Altrusa members have volunteered at Jill's House, first funding and maintaining a computer library and more recently, overseeing the gardens.
Jill's House provides lodging for families of patients at the Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute in Bloomington. It is one of three such medical proton therapy facilities in the nation, drawing patients from all over the country. Jill's House allows patients and families to live in a home-like setting while in Bloomington.
Pictured is Amal Altoma near some of the plants the group maintains at Jill's House.
Altrusa supports the club's literacy efforts. This includes funding area residents' GED fees for people at Middle Way House, a shelter for domestic abuse victims, and for out-of-county residents' fees to join the Volunteers In Tutoring Adult Learners (VITAL) program at the Monroe County Public Library.
Altrusa is one of the sponsors of the Monroe County Public Library's Quiz Bowl, which helps fund the Volunteers in Tutoring Adult Learners (VITAL) program at the library. Members provide, set up and serve refreshments on the last night of the triva contest week.
Local Altrusans continue to participate in Altrusa International's Make a Difference Day each year as well.
For several years, members have collected donations for Teachers Warehouse as well as handed out water during the Jill Behrman Run/Walk.
In 2008, eight members met at Jill's House, a temporary residence for patients undergoing outpatient cancer treatment at Indiana University's Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute, one of three such centers in the United States.
They took computer paper, pencils, pens and an electric pencil sharpener to the Jill's House Library for use with the computer the club donated in June. They donated several bookends and added shelves to the existing bookcases, organizing, arranging and adding additional books to the shelves.
As Jill's House helps more than 500 people a year, the Altrusans feel this is a worthy and needed service. The club continues to support the facility in volunteering.
In the past, members volunteered at Teachers Warehouse, a non-profit organization which provides donated materials and school supplies to area teachers for use in the class rooms.
Each year, Altrusa volunteers ring bells for the Salvation Army. This is just one of several ways members support community service programs in the Bloomington area. This year, ten members rang the bells and collected money for the group at College Mall. Members also donated 40 pairs of mittens, two hats and several scarves to the agency.
Altrusans hosted a Victorian Tea and Style Show for two years, drawing more than 100 attendees and raising more than $1,500 to be used for local projects.
Literacy for Life was the Bloomington chapter's project designed to provide an umbrella of literacy activities across the life span to aid in protection from poverty of resources, material and spiritual. Three groups were served: