Tag Archives: Programs

April Program: Author’s Luncheon on Book Bans

April: Author’s Luncheon on Book Bans By Hedda Smithson

Saturday, April 20, 2024, 11:00 AM
North Ridge Country Club, 7600 Madison Ave., Fair Oaks

ACTION CHECK LIST:

Before April 9-

  • Make your choices on the reservation form below and mail it to arrive no later than April 12.
  • Write a personal check payable to AAUW Sacramento for $32.
  • Gather friends to come with you. AAUW Sacramento Zip Code listings begin on page 31 of our Membership Directory.
  • Think of questions for our panelists.

On April 20-

  • Listen to our panelists: Justin Azevedo, youth materials selector for the Sacramento Public Library, and Brenna Bellavance from Underground Books.
  • Participate in the quizzes and questions.
  • Browse and buy books from Underground Books.
  • Enjoy the lovely North Ridge Country Club and all it offers.

After April 20 on your own or with others-

  • Start a Banned Book Club.
  • Suggest a banned book for your book group.
  • Read a new-to-you banned book.
  • Check out the Book Den for titles.

After April 20 with your favorite device explore these options-

  • Saclibrary.org has :”Let’s Talk About Banned Books”, a panel discussion,
  • Red, Wine and Blue, redwine,blue for podcasts and news.
  • Everylibraryinstitute
  • Americanlibaryassociation

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AAUW Sacramento Branch Author’s Luncheon

Name                                              ______________________________
 (Print, Last, First)

Your email address here:                                                                           

YES! I plan to attend the Author’s Luncheon on April 20 at 11 AM. My reservation must be received no later than April 12.

Meal Choices (circle one in each category):

Main:          Thai Chicken Salad     or  Chicken Piccata     or   Pasta Primavera

Dessert:     Limoncello Cake     or    Fruit Cup

Make your selections. Mail this form and payment of $32 to AAUW Sacramento c/o            Margaret Steinberg, Reservations Coordinator. Margaret’s address can be found in the Membership Directory.

Note: Payment at the door will not be accepted.

Highlights of March Program:

Sacramento Branch of AAUW Presents: The Rights Stuff

Civil Rights and the Right to Fight for Them By Hedda Smithson

Lisa Howard organized and facilitated our March meeting. Great job! We met at the lovely Roberts Family Development Center (RFDC) where we were more than 30 strong. Jessica Waugh led members and guests in exploring the meaning of  Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Cherril Peabody reviewed the requirements and benefits of our scholarship program to staff members of RFDC; Charmen Goehring pointed out opportunities for high school juniors and seniors to take part in Gov Trek, a new AAUW-CA program; Gloria Yost deciphered the meaning and possible impact of NCCWSL. Each is supported by AAUW Sacramento and can offer opportunities to clients and participants of the RFDC.

The amazing Tina Roberts told stories of her journey, along with her husband Derrell, in founding and creating this special family-focused nonprofit organization. We listened to Jaqueline Kendricks and Bryant Wyatt, who passionately shared their vision of two main programs offered by RFDC. Monique Stovall took us deep into the benefits and power of the summer Freedom School from her perspective as a school administrator.

Our hard working and very organized Kathy Papst arranged for light refreshments. Thank you and your team for the amazing snacks.

Lights, Camera, Action is the program theme for 2023-24. Here are some suggested actions for each of us to take:
– Dine at Colo’s Southern Café, 2326 Del Paso Blvd or King Cong Brewing Co, 1709 Del Paso Blvd
– Log onto www.robertsfdc.org  and search for

  • How the Other Half Eats
  • Lyrics for Something Inside So Strong
  • The California Reparation Report
  • AAUW history, a webinar available at aauw.org
  • Saclibrary.org offers opportunities to tutor others in Adult Literacy

Civil Rights and the Right to Fight for Them

Sacramento Branch of AAUW Presents

“The Rights Stuff” Episode Seven

Civil Rights and the Right to Fight for Them

Lights, Camera, Action!!

                 Saturday March 16, 2024 – 11a.m               

Please join us at the Roberts Family Development Center (RFDC) to learn how this organization fulfills its mission: To provide services to the Greater Sacramento area that meet the individual needs of each family member. The services provide a holistic approach, focusing on Pre K-12th-grade academic support and enrichment, parent education and engagement, and community involvement and advocacy.

