Author: Admin

Board Of Directors
Suzanne Gibson
President
Linda Urry
1st Vice President
Kim Barnes
2nd Vice President
Membership
Diane Capetola
3rd Vice President
Roseanne Miller
Treasurer
Judy Streeter
Recording Secretary
Denise Mulcahy
Correspondence
Secretary
Sharron Semento
Parliamentarian
Delores Deen/Donna Biba, CHs
Arts & Culture
Jerry Hardwick
Civic Engagement & Outreach
Kim Barnes
Environment
Cheryl Higgins
Education & Libraries
Tracy Draper
Health & Wellness
Linda Urry, CH
Way and Means
Therese Haberle, CH
ESO Book Club
Cathy Kautz, CH
Hospitality
Denise Mulcahy, CH
Communications

Federation Motto: “In great things, Unity; In small things, Liberty; In all things, Charity”

Suzanne Gibson November 2025 Joanna Fox
President Editor Editor

President’s Corner
Dear Ladies,
This is what GFWC Mount Dora Woman’s Club looked like in October—We:
Fed and lifted the spirits of seniors at the Senior Center.
Fed those with food insecurity at Center Street Kitchen.
Donated school supplies to Apple Mart.
Recycled plastic, paper tubes, used batteries, and medicine bottles.
Supported our sister club in Leesburg.
Walked to end Alzheimer’s.
Painted rocks for fun and to spread the word of GFWC Mount Dora Woman’s Club.
Donated, baked, and worked the Yard and Plant Sale to benefit the homeless children in Lake County.
Met with and provided lunch and information to the Holiday Tour of Homes homeowners.
Met in committees to plan.
Took minutes at meetings.
Created financial reports.
Tracked Volunteer hours.
Scanned books at the library.
Created the newsletter and fliers to keep us informed.
Posted to Facebook to keep us informed.
Maintained the website to keep us informed.
Signed up and welcomed new members.
Thank you! You are amazing!
Spark the Fireworks!
Suzanne

NOVEMBER PROGRAM
Guest Speaker:
Julia D'Arts, Founder
of I Am A Safe Place
Hosted by Civic Engagement & Outreach

November Dates to Remember
Nov 1 Walkie Talkie
Nov 5 Registration 11:00 a.m.
General Meeting 11:30 a.m.
Lunch 12:30 p.m.
Nov 7 Center Street Kitchen
Nov 11 Veterans Day
Nov 12 MLK Senior Center
Nov 19 ESO
Nov 26 MLK Senior Center
Nov 26 Executive Board Meeting
Nov 27 Thanksgiving

A note from Roseanne Miller, Treasurer
Dear Club Members,
We’re thrilled to once again support the Guardian ad Litem program, which brings holiday gifts to children in foster care who’ve faced abuse, neglect, or abandonment.
At this month’s luncheon, you’ll find an angel tree with paper angels—each representing a child’s wish list. Please take an angel, purchase the requested gift, but do not wrap it. Be sure to attach the angel and return the gift (unwrapped) at our December 3rd Luncheon. If shopping isn’t possible for you, a monetary gift is another meaningful way to help.
Your generosity brings joy, hope and love to children who need to know they’re not forgotten. Let’s make this Christmas truly special for them.
Thank you for your kindness.

The General Federation of Women’s Clubs is a nonprofit organization that brings together local women’s clubs in a collective effort to strengthen communities and enhance the lives of others through volunteer service.
Roseanne Miller 23538 Shallow Avenue Sorrento, FL 32776
teer service.

