Las Vegas Chapter partners with Department of Family Services for Ultimate Gift 2012

On November 3-5, the Las Vegas Chapter participated in theirfirst Ultimate Gift service weekend. The Chapter chose the Department of Family Services (DFS) to be the recipient of their inaugural Ultimate Gift. DFS is a leader and advocate in the treatment and prevention of child abuse and neglect. Chapter president Kristen
Beling said “we chose DFS because it speaks to the heart of what YMSL stands for… and we are happy to have the opportunity to make this ‘gift’ to enhance the parent-child experience within DFS.”

The project consisted of painting conference rooms, installing bookshelves with over 150 donated books, and providing artwork and toys to create a comfortable setting for DFS’s parent-child visitations. We also had help from a YMSL dad, Mr. Wagner, who taught the boys proper techniques for prepping, painting and clean-up for this large-scale project.


DFS Director Lisa Ruiz-Less said this donation "will provide comfort to these very special children of Clark County for years to come and we truly appreciate your kindness.”

Philanthropy Fair Success for the Plano chapter

On October 8th over 100 Moms gathered to create Christmas Crackers for the clients of Seven Loaves Food Pantry in Plano, Texas. That evening proved that busy hands are happy hands and in less than an hour over 500 stuffed, wrapped, and ribboned candy Christmas Crackers were assembled! Even more amazing was the $940 that was donated to Seven Loaves from our extremely generous membership. The administrators of Seven Loaves were thrilled with all of the help. 

Las Vegas Chapter Kicks Off Summer with “Smiles”

The members of the Las Vegas Chapter kicked off their summer break by helping Toys 4 Smiles, a nonprofit charitable organization that produces simple, hardwood toy cars and trucks that are provided to first responders to give to children in trauma situations.  One of the moms observed that “It is such a beautiful organization! Absolutely everything is donated, materials and time.  They take pride making sure that the final product is high quality and the cars roll and look great.”
The boys had a great summer and are looking forward to many additional opportunities to serve their community.

Dalrich chapter has an Epiphany Garden Work Day

Early on a Saturday morning, before the sun got too hot, more than a dozen Dalrich Chapter volunteers arrived at Epiphany Neighborhood Garden to assist church members with some gardening.  The garden opened last year in Richardson as a mission project of the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany.  Church members and neighbors donate produce grown in the garden to the food pantry at the Network of Community Ministries, meeting an essential need for fresh fruits and vegetables.  They have already donated 600 pounds of food this year.

The Dalrich Chapter volunteers assisted church members with mulching the garden, an essential task for water conservation and weed prevention.  Moms and boys worked together to shovel mulch into wheel barrows, transport to the beds and spread around each raised garden bed.  In an impressive display of productivity, volunteers moved two huge piles of mulch in less than three hours, earning a handful of blisters.  Besides completing this terrific task, volunteers also enjoyed learning more about the plants in the garden and seeing the ‘fruits of their labor’ in the form of blooming artichoke plants and burgeoning squash plants.

Las Vegas Chapter goes to the Prom

On Saturday, May 12^th thirteen members and their sons of the Las Vegas Chapter participated at Joy Prom Las Vegas.  Joy Prom Las Vegas is a full-scale, complimentary prom for teenagers and adults with cognitive and physical impairments.  The event unites community and helps dispel negative stereotypes.  The boys hosted a guest for the evening while their mothers’ chaperoned.  Joy Prom Las Vegas promotes the act of giving and social interaction between 300 guests and 1000 volunteers.  The spectacular evening included a red carpet experience, corsages for guests, dinner, and dancing bringing pure joy to those who attended and those that helped.   

 

Las Vegas Chapter gives back with the Miracle League

Our Las Vegas Chapter volunteered at Miracle League of Las Vegas on May 12.
Twelve moms and thirteen boys participated in this recreational spring baseball league for those with disabilities. Whether it was running the bases with the players or coaching for moral support, fun was had by all on that sunny, spring day.

Las Vegas Chapter hold innagural "New Membership Orientation"

YMSL Las Vegas Chapter held its inaugural "New Membership Orientation" on Sunday, April 29.  The Las Vegas Chapter launched its membership with 51 excited new members.  The members participated in their first Wish List donating items for the Clark County Department of Family Services. The chapter is preparing for a fun filled first year. 

Plano Chapter is awarded Community Partner of the Year by local medical center

The approximate 20 mother/son teams that makeup the Medical Center of Plano volunteer group have been awarded the prestigious 2012 "Community Partner of the Year" by the Medical Center of Plano. YMSL Plano was recognized at the Medical Center of Plano's annual Volunteer Banquet on Tuesday,  April 17, 2012 at the Plano Centre. Their MCP teams dedicated 3 hours every Thursday evening at MCP by volunteering as a greeter at the north and/or south information desks and have been enriching their lives by helping others. The Coordinators this year were Penny MacDonell and Margaret Taack. We thank these energetic, dedicated and compassionate volunteers for setting a great YMSL example!

We are looking forward to a great National Training Day in Plano, TX  today!  Over 160 officers and board members from our chapters will be attending - should be fun to meet, share, and learn.

Dalrich chapter has a fun afternoon with the Downs Syndrome Guild of Dallas

YMSL Dalrich Boys had the privilege of joining the Downs Syndrome Guild of Dallas at Nickelrama in Garland for an event full of arcade games, pizza, prizes, and fun!  Each YMSL boy was paired with a member of the Downs Syndrome Guild of Dallas. This marked the launch of a ‘teen only’ event for the Downs Syndrome Guild of Dallas, and everyone walked away at the end smiling and telling stories about their experience with their partners.  The Dalrich YMSL Boys said, “We want to do this again!” They look forward to participating in the Down's Syndrome Guild of Dallas Talent Show in March.

Lone Star chapter hear Decorated Marine at Father/Son event

The YMSL Lone Star Chapter hosted decorated military officer and author, Donovan Campbell for our Father/son event on January 28th.  Donovan spoke to around 160 young men and their fathers about his experiences as a marine platoon commander. Donavan shared that the average age of his soldiers were 19 ½, not much older than many of our young men. He delivered a powerful message about how the lessons learned in war apply to our daily lives and serving others.

The Lone Star Chapter gets creative with Moms’ Meeting

This last November, the Lone Star chapter decided to try something different to keep their mom meetings exciting and well attended.   Sheri Bastie, V.P. of Philanthropy, came up with the great idea to have a Philanthropy Fair.  At this meeting, the moms divided up by grade level and worked on projects for four of our philanthropies.  For Metrocrest Social Services, they made candy poppers out of empty toilet paper tubes, covered them with wrapping paper and tied on the ends.  For Dallas Life, they made gift bags containing Bibles and journals.  For Meals on Wheels, they made gift bags with note cards and stamps and, for Support the Troops, they made gift bags containing a Starbucks gift card or an AT&T gift card to be handed to each member of the military as they stepped off the plane.  Since everyone enjoyed the fresh venue, the fellowship with the other grade level moms and helping out our wonderful philanthropies, they are planning on it again for next year!