Service Projects
Zonta International seeks to advance the status of women worldwide by improving the legal, political, economic, educational, health and professional status of women at the global and local levels through service and advocacy.
Member’s donation of coats, mittens, hats and scarves to LUDINGTON Schools Resource Center.
The club presented the movie “Ring of Silence” in partnership with the UP Human Trafficking Task Force. After the movie, a panel of local experts, including law enforcement, answered questions and shared their knowledge about local human trafficking. Two HOPE Animal-assisted Crisis Response dogs and their handlers circulated in the audience to provide comfort.
Anna Reister and Alana Calhoun were chosen by the club to participate in the 2022 Inland Seas Science Program. They sailed, over three days, from Hessel to Suttons Bay. Samples of micro plastics and other plastics were taken from Lake Michigan.
Madyson Enbody and Reya Dila were the chosen participants for the 2022 Plainwell Aviation Camp at Ludington Airport. They got to spend a week learning about aviation, flying a plane and a drone.
Zonta Club of Ludington members presentation of $5000 to Spectrum Health Foundation and Ludington Hospital staff for new Oncology Center Salon. A total of $25,000 will be donated by the club from its poinsettia sales and the Zonta/Shirley Smedley Memorial Endowment Fund.
In honor of our club’s 65th Anniversary, we donated $650 to Jericho House for women. Christy Sniegowski, Director of Jericho House, accepted the check in our Zonta Room at Ludington Library.
Making club members’ donations of personal care items to Ludington High School, Mason County Central High School, Gateway To Success Academy and Mason County Eastern High School’s student pantries.
“We are proud to have provided funding for Liberty Stevens and Grace Ashley to attend Aviation Camp at the Ludington Airport in June!”
Co-sponsorship with the Native Justice Coalition of a billboard along US-10 near Ludington . The billboard is to raise awareness in the US of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.
Athena Dila and AshlynRose Kelley receiving funds from club members Kathy Couturier, Sandie Holcombe and Julee Sarto. Funds were made available through the club’s Young Women’s Educational Outreach Program. Athena and Ashlyn were Mason County Representatives to the 4-H Citizenship Washington Focus Workshop in Washington D.C this summer but it was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They plan to attend next year.
2019 Christmas (2)” and caption “Each year, the Zonta Club of Ludington Area collects items for specific needs in the area and bring them to their Christmas Party. Members are shown with books collected for the PoWer! Book Bags Project. Books, writing materials and little finger puppets are put in a hand-made bag and given away at pantries, other food assistance locations and at other locations during the summer and school year to increase kid’s chances for success. From left to right: Kate Sanford, Jayne Budzynski, Kathy Brown, Carol Payne, Dori Bray, Nancy Sorensen, Donna Yager, Sandie Holcombe, Joy Jensen, Denis Ottinger and Patty Johnson.
Club member Kathy Couturier and the beautiful book bags she made.
The Zonta Club of Ludington Area provided financial assistance for Ludington Girl Scout Troop #4688 to go to Washington D.C. They are to receive the President’s Volunteer Service Award for all their hard work volunteering to show their support for members of the armed forces and veterans. They’re only 7, 8, and 9 years old but have logged about 1,000 hours of volunteering through this summer so far. Dubbed — Scouts for Soldiers – they developed a project to raise awareness for those fighting for our freedom. The troop decorated barrels and filled them with toy soldiers. They scattered them around downtown Ludington and welcomed people to take one. About 40,000 of the toy soldiers have been picked up so far and about 17,000 more have been donated to fill the barrels back up to the brim. Club Treasurer Donna Yager, Club Member Kathy Brown and Club President Jayne Budzynski (in back row) presented the funds to the troop.
Ongoing Local Service Projects
Special Benefactors – Zonta/Shirley Smedley Memorial Endowment Fund (Community Foundation for Mason County)
- Three annual scholarships for female students at West Shore Community College (WSCC)
- Human Trafficking School and Community Education Awareness Programs
- LudRock Girls Rock – showcase of female talent
- Ludington Library – Zonta Room
- COVE Region 4 – safe house for abused women and children.
- Jericho House – local halfway house for indigent women.
- West Shore Family Support – local center for women.
- Salvation Army Holiday bell ringing
- Young Women’s Educational Outreach Program
- Inland Seas Education Association – Young Women in STEM Scholarships
- College for Kids Program at WSCC
Other Local Service Projects –
- COVE’s capital campaign
- HELP Ministries.
- Mason County District Library Expansion.
- Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital’s Women’s Imaging Center
- PoWer! Book Bags Project
- Ludington Area Center for the Arts
Fundraising
- LudRock Girls Rock food and beverage concessions
- Zonta “Sneak Peek” – dress rehearsal of WSCC Performing Arts Department plays to fund scholarships
- Holiday Poinsettia Sales