One of the women in the Betty Ferguson Foundation has been a vital part of our staff for several years. Barbara, and us locals just call her Barb, Scheidt has been involved in our organization for almost 5 years and she has just been named ‘Womens’ Services Director’. It is a board position, but she just doesn’t find that important.
What Barb does find important is the work BFF does for the women in our sommunity.
Barb came in as a Mes Amies member. She began her work here as as assistant to co-founder, Marjanne Priest. As Barb continued to flourish and take on more responsibility, she became an invaluable asset to BFF.
She is a local SCV resident, wife, mother and grandmother. She works in our office 3 days per week, diligently.
Being named Womens’ Services Director doesn’t change anything that she already does, just what it’s called. “I oversee and execute!” the womens part of BFF. The Mes Amies, The BLT’s, the DIVA’s and the VIVE groups are all taken care of by Barb. And she does an amazing job. Sometimes laughing, sometimes pointing a sharpened pencil, but always working hard to make sure that the women’s side of BFF is being taken care of and flourishing.
Barb Scheidt, Womens’ Services Director. A job well done, a title well deserved!
The Y.W.A.V. open house this week was a full house! There were non-traditional families, 3 generational families, and lots of moms with their daughters. Probably two thirds of them were new to the program and wanted to find out what Y.W.A.V. is all about.
The evening started out with co-founder, Marjanne Priest, speaking about how Betty Ferguson Foundation started, and that from the first women’s group, Mes Amies, came a realization that these women wanted something for their daughters as well. Y.W.A.V. came from that thought. A place where their daughters could receive training in leadership and community service. A place where girls could meet and talk about what it means to be a teen. To learn about setting boundaries, develop appropriate values and leadership skills. Discover how to earn community service hours for college applications. All in a safe environment.
Jane Bettencourt-Soto, Executive Director of BFF, spoke about when her daughter was in 7th grade and found this program. How much it taught her and how her daughter bloomed through this group of 5th – 12th grade girls. Jane was once a Y.W.A.V. parent too.
A video of Y.W.A.V. was viewed. Prior participants talked on the screen about how they learned to help and give back to society. How they learned about themselves and how to become, what they believed, was a better person. How they felt the program benefited them as well as their community. They noted that there were girls from many different neighborhoods and that friendships were formed outside the Y.W.A.V. walls as well.
The program is separated by grade levels. 5th & 6th, 7th & 8th, and 9th through 12th. The two younger groups meet at different times once a month on the third Wednesday in the evenings. The high school girls meet once a month on the third Thursday, in the evening as well. The girls meet at the BFF offices, are given dinner and an interactive program is the focus of each meeting.
Andrea Tyndale, Youth Services Director for past two years, was a Y.W.A.V. parent as well. She, and her facilitators, are passionate about working with these young ladies. Andrea tells people when they ask what Y.W.A.V. is….’A safe place for girls to grow and think’ is her answer, and she means it. She develops the program around a curriculum. 2009-2010 was THRIVE – Steps to Daily Growth. The 2010 -2011 theme was developed when Andrea read an article about Margaret Moth, a CNN female photo journalist. And an absolute beauty. Yet, Ms. Moth chose to be behind the scenes, different than what people probably would have chosen for her. So, Andrea wants to help teach the girls of Y.W.A.V. this year that it is okay to be ‘Different Just Like Me. The Courage To Be Me.‘ She will be focusing on girls and young ladies being able to make choices. Exposure to different ways and paths. Enlightening them in that they don’t have to go the mainstream route to find their place in life.
The director sends a monthly e-mail to parents to fill them in on what the next meeting will focus on. Volunteer opportunities and special Y.W.A.V. events too. Each meeting tries to be self-contained so that if one Wednesday or Thursday is missed you can pick right up again the next month. The program spreads mostly word of mouth. Advertising in The Magazine of Santa Clarita brought several to the open house though. And, even if the season is in full swing, girls can join at any time. There is no membership fee, no donation asked for, no costs at all.
While it is a drop off program, and the girls are fed dinner, we still receive assistance from local business’s with food and raffle prizes. When you find out who they are, say thank you when you patronize their business. And, if your daughter has a food allergy or any special need, let Andrea and her team know, they’ll work it out for you and your child.
The open house ended with squeals of laughter and obvious delight as the young girls, our future, crossed their fingers that they might win a gift certificate to Robeks in the raffle of the evening.
For more information about the Youth With A Voice Program, please call (661) 702-8712 or e-mail the director @ andrea@bettyferguson.org. You and the young lady in your life will be glad you did.
Y.W.A.V will be having their Open House on Wednesday August 25th @ 6:30 pm. Y.W.A.V. provides a a place to meet and talk about what it means to be a teen: Learn about setting boundaries, develop appropriate values and leadership skills. And to discover how to earn community service hours for college applications.
Andrea Tyndale, Youth Services Director, will be hosting the Open House for parents and girls grades 5 – 12 to learn about what the group has to offer.