RFDC has been lifting up and supporting families living in the predominately black area of Del Paso and North Sacramento for 23 years.  The center provides afterschool care as well as mentorship at multiple underserved schools. It also runs the largest Freedom School program in the Sacramento area during the summer.  RFDC connects community members to programs such as the Black Child Legacy Program, which provides practical resources such as diapers and mental health services, and opportunities for expression such as parent groups and poetry jams.  RFDC offers mentorship and work experience to young people from the community as part of their staffing model for programs.

Join us in a conversation with the women who run RFDC programs about how their programs are designed to support the women and families in Del Paso.

Here are the details:

  • Address: 766 Darina Ave., Sacramento, CA 95815
  • Register on Eventbrite <here> no later than Thursday, March 14
  • Organizer: Lisa Howard
  • Want to add some extra fellowship and adventure? Colo’s Southern Cafe is right across the parking lot from RFDC and opens at 1:00 if you would like to continue fellowship and get a bite to eat – think soul food and seafood. The address is 2326 Del Paso Blvd.

Here are some ideas for more ACTION:

  • Explore more about the center by logging on to robertsfdc.org.
  • Sign up for the newsletter by providing your email address on their website.
  • Check out “How the Other Half Eats” and/or “Something Inside So Strong Lyrics” and/or “The California Reparation Report” with your internet search engine.

April Program – Authors Luncheon

April Program by Hedda Smithson

Sacramento Branch of AAUW Presents
“The Rights Stuff” Episode Eight
Banned Books and the Right to Read Anything!
Lights, Camera, Action!!
Coming Attraction!  Save the date!  Saturday, April 20, 2024 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Reservations due April 12th!
North Ridge Country Club, 7600 Madison Ave, Fair Oaks

Plans for the fabulous April joint luncheon with the Citrus Heights American River Branch of AAUW, fondly known as CHAR, are coming along. We are looking at some fun quizzes and mixers along with a panel discussion featuring some of our favorite local experts.

We have invited Brenna Bellavance from Underground Books on 35th Street, as well as Justin Azeveda and Christy Aguirre, who work for the Sacramento Public Library. There will be a chance to listen to each one, and then we will ask for your questions and comments.

Our meal is being provided by the talented chefs at North Ridge Country Club and promises to be delicious!!  Menu options: Thai Chicken Salad, Chicken Piccata with oven-roasted sweet potatoes and grilled vegetables, or angel hair pasta primavera with marinara sauce and grilled vegetables. Dessert will be limoncello cake with whipped cream or a fruit cup. Estimated cost: $35. Stay tuned for more information on how to register via eblasts and the next issue of Capital Ideas.

Meanwhile – think about your own reading journey. Do you remember the first time you realized there were stories in those funny looking symbols on the pages of books? And how about the day when you discovered the adult section of your local library. Who helped you choose what to read? Did you read a banned book on purpose?

Enjoy whatever you are reading now – and see you at North Ridge in April.

April Program

April Program by Hedda Smithson

Sacramento Branch of AAUW Presents
“The Rights Stuff” Episode Eight
Banned Books and the Right to Read Anything!
Lights, Camera, Action!!
Coming Attraction!   Save the date!   Saturday, April 20, 2024
North Ridge Country Club, 7600 Madison Ave, Fair Oaks

A joint meeting and luncheon with *CHAR

Some history from Hedda’s memory bank: In September or October of 1956, or maybe it was 1957, the big deal between classes and/or lunch was passing around Val Jean S’s well-worn copy of Grace Metalious’ “Peyton Place”. Several pages were marked: passages that blew our little minds. My friend Sonja and I remember! In a recent conversation she called it a “dirty” book. And Canada did ban it from 1956 to 1958!! So that was Hedda’s first experience with Banned Books –“Peyton Place” was banned? It did become the basis for a TV series that ran from 1964 to 1969.