GFWC Mount Dora Woman’s Club, Inc. Page 2
Community Service Programs

ARTS & CULTURE
Delores Deen and Donna Biba, CO-CHS
The committee meets on the 2nd Thursday of each month at Foxtail Coffee in Tavares at 1:00 p.m. (next to the Library). Our next meeting is on November 13th. Please join in!
The categories for the 2025 Arts & Crafts Competition are described on our website. Contact Dee Olive to add your submission We look forward to seeing examples of your hobbies and creativity at the January meeting!
The Lake Cares Empty Bowls fundraising event is Friday, November 14th, 6:oo p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Donnelly Park Pavilion. We painted our bowls at Yada Yada Pottery in October, and it’s time to fill them with gourmet soups made by local restaurants! Tickets are $30.00, and may be purchased online at https://lakecares.org.
Contact Donna Biba about availability of GFWC Mount Dora Woman’s Club spots for ushering at the November 20th showing of “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Did you know you can volunteer on your own by calling the Icehouse Theater box office? Call (352) 383-4616.
Planning is underway for a great trip to “Winter Park Christmas in the Park”, on the afternoon and evening of December 4th. There will be a free concert of the Bach Festival Choir and Brass Ensemble; a lighted display of Tiffany windows from the Morse Museum; and dinner on our own. Drive or join us for a SunRail train trip from Deland. Further details will be discussed at the next meeting.
Arts & Culture Opportunities! Invite a friend and attend!
Jazz in the Alley in Deland on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Art in the Alley in Mount Dora on the 2nd Friday of the month from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Members and guests enjoyed an afternoon of rock painting at Eden Abbey Brewing Community in Mount Dora. Everyone took their painted rocks home to keep or to hid.

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT & OUTREACH

Jerry Hardwick, District 7 Point Person

As a reminder, we will participate in Wreaths Across America again this year in two ways. You can
DONATE: On November 5th purchase a wreath for $17.00, by check or cash. Your purchase can then be dedicated to a veteran of your choice.
VOLUNTEER: On December 13th, beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the cemetery near the library, participate in a patriotic program followed by the placement of wreaths on graves of veterans. You will feel better by having participated!

EDUCATION & LIBRARIES
Cheryl Higgins, CH

The generosity of our Club once again exceeded expectations. At the October luncheon, over 1000 items were collected and donated to Apple-Mart.
During the luncheon, Kristin McCall, from Families in Transition (FIT), was the guest speaker, which was fantastic timing as FIT will be receiving the proceeds from the October garage sale.
The committee is hard at work moving onto our next priorities, which are volunteering with Tavares library and working with Triangle Community Alliance (Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program) to support recruitment of children into the program.
New members are welcome, and our next meeting is Monday, November 3rd, at 2:00 p.m. at the W. T. Bland Library in Mount Dora.

GFWC Mount Dora Woman’s Club, Inc. Page 3

ENVIRONMENT
Kim Barnes, CH

FUNDRAISING
Linda Urry, CH

Check out the Environment Committee's table at the November meeting for simple choices you can make to reduce your environmental footprint, and a special work of art made by Lori Steuter using materials she recycled over the course of one week.
Join Kim Barnes and Lake County Park and Water Resources on a Wetland Excursion at Wolf Branch Sink on Saturday, November 1st. It is considered a hike, not a walk. See our calendar for details and to register. Contact Kim Barnes with questions.
The Environment Committee will continue to collect plastic bags, used batteries, paper tubes, and empty prescription bottles at each meeting. Look for the receptacles in the adjoining room.
The plastic is brought to Trout Lake Nature Center, which, in return, receives benches made from recycled plastic from Trex. Each composite bench requires 1000 pounds of plastic, which Trex estimates as 41,000 plastic bags.
The batteries are brought to Staples, one of a handful of entities that also accept alkaline batteries for recycling. During the first six months of 2025, we collected and recycled over 1,000 batteries.
The paper tubes are offered to teachers, gardeners, and other programs that can use them.
The prescription bottles are sent to Matthew 25: Ministries, which uses them in shipments of medical supplies to and in developing countries.

The season of thanksgiving is here, and our club members’ generosity is truly remarkable.
Generosity manifests in various forms, both seen and unseen. While money and time are often associated with generosity, let’s not overlook the unseen aspects.
Forgiveness, gentleness, and helping others are all forms of generosity of spirit.
The Fundraising Committee is thankful for you.

Members gathered at Yada Yada Pottery in downtown Mount Dora to paint bowls for the upcoming Empty Bowl Fundraiser to benefit Lake Care Food Pantry. Pictured from left: Sue Chelseth, Roseanne Miller, Donna Biba, Delores Deen and Gina Conway.

HEALTH & WELLNESS
Tracy Draper. CH

Correspondence Secretary
Denise Mulcahy

This month’s Walkie Talkie will take place Saturday, November 1 , 2025, at Wooton Park in Tavares, 10:00 am. to 11:30 a.m. We will meet at the east end of the park in the main parking lot, by the gazebo near the large oak tree.
Coffee afterwards! Bring a favorite healthy snack recipe to share (optional).

