The Mower County Chapter of the Red Cross is one of the organizations that Zonta spends service hours helping in different ways.  We help to fill the personal care shelf by donating items that can be used to help people who have been displaced due to fire or floods.  Shampoo, toothpaste, combs, brushes and other items seem to be needed all of the time.  At our holiday party we collect these items and donate to the Red Cross.  We have also spent time helping cut slings for use in training of First Aid.  They have sheets that are donated from local hotels and we have spent our lunch time in July to help with this project.

Dr. Earl and Bev Thompson, representing Nepal Social Service, is one of the on-going service funds that the Zonta club has helped out with a yearly donation. With our funds we have helped them to open a Safe House which helps provide food, shelter, education for  50 orphans, community women in need of support and surgical patients who are sent from clinics around the countryside.

They have also set up literacy classes for women.  These women attend classes for six months, six days a week, two hours a night.  They learn to read and write and are also are provided with training on human health, agriculture and animal care.  Each student is given seeds for creating their own gardens.

Austin Zonta Club has just started to help women who have not completed school and are in need of funds to test for their GED.  The program is offered through the Adult Learning Program in Austin. This last year we paid for four women to take their testing.

"Come Sit With Me"
Located in Community Park and sponsored by the Zonta Club of Austin