’Conner Christ the King-95th South Chicago, IL   773.238.4456
 

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May Cultural Event

  Henna Hand Painting + Your Name in Hindi
Thanks to the success of last year’s Experience India event, CAPCA will return this year to the event sponsored by the Highland Park Sister Cities Foundation and the Indo-American Center at the Karger Recreation Center in Highland Park.  Advance tickets are $15 ($20 at the door) and will include a grand buffet dinner, crafts workshop, classical folk dance shows and workshop, and much more.  Save the date—Sunday, May 21, 4:30-7:30 p.m.—and watch the May newsletter for more information, or contact RPCV Chuck Sheftel at 847/831-3886, or Vickie Janett at 847/926-1007.

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PEACE CORPS NEWS

     Urgent Alert from NPCA President Dane Smith RPCV’s can make a difference in how their tax dollars are spent—urge your Representative to oppose budget cuts that will harm the Peace Corps.  The Chairman of House Budget Committee, John Kasich, is proposing a $4 billion overall cut in international affairs expenditures (non-military) in the federal Budget. Such a huge cut would have a tremendous negative effect on Peace Corps activities and could make it virtually impossible to achieve the “10,000 volunteers by 2003” goal.  The cut will also seriously affect the Development Assistance account, the African Development Fund, and the Child Survival and Diseases Fund.

    I strongly urge you to write letters to your Representatives—particularly Senators—convincing them to support an international affairs budget in the amount that the Senate Budget Committee Chair, Senator Domenici, has proposed. Contact the NPCA <> for a model letter to send to your Representative.  Such letters will help, but one that is personalized will likely have greater impact.  We hope as many as possible will be willing to get in contact with their Representatives, especially in the Senate.

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April Dinner Meeting

Peruvian Food + Featured Speaker Our April international dinner meeting is being arranged by Brian DeFilippo, who is working with the owner of Taste of Peru to arrange another wonderful meal.
 RPCV Arman Libunao, from Mercy Home for Boys & Girls, will be talking about their Friends First program.

When:  Monday, April 17th, 6:30 PM.
Where: Taste of Peru, 6545 North Clark
How Much: Between $10 and $12, tax and tip included.
RSVP:  Brian DeFilippo, 847/650-1080 or bdefilippo@aol.com

The restaurant is at the intersection of Clark and Devon.  By CTA:  Take the Red Line to Loyola; go 3 blocks west on Devon Ave. by foot or the 155 bus.
By car:  Follow Lakeshore Drive onto Sheridan Ave (where Lakeshore Drive ends), but do not head north—go straight onto Devon.  Follow Devon west to Clark.

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Camping Trip

Early Warning:  The RPCV’s of West Michigan cordially invite CAPCA members to join their camping trip June 23–25.  They’ll be camping on the White River north of Muskegon, canoeing on Saturday if there are enough interested people, and picnicking and biking the Hart Montague, a paved bike trail, on Sunday.  Watch the May newsletter for more information, or contact president Sue Celadilla.
 

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Join the CAPCA Listserve

To subscribe:  capca-announce-subscribe@onelist.com

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JOB OPPORTUNITY

  The Rotary Foundation: Humanitarian Grants Program Manager General Overview: Responsible for managing assigned Humanitarian Grant Programs of The Rotary Foundation and other pilot programs in  Accordance with Trustee policy and Rotary International secretariat policy.  Programs assigned at this writing include: 3-H Grants, 3-H Planning Grants, Matching Grants for International Humanitarian
Projects, Helping Grants, Grants for Rotary Volunteers, Carl Miller and District Designated Fund Discovery Grants, Peace Program Grants, Children’s Opportunities Grants and The Rotary Foundation Blane Community Immunization Grants.

Required Education:  BA or BS with international experience.
Preferred:  Graduate degree in international relations, economic/social development or public health.
Knowledge and Skills: Minimum three years of experience with the administration of an international
private voluntary organization, including extensive work experience in project grants administration for international social/economic development assistance. Excellent written, oral, analytical and interpersonal skills.

Prior Experience:  Preferred experience in working at RI or a closely related organization; residential work experience at the managerial level in a lower income country; computer skills, language in addition to English.
Fax résumés to: Sue Bender, Rotary International, at 847/328-8281.

Seeking Investing Partners
Progressive Investment Group, founded about 10 years ago, is looking for new partners with at least $500 to invest a year for socially responsible causes and companies. Currently, our portfolio consists of (among others): Ballard Power Systems, Southwest Airlines, Herman Miller, Spyglass, Maytag, & IMCO recycling.
Look up our recent record in, say, Valueline—we are doing exceedingly well.  We meet about 8 times a year, usually for about an hour each time, follow an agenda, laugh a lot, have snacks, and discuss what we’ve learned. And we make money. This is the money we figure we’d spend on candy, beer, cigarettes, and would otherwise be unaccounted for at the end of the year. We don’t day trade-we invest for the long term.  Our next meeting is April 26; we generally meet in Rogers Park, some Sundays, some week nights.  Contact Robyn Michaels  for more information.  Chicago, IL 60626.

