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Spring 2008, Vol. 4, No. 2 | Index
MBL in the Community
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Jane MacNeil
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Jane MacNeil
Equal Employment Opportunity Coordinator
Jane MacNeil recently collected knitting and sewing supplies for the Tanzania Community Development Alliance (TACODA) Children’s Home. TACODA was founded to rescue abandoned and orphaned children from the streets of Tanzania, where it is estimated that over one million children have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS. The sewing supplies are used to make clothes for the children and to sell at market to raise funds for the Home.
“My friend told me about the group, and then I thought, ‘I have access to the MBL classifieds email,’ so I sent out the request,” said Jane.
The response was overwhelming. “I went on vacation, and when I returned, my office was nearly full of supplies,” said Jane. “It seemed like everyone was trying to help.”
When she found out that Pam Hinkle was traveling to Tanzania with her family, it seemed like fate. Jane sorted and packaged the supplies, then gave them to Pam to take with her on her trip.
A few weeks later, Jane received an email from her friend with photos from TACODA. “I was blown away,” said Jane. “There in the pictures was our yarn—I recognized it as I had sorted it all—being used to make clothes. I was amazed to see this come to fruition.”
For more information on the TACODA Children’s Home, visit www.tacodachildren.org.
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Cathy Schmidt
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Cathy Schmidt
Human Resources Coordinator
Cathy Schmidt is working to keep prom night safe for all of Falmouth High School’s juniors and seniors, including her two daughters. A 2000 National Traffic Safety Administration study of prom-graduation traffic fatalities found that 58 to 64 percent were alcohol-related. For many parents, it can be an evening of worry.
Attending an organized after-prom party is a good way for parents to keep their kids safe. Cathy is a member of town’s After-Prom Committee, which is part of Together We Can, a nonprofit group aimed at providing fun and safe activities and services for Falmouth’s youth. The group has planned an after-prom event for the past 14 years, and this year’s May 10 festivities were just as spectacular.
“We planned a wonderful party,” said Cathy. “There were casino games, karaoke, caricatures, music, and food all night long, from right after the prom to 5:00 am.”
Safety is the group’s first priority. “No one was admitted after 12:00,” explains Cathy, “and no on under 18 was allowed to leave before the end of the party without a guardian’s permission, so parents can be sure they know where their kids are.”
The generosity of the community has made a lasting impact. “All of the food was donated by area shops and restaurants,” said Cathy. “We had gift certificates from many of the local stores and merchants as raffle prizes. The response was just incredible.”
Such an elaborate party takes lots of work. “We decorated for about 48 hours prior to the prom,” laughs Cathy. “The party was a great success. The time and effort that volunteers put into this event was evident, and more than 350 kids came and had a great time.”
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Sue Huse and Arthur
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Sue Huse
Bioinformaticist, Bay Paul Center
Sue Huse volunteers with many charities, and she involves her family—her husband, her daughter, and even her dog.
Through her church, Sue volunteers with The Emancipation Network (TEN), an organization that helps survivors of human sex trafficking and their children. Sue recently spent two weeks in Calcutta with the group, despite nursing a broken arm, working on a community center and night shelter with her husband John and daughter Amy. She also taught a business workshop to teach girls how to run their own crafts business.
“We try to offer the girls an alternative income and education,” said Sue. “You need both, but income can be the most important. Without it, there is a great risk that they will go back to that lifestyle.”
On their recent trip Sue and the rest of the volunteers painted the night shelter, and helped the children paint a mural in the community center. The group’s efforts have provided a safe place for the children to stay in what can be a dangerous city. “Calcutta is dirty, loud, and filled with traffic; it is chaos,” she explains. “When you walk into the community center or shelter, it is suddenly quiet and peaceful. The children can play and smile and have fun.”
In addition to her work with TEN, Sue and her dog Arthur can be often found at Cape Cod Nursing Home in Buzzards Bay. Arthur, a three year old Newfie, is a certified “therapy dog”, and is trained to work with the elderly. “The patients love to see us coming in,” said Sue. “Having Arthur there gets people talking and remembering their own pet that they have loved.”
The Collecting Net is an employee newsletter published by the Communications Office. Comments and suggestions are welcome. Call (508) 289-7423 or e-mail us at
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