There will be a raffle and a light dessert will be provided. The Open House should last about an hour and is for parents and girls to come together to find out what Y.W.A.V. is all about.
An RSVP would be appreciated. (661) 702-8712. The Open House will be held at our foundation offices.
BFF is excited to announce a new way for you to support us as we join The Gift Chateau’s unique fundraising program.
The Gift Chateau offers you, our donors and supporters, a choice of hundreds of appealing gift items at affordable prices. For every purchse you make, a percentage of that sale is donated back to Betty Ferguson Foundation. All you need to do is go to their website, www.The GiftChateau.com, place your order and during the checkout process, enter our code, BFF. Your order will then be shipped to you at the address requested. Feel free to give our code to anyone you might know. The more purchases that are made, the more the foundation benefits, the more we can provide the women and youth in our society!!
Thank you to the Gift Chateau!
A lovely woman came to our Mes Amies meeting this week. She has been involved in non-profit organizations for a long time. Her family moved to Santa Clarita a couple of years ago, and recently she has found the Betty Ferguson Foundation.
At the end of our ‘Up Close and Personal’ with 2010 Woman of Honor Jacquie Petersen, Jennifer approached one of our Leadership Team and told her about The Caring Chain. Below is Jennifers e-mail to our BLT about her involvement and work on Empowering women with only yarn and crochet needles.
Read and Enjoy: (very slight editing has been done)
“It was so nice to meet you last night. I am really enjoying myself at BFF and want to do more things with them. Every time I leave their events I feel upbeat and energized.
So here my story about the Caring Chain:
In 2006, I went to the Dominican Republic on a mission project with my local church. I didn’t have many expectations besides knowing that I was going to get dirty (we were building a church-by hand brick by brick), learning some more Spanish and eating lots of rice and beans (every time I went there I lost 7 pounds in a week- great weight loss program). I had the time of my life with the most gracious people I have ever met.
In 2007, I returned with so much excitement to see the friends I had met a year before. I thought about them so many times throughout the year- Wondering what it was like living in a tin shack, wondering if they had ONE christmas present, wondering if the kids I met were still in school (many of the families can’t afford the $7.00 per year for a school uniform)- always thinking about them. This year, I had the chance to meet a women named Minurca, a mother of three. Her husband had recently died, her son was an alcoholic and she was trying desperately to keep her family going. The family business, a little food shack, was not bringing in a lot of money and she was starting to worry. Minurca had a gift but she had never used it before, she knew how to crochet. After convincing her that she had a talent, she starting making crochet purses for our mission team. Minurca ended up staying up day and night for a week and created 30 beautiful purses that week- with her finger swollen and sore. The mission team was thrilled with the bags and we bought them all from her for $25.00 each- giving her $750.00. This was the most money she had every seen in her life and she was speechless when we presented it to her, with tears in her eyes. This was enough to sustain her family for the next three years. This is a moment I will never forget, Minurca and her talent- so this is the inspiration for the Caring Chain.
Today, the Caring Chain has about 10 women waiting to be taught a skill, a talent that they can use to empower their lives. They all try to make money for their families and are members of the same church. The Caring Chain (www.caringchain.org) is an organization that strictly collects yarn and needles for the use of empowering women- how simple. I send it down to San Cristobal, DR on an ongoing basis so it can sustain them for a year. In a year I will be going to the DR for a 4 days to teach as many women as I can how to crochet.
I have always wanted to ”change the world” even if it was small- this is how I am trying.
When you give a woman a chance to learn a new skill, her actions will create ripples of change- change to her family, to her community and to her nation . ”
So, now, BFF has another way to Empower Women and we wish to thank Jennifer for bringing the information about her Caring Chain to our foundation.
A picture of Minurca with one of her purses can be found in our photo gallery.
We will be collecting yarn and crochet needles for them. Contact our office for further information.
Betty Ferguson Foundation (BFF) has been holding their Books And Better Education (B.A.B.E.) meetings at Barnes & Noble in Valencia. They meet the second Saturday of every month @ 10:30 am and frequently go to lunch afterwards. It is a small group atmosphere designed to stimulate thought, share ideas and learn something new.
Barnes & Noble (B & N) Community Relations Manager, Lori Christian, has been joining the B.A.B.E. group for several months now. She has been working with B & N on and off for over 15 years. Lori was one of the crew members that helped set up the Valencia store in 1995. She has been a Santa Clarita resident for 25 years.
B & N has several book clubs that meet in their store. Lori was asked to visit and meet with all of them when new management came in. Apparently there are about 10 different book clubs. A tall task! There is a film club, economics club, a group that revolves around Napoleon Hills’ ‘Think & Grow Rich’…..several more….and BFF’s B.A.B.E.
At B & N, B.A.B.E. is considered their Woman’s Book Club, and Lori has continued to partake in the group. She finds that the members are very well prepared. Ms. Christian complimented the structure of the group. She likes the way that one person ‘hosts’ the group, a different one at each gathering. That person comes prepared with notes to engage discussion about the selection. Lori also likes the camaraderie and communication within