Fast forward to now.  When a book is banned, can a publisher acquire the rights to the content? Yes! Parisian Obelisk Press published Henry Miller’s sexually frank novel “Tropic of Cancer” and Olympia Press published William Burroughs’s “Naked Lunch”. Does making a book forbidden make it more desirable? Could this be a marketing ploy?  Here is a quiz for you to help you think about the April meeting. Answers appear elsewhere in this newsletter issue:

  1. Which book is banned by fourteen countries?
    1. “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” by D H Lawrence (1928)
    2. “Lolita” by Vladimir Nabokov (1955)
    3. “Satanic Verses” by Salman Rushdie (1988)
  2. Which country has the largest number of banned books?

a) Australia
b) China
c) Indonesia
d) Singapore
e) US

3. What reasons for banning are given?

a) Sexually explicit
b) Blasphemy against Islam
c) Positive depiction of Jews
d) All of the above

4. Which country banned all works from Johannes Kepler, Voltaire and Federico Garcia Lorca?

a) Germany
b) Italy
c) Spain

*CHAR – Citrus Heights American River Branch of AAUW

December 9th – Looking Back

Sacramento Branch of AAUW Presents By Hedda Smithson

Having Fun and Doing Good – December 9 Looking Back

Our December gathering was one to remember. North Ridge Country Club didn’t disappoint with a lovely setting, delicious food, friendly wait staff and all our friends!! Countless bags of offerings for the CSUS Food Pantry covered the donation table that we crammed into a small car. The following Monday Team Smith and Smithson drove to CSUS, met a young man with a golf cart, visited the pantry, and helped unload the golf cart!

Our three scholarship winners reminded us of our heritage – helping women achieve their dreams through financial support and encouragement. We met Elizabeth, an Anthropology and Economics major who received the Charlotte Rasmussen scholarship. Nataliia received the Wyndel Holmes scholarship and is majoring in Business Administration. Wahida told us she was an Asian Studies major.

Cathy Locke and Cherril Peabody gave us some details about our Scholarship Program. Liz Jordan told us about our Speech Trek program and also shared the latest about the Equal Rights Amendment. Nancy McCabe reminded us that several projects could use a helping hand: the March program (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion), Public Policy, Gov Trek, Speech Trek, and Newsletter. See page 8 of your directory for names of contacts. Gloria Yost reported that we have 15 new members so far and held the monthly opportunity drawing.

Thank you to all who brought donations and thank you for transporting them to a loading zone outside the building. We are stronger together!

 

AAUW Winter Luncheon

AAUW Winter Luncheon – Last Call!

*When ? Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023 at 11 AM
*Where? North Ridge Country Club, 7600 Madison Ave., Fair Oaks
*What’s on the menu? You have a choice of a Chicken Piccata OR Quinoa Bowl.
*What is the cost? $40
*How do I register? Before Nov. 30, use Eventbrite to choose your entrée and pay electronically. Contact Hedda Smithson for more options. Text or call on her cell; see page 25 of the directory.
*When will registration close? Per the requirements of the venue, registration closes Nov. 30.
*What will we do there? —

Sacramento Branch of AAUW Presents: Episode Four of “The Rights Stuff”
Lights, Camera, Action!! The Right to Higher Education By Hedda Smithson

Did you know AAUW Sacramento has been around since Feb. 25,1920? Some of us helped celebrate our 100th birthday on Feb. 29, 2020. One of the first projects these early members started was a scholarship program.

We have invited each of our five current scholarship recipients to tell their stories and share a wonderful luncheon with us. At this writing we are not sure who will be joining us – so you will need to come to find out. Will it be Elizabeth, an anthropology and economics major at UC Davis; Erin, a graphic design major at Sacramento City College; Nichole, an exercise science major at California State University, Sacramento (CSUS); Wahida, an Asian studies major at CSUS; or Nataliia, a business administration major at American River College? Be ready to greet them warmly and make them feel welcome.

By the time you receive this newsletter, several email “blasts” have been distributed. A big thanks to Shari and Karen!!

And now – it’s time for ACTION!

Branch members often have a “cause” or a “charity” to support at this time of year. We know that college students may have financial hardships and low food security. Please consider supporting the Associated Students Inc. (ASI) Food Pantry at California State University Sacramento. Acceptable items:

  • Non-perishable, individually packaged, single-serving food items
  • Students like low-sodium, low-sugar, low-processed items
  • Spices (salt, pepper, garlic powder, ground cumin, curry powder, etc.)
  • Non-perishable, individually packaged, single-serving food items
  • Toiletries (toilet paper, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, bar soap, etc.); menstrual products

AAUW Fund Luncheon

AAUW Fund Luncheon By Donna Holmes

Sponsored by your Capitol Counties Interbranch Council

Saturday, January 20, 2024 Northridge Country Club, 7600 Madison Ave. Fair Oaks, CA
Noon – 2:00pm

Keynote speaker: Tracy Ramondini, Elk Grove Sheldon High School teacher  and Gov Trek State Committee member, will update us on the Gov Trek program.

In addition, two current AAUW Fund Recipients will share their educational journeys,  focusing on details and progress of their work.

Reserve your spot today; deadline for reservations is  January 10, 2024.

Make your $40 check payable to AAUW CHAR and mail to:
AAUW CHAR, P.O. Box 1555, Fair Oaks, CA  95628
Include the following information:

Name _______________________________________ Branch _________________________

Phone __________________________ Email _______________________________________

Please indicate your menu choice:

____ Turkey w/mashed potatoes & veggies

____ Vegetarian Risotto

2024 AAUW IBC Luncheon Flyer

November Program: The Rights Stuff

“The Rights Stuff”: Episode Three By Hedda Smithson and Gloria Yost

Saturday, November 4, 2023 10 AM until noon
Carmichael Library, 5605 Marconi Ave, Carmichael

We turn our lights and camera to the Right to Personal Safety and Second Chances at our next branch meeting.

Representatives from My Sister’s House, St. John’s Program for Real Change, WEAVE and Women’s Empowerment have been invited to speak. Each is dedicated to improving the lives of women in our community who are dealing with serious issues like domestic violence and homelessness. Each speaker has been given a series of questions to address as they speak to us. We will look for ways to focus on our Action or Actions to support these efforts.

Doors will open at 10 a.m., and the meeting will begin at 10:30. Light refreshments will be available.

To make sure we have enough chairs for everyone, kindly register on Eventbrite by clicking <here>. Or contact Hedda Smithson, whose contact information can be found in the Membership Directory. Registrations will close on Nov. 3. Please wear your AAUW name tag. If you haven’t had time to visit Shop AAUW and order one of these cool items, a name tag will be provided. For future events, name tags can be ordered at aauw.source4.com, then choose Accessorize.

Here are the speaker bios for our panelists:

Women’s Empowerment’s mission is educating and empowering women who are homeless with the skills and confidence necessary to get a job, maintain a healthy lifestyle, and regain a home for themselves and their children: this is the mission of Women’s Empowerment.

Zoe Fishman joined the Women’s Empowerment team in March of 2019 bringing a plethora of experience in both the private and nonprofit sectors.  As an advocate for underserved and marginalized folks, Zoe believes that there are many ways to get involved, but inaction is not an option, and applies that philosophy in everything she does.

My Sister’s House’s mission is to serve Asian and Pacific Islander and other underserved women and children impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking by providing a culturally appropriate and responsive safe haven, job training, and community services.

Grace Yoon, Esq. Grace Yoon is a staff attorney for My Sister’s House.  In 2022, the Sacramento County Domestic Violence Prevention Collaboration recognized Grace with a Symbol of Service Award for her commitment and service to the survivors of domestic violence in our community.

St. John’s Program for Real Change mission is to unleash the potential of women and children in crisis. We accomplish our mission by adhering to our vision — breaking the cycle of poverty and dependence, one family at a time.

Julie Hirota is an accomplished business executive and CEO for Saint John’s Program for Real Change. She has more than 25 years of extensive leadership and operational experience in private, public, and non-profit sectors driving meaningful outcomes.

WEAVE’s mission is to promote safe and healthy relationships and support survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and sex trafficking.

As the CEO of WEAVE, Beth Hassett has led the charge to promote safe and healthy relationships and support survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and sex trafficking since 2006.  She is committed to ensuring that WEAVE’s programs are accessible, respectful and culturally responsive so clients from all communities can heal and rebuild their lives.  In 2020 Beth received two honors from the Sacramento Business Journal, the Corporate Citizenship Award as Non-Profit Executive of the Year and she was named one of Sacramento’s Most Admired CEO’s.

Programs: Looking Forward, Looking Back

Programs: Looking Forward, Looking Back By Hedda Smithson

Sacramento Branch of AAUW Presents

Episode Four of “The Rights Stuff”: The Right to Higher Education

Lights, Camera, Action!!

Saturday, December 9, 2023 11 AM

North Ridge Country Club, 7600 Madison Avenue

 AAUW Sacramento was founded in 1920. Some of us helped celebrate our 100th birthday on Feb. 29, 2020. One of the first projects these early members started was a scholarship program.

For our December gathering we will invite our current scholarship recipients — Elizabeth, Erin, Nichole, Wahida and Nataliia  to join us for lunch at the lovely North Ridge Country Club.