If you know of anyone who needs a ray of Sunshine, please send me their name and address so I can contact them with a note from MDWC.

GFWC Mount Dora Woman’s Club, Inc. Page 4

ESO
Therese Haberle, CH
tmhaberle90@hushmail.com

MEMBERSHIP
Kim Barnes, CH

Our next ESO book club meeting is Wednesday, November 19th, 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., at the W. T. Bland Library.
ESO stands for Epsilon Sigma Omicron, the GFWC's honorary educational society. Think of it as a "sorority" of sisters interested in improving themselves through reading!
Come chat, share what you've been reading, and enjoy the conversation, whether you've read anything or not!
The November meeting is a "group read". Two books: 1) a Florida classic, "A Land Remembered" by Patrick Smith. A moving and stimulating read about our fair State, and 2) "Three Days in June" by Anne Tyler, 160-odd pages about family, marriage, growth, and forgiveness. Come, whether you've read these two or not!

SUNSHINE COMMITTEE

During October, we welcomed Missy Jordan, Marie Burke, and Linda McGuire. They may look familiar as they all joined us at the October business meeting and luncheon.
This poem reminds me of why I am so thankful to belong to this club.
"Women of Warmth"
Hand in hand, they join as one,
Under the sun, beneath the sun,
Women of courage, hearts so kind,
Lifting spirits, leaving none behind.
Their voices blend, a gentle song,
Together they stand strong and long,
Volunteering, ensuring care,
A bond of love, they're always there.
In every act, a hope is born,
From dusk till dawn, their spirits drawn,
Women who give and never ask why,
Together they reach for the sky.

If you know of a club member going through a rough patch and who could use some TLC, i.e., a ride to the doctor, help with meals, a call, or a visit, please let a Hospitality/Sunshine Committee member know so we may bring some sunshine their way. Contact Cathy Kautz .

GFWC Mount Dora Members volunteered to usher at the Sonnentag Theatre at the Icehouse. Pictured left: Linda Urry, Donna Biba. Mary Groeller, and Gina Conway.

Brief History of Veterans Day
Veterans Day in the United States is a national holiday observed annually on November 11 to honor all military veterans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Here's how it came to be:
Origins in World War I
Armistice Day was first celebrated on November 11, 1919, marking the first anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I.
The armistice went into effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, symbolizing peace after the "war to end all wars".
Transition to Veterans Day
In 1938, Armistice Day became a legal holiday in the U.S., originally dedicated to honoring WWI veterans.
After World War II and the Korean War, the scope expanded to honor all American veterans.
In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation officially renaming the holiday Veterans Day. Source: Military.com

GFWC Mount Dora Woman’s Club, Inc. Page 5
Announcements

SPOTLIGHT ON

Jerry Hardwick, District 7 Point Person
jerrylynnh@hotmail.com

Judy Streeter 11/06
Lori Steuter 11/09

to our newest members

Marie Burke
Missy Jordan
Linda McGuire

Violet Nagy
Violet’s grandparents came to the United States from Hungary and settled in West New York. She was raised in Wheatfield, New York, and comes from a large family with 2 brothers and 5 sisters. She has one son and one grandchild who live in Hong Kong.
Violet has lived in Florida for 26 years. She lived in the Panhandle as well as North Port, which is on the west coast. She also spent 4 years in West Texas. In 2021, she moved to Mount Dora.
Violet had a 20-year career in banking. She also worked for Sarasota County Lifeguard Operations until she retired in 2018.
Her favorite activities include reading, biking, hiking, and traveling.

Gail Newton boxing school supplies for delivery to Apple-Mart.

Boxes of school supplies ready for delivery to Apple-Mart. Pictured Left: Gail Newton, Jerry Hardwick, Donna Capetola, Joanna Fox, Kim Barnes, and Judy Streeter.
her Sister Pat

HOSPITALITY
Cathy Kautz, CH
cathykautz@att.net

The red poppy is a prominent symbol associated with Veterans Day in the US. It represents remembrance and honor for military veterans, with millions of red crepe paper poppies distributed by the American Legion as part of their therapeutic rehabilitation program for veterans. The symbolism of the poppy originated from a World War I poem, highlighting the flowers that grew on battlefields, making it a poignant reminder of those who served. Excerpt from VeteranAid.org