A Magazine for the Women of Hong Kong • September 2017 SEPTEMBER 2017 The American Women’s Association of Hong Kong, Limited. Established in 1956 A volunteer organization of women of all nationalities supporting Hong Kong charities and schools through community service and monetary grants, while providing educational and social activities for members. AWARE PRODUCTION TEAM 12 EDITOR Brooke Richter [email protected] ASSISTANT EDITOR Stephanie Chan Contents CONTRIBUTORS Sarah Chapman Tricia Cliff Stitch Group Extends Welcome 5 Frances Nicholls Gabriela Caraman-Heijnen Helen Carruthers 8 Making a Difference One Party at a Time 7 Barbora Mayer Heron Halloway Charitable Donations Committee, 12 Making an Impact on Local Charities GRAPHICS Jacky Ngan Get Connected in Hong Kong 16 through LocalHood ADVERTISING MANAGER [email protected] Heron Halloway, Fostering Lives, 18 One House at a Time Calendar of Events 22 PUBLISHED & PRINTED BY R&R Publishing Ltd. 2126 7812 [email protected] www.rrpublishing.com.hk 18 The AWA office is open from Monday-Thursday 9:30am-3:30pm. We are closed on Hong Kong public holidays. VISIT THE AWA WEBSITE: www.awa.org.hk LIKE US ON FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/awahk FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @AWA_HK FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: @AWA_HK Any opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author only and do not represent the opinion of the American Women’s Association. Any reliance by the reader upon any recommendation or opinion in this publication is at the reader’s own risk. The AWA accepts no responsibility for any loss which may result from such reliance. Copyright 2014. The content of the Aware publication is the property of the American Women's Association. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is strictly prohibited. Information from within the publication may not be distributed without the express written consent of the American Women's Association. NEWS FROM THE BOARD From the President Hello and welcome (back) to Hong Kong and the AWA for another year with diverse activities and plenty of opportunities to meet likeminded ladies and meaningfully become involved. As you might have noticed, this page underwent a change. In “News from the Board”, you will meet a different board member each month who will inform you about developments in her area of responsibility and the AWA in general. It’s my pleasure to start this column as your new President. I’m very excited to serve as the first non-American AWA President in its 61-year-old history. Will it change the identity of the organization? I don’t believe so. Over the years, the AWA has become a truly international association. While US citizens still represent the majority of its membership, we are proud to count 36 nationalities among our members. A non-American President gives a face to this diversity. At the same time, our core values will remain deeply rooted in the American culture. Principles such as welcoming strangers with a smile, reaching a helping hand out to each other and giving back to the community have always been the backbone of the AWA. Marcy, who was at the helm of the AWA for the past two years, lived these principles as a true role model. She was fully committed and omnipresent with endless enthusiasm. She met everyone with an open heart and a contagious laugh, and she breathed life and positive energy into our organization. Marcy, thank you so much for everything you did for the AWA! Whether you are new to the AWA or a longtime member - join us for the annual Welcome Back Breakfast on Thursday 28 September. Discover what the AWA has in store over the coming months, and meet some friendly faces in the lovely premises of the American Club in Tai Tam. I look forward to seeing you there! 2017-18 AWA Executive Board 2 AWARE September 2017 MEMBERSHIP Maritime Museum Outing The AWA (American Women’s Association) is a dynamic community of women of all nationalities, with over 650 members from 36 countries. We are sure you will find your niche through our diverse range of activities, events and opportunities to volunteer. All women are welcome – do join us! Current members – you are our best ambassadors. Please introduce new arrivals and old friends to AWA – over wine at OWL, at a Neighborhood Coffee, a WOW event, or encourage them to attend CHAT. AWA’s vision is that all women can connect with us and develop a rich, satisfying and purposeful life in Hong Kong. Joining AWA is easy via our website at: awa.org.hk or call 2527 2961. Welcome New Members Talia Bilodeau Jo Guinness Robyn Macdonald Dawna Golden Georgia Davidson Mao Wada-Pullen Nancy Acee Suzanne Mitchell Amber