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CAPCA BOARD MEETING MINUTES

Wednesday, February 2, 2000

  The board meeting took place at the Chicago Regional Peace Corps Office.  Attendees included Anthony Bradford, Helen Haugsnes, Nancy Kramer, Hannah Leiterman, David Pope, Liz Thomas, Pat Thompson, Carol Wilkerson, and Leslie Wilson.  Absent were Stephanie Arnold, Mary Collins, Maxine Gere, Wallace Goode, Laura Kochevar, Greg Nessinger, and Elizabeth Versten.

   The meeting was called to order at 6:15 p.m.  Pope motioned to approve the January board meeting
minutes as edited;Bradford seconded, and the motion carried.

Financial Report
Wilson presented Arnold’s Treasurer’s Report, which covered CAPCA transactions from January 4–February 2, 2000.

Old Business
Membership:  Thomas reported that Greg Nessinger looked at the CAPCA computer to see if he can retrieve the membership list, etc.  No answer yet.  Meanwhile, he will remedy a few other issues such as acquiring a new monitor and diagram for the computer. Peace Corps Day:  Wilkerson reported that the Chicago Regional Peace Corps Office is working with six states, including Illinois.  The office staff is compiling lists of interested RPCVs and of schools that currently are “unmatched” for Peace Corps Day presentations.  Wilkerson is delegating the matching of RPCVs to schools to the regional office liaisons. Wilson suggested making a 1/2-page ad for the February newsletter to recruit more RPCVs to speak at area schools.  Bradford will request presentation materials (give aways) from Lisa Ward, Peace Corps Day Coordinator in Washington, D.C.  Wilson will contact Collins in regards to taking calls from RPCVs.  Kramer and Wilson offered to help Wilkerson make RPCV-school matches once names are in.
Education Interest Group:  Wilson compiled a list of interest group members who would like to receive, via e-mail, educational information from the Education Group listserv on a regular basis.  Bradford, Haugsnes, and Pope will be included on this list.

  Directory:  Pope and Thompson are still interested in helping on this project.  Wilson will talk with Goode regarding potential sponsors for the CAPCA directory.

  Founder’s Day:  Kramer and Haugsnes reported on progress made with the Field Museum’s coordinator for our Founder’s Day dinner.  As a buffet and sit-down dinner service are similarly priced, the board deliberated on these options, including some actual menu choices.  Haugsnes is awaiting a more comprehensive menu selection list from the Field Museum.  Wilson will contact Randy Strickland at the Field Museum about the table set-up and possible charge for such.  Wilson will also follow up on the availability of Mark L. Schneider, current Director of the Peace Corps, to be the guest speaker.  It was agreed that invitations should be mailed by late April to be received about five weeks prior to the June 3rd event.  Thus, the printer should receive the printing order for invitations by April 15th.  Wilson emphasized that the invitations should include information re: the fact that Founder’s Day is a fundraiser —for Connections and the Peace Corps Partnership Program, specifically.  Pope suggested that the invitations also state the cost for the dinner, indicating the added amount as the true donation.  As a Silent Auction donation, Wilson proposed that if any board members are gourmet cooks and are interested in preparing/serving special meals, such board members could present this as an auction donation.  Also, there was the idea of someone offering a “Soup of the Month,” “Dessert of the Month,” etc.

Newsletter:  Leiterman commented that she is seeking another person to help prepare the monthly CAPCA newsletter.  Her suggestion was to work on final editing and layout herself, and that another person could gather articles and condense/prepare these articles for her.  She is able to e-mail the newsletter to Kinko’s on Wells and Illinois, which saves one trip and has helped reduce preparation time.  Leiterman will rerun articles on raising babies in different cultures, as well as “Latitudes,” if room permits.

New Business:
Announcements:  The International Dinner Meeting will take place Tuesday, February 29 at 6:30 p.m. at Andie’s (Middle Eastern menu) in Chicago.  Versten is coordinating a mid-March venue with Chuck Sheftel, who knows an excellent Indian restaurant.  The next board meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 7 at 6:00 p.m. at the Chicago Regional Peace Corps Office, which is also Peace Corps Day.
 Wilkerson distributed flyers and pledge cards to support The Peace Museum in Chicago.  The museum will hold a seminar on volunteer service abroad on Wednesday, February16 at 6:30 p.m.  The Peace Museum is located at 314 West Institute Place, Chicago (312/440-1860).  There will be free admission to the seminar, and discussion will focus on the question, “What motivates young people to do a volunteer service abroad?”  The seminar is sponsored by Action Reconciliation Service for Peace, the United Church of Christ, and the Peace Corps.

 Kramer motioned to adjourn the meeting; Thomas and Wilkerson seconded, the motion carried, and the meeting adjourned at 7:45 p.m.