A choice of entrees will be offered and an opportunity to “take a future grad to lunch” by helping to pay for the lunches of our scholarship guests. There may be a chance to do other giving as well.

More information and how to RSVP for this event will be provided in an upcoming eBlast.

Recaps: September and October of the Rights Stuff

The first two episodes of “Lights, Camera, Action”  are “in the can”. Both were SRO (standing room only!!). Running out of chairs is a good thing? Here are the highlights:

September 23 at the Arcade Library on Marconi Avenue

  • Members approved the budget for the 2023-24 membership year as presented in the September issue of Capital Ideas.
  • Seven Tech Trek campers shared stories of blood draws, food science, and playing with lights and sound at the Mondavi Center in Davis. Each received a Tech Trek bear.
  • Two National Conference of College Women Student Leaders participants told us what they had learned during three days of intense workshops and networking.
  • We learned how to be Membership Ambassadors and earn a star!!
  • New members include Susan Cox, Joyce Humphrey, Pam Harder, Kim McDaniel, Sasha Mowrey, Joy Allender and Tom Smithson. Be sure to watch for and welcome each to future events.
  • We were invited to join a group tour at the Sojourner Truth Museum on Oct. 7 for an African Marketplace, featuring live music, food, and shopping opportunities.

October 14 at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center on Gibbons Drive

  • Members from Sacramento and Citrus Heights/American River Branches met for more than a month to put together this program.
  • Representatives from Planned Parenthood Mar Monte spoke to us briefly about their local focus.
  • We listened to stories from The Abortion Chronicles and discussed what we heard.
  • We heard how medical students and doctors have had to make choices about their futures.
  • We learned about maternal care deserts both before and after the Dobbs Decision.
  • Each participant was given a packet full of information, including two pages of actions that each of us could take.
  • Our lesson in government included how amendments become part of the US Constitution and what we can do to have the Equal Right Amendment published.

Reproductive Healthcare

Reproductive Healthcare Part I By Liz Jordan

AAUW Position on Reproductive Healthcare: AAUW supports choice in determining one’s reproductive life and increased access to health care and family planning services.

On Saturday, Oct. 14, in a Joint Branch meeting, the Sacramento and CHAR branches presented a program about the current state of reproductive healthcare in the United States.  The program presenters did a dramatic reading of several pre-Roe (1973) stories from The Abortion Chronicles, written by Lynn Wenzel of Nevada County.  Integrated into the second half  of the program, the facts/informational part, were more stories of women’s experiences since June 2022, when the Dobbs decision was handed down.

We learned many facts about what is happening all over our country. Some important points that were made are:

  • California is one of 4 only states labeled Very Protective for reproductive healthcare protections on the Guttmacher Institute interactive map. We are one of 14 states are considered Protective; on the other hand, 36 states are considered Restrictive to Most Restrictive because they limit or ban abortion. https://www.guttmacher.org
  • Healthcare records, nor providers of reproductive care, are safe from prosecutions, even in states where many women travel to get reproductive care. Nineteen states (19) have challenged a Health and Human Services Department order protecting healthcare records of people who travel to another state for healthcare services; they cite that these records might evidence of a crime in the patient’s home state.
  • Reproductive Healthcare providers are leaving many states to practice where their actions are not considered felonious until proven innocent. For example, according to the New York Times, 75% of Oklahoma’s OBGYNs are either leaving or considering leaving the state.
  • A growing number of U S counties are considered Maternity Deserts where there is limited or no access to birthing hospitals, birth centers offering obstetric care or obstetric providers. For example, in Texas 53% of counties are considered Maternity Deserts! Where You Live Matters: Maternity Care Deserts and the Crisis of Access and Equity | March of Dimes
  • Furthermore, nearly 60% of medical students are avoiding practice in states with abortion restrictions.
  • The Gender Equity Policy Institute reports that women, living in states with abortion bans, are three times more likely to die during pregnancy or childbirth; their babies are 30% more likely to die in the first month of life.

This movement, to control reproductive care, does not plan to stop at the status quo.

So, what can we do, here in our Protective State with only a few Maternity Deserts? One idea expressed at the meeting is a clear gender protection in the U S Constitution.  If we had a gender-equity protection, as a 28th Amendment, the Supreme Court could be less-likely to make a decision like Dobbs.

Next month, we will answer what happened to the Equal Rights Amendment?  And what can I do about it?

Click <here> to access Paola Mendez’s report on legislation that went through the legislature this year that deals with issues around healthcare.

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