Yang Renu Budhrani Elizabeth Philip Rachel Lechleiter Dimple Weeks Joanne Lytle Ding Ding Diana Bradley Sarah Best Jacki Littlejohn Claudia Diesielski Maggie Atanassova Tiffany Broekelman Micaella Basham-Arrieta Alicia van Thiel Brandy Philippe Christine Payne Lisa Bryant Tracey Keller Nicola Robb Janie Adams Smith Kelly Mistry September 2017 AWARE 3 AWA ENJOYS Recent Events Paddle Boarding for Beginners Adventure U.S. Consulate 4th of July Celebration 4 AWARE September 2017 AWA CLUBS & SPORTS Stitch group extends welcome By Sarah Chapman ARE YOU A knitter extraordinaire? Are you exceptional at members to come and join us. If you have an ongoing project cross-stitch, quilt making, tapestry or tatting? Do you turn out or skill, do please come and share it with us. Maybe you incredible crochet or bobbin lace? Are your embroidery skills have a long forgotten project that now lives at the back of the phenomenal? closet? This could be the time to bring it out and get going It matters not to the AWA Stitch Group whether you are again. Alternatively, if you do not know one end of a knitting any of the above or none at all! Our group comprises ladies needle from the other, or would like to try your hand at quilt with many skills and varying levels of ability who enjoy getting making, cross-stitch or bobbin lace, this is your chance to together twice a month to share their various interests, come along and try it out. exchange ideas and have a yarn or two along the way. For further information, e-mail us at [email protected] or On Friday morning 6th October, we will be having an [email protected]. We very much look forward to open meeting at the AWA Office where we extend an invite to seeing you! September 2017 AWARE 5 6 AWARE September 2017 FEATURE Making a Difference One Party at a Time By Tricia Cliff DO YOU ENJOY working with children? The camaraderie of teary-eyed remembering my feelings that day and knowing spending time with fellow AWA members while bringing that I would never look at volunteering the same way again. smiles to families? Maybe you don’t have a lot of extra time, I tell that story to remind you that on the days you step out but you want to be involved in activities that make a of your comfort zone, giving up a few hours of your time to difference? If this is you, then consider volunteering one make a difference, you may very well not feel the impact, but afternoon every other month at the Ronald McDonald House you never know whose life you may touch or when you may to host a birthday party. We cook, play games, make a craft find yourself on the receiving end of someone else’s and give gifts to children who are battling life-threatening generosity. illnesses. Families and children who stay at the house Whether you gather a few items to cook a simple dish, generally live quite a distance from their homes and other help a child create a craft, or serve up some cake, know that family members. Time away from the house often consists of your time will be well spent. For more details, contact Renee trips back and forth to the hospital for treatments. As you can Cheung at [email protected] or Tricia Cliff at imagine, knowing that your child has a debilitating or life- [email protected]. threatening illness takes a toll on parents and grandparents. While a simple birthday party with strangers may not seem like an important item on the calendar, it can truly make a difference in the difficult and mundane schedule of a sick child. How do I know this? Eight years ago, our family was involved in a car accident that left our four children in the pediatric intensive care unit on Christmas Eve. There were, among other things, three broken backs, a ruptured stomach, intestine and bile duct, two broken jaws, a punctured lung, and massive facial lacerations. You can imagine how we were feeling as parents. Today, our children are all fine, thanks to God and some amazing surgeons. As traumatic as that time was, do you know what always stands out in our memory? On Christmas Day, when most folks are home with their families and not thinking about serving others, the wonderful volunteers at RMH were at the hospital staffing the family room (where massage chairs, snacks and coffee are available all day long) and at the RM House serving an amazing Christmas dinner to the families who were staying there. As my husband and I sat there, nearly delirious from sleep deprivation and emotional overload, I was moved to tears that these strangers would voluntarily give up their holiday for me. Even as I write this, I still get September 2017 AWARE 7 FEATURE NEVER STOP LEARNING By Frances Nicholls TO NEWCOMERS to Hong Kong: you may be wondering what to do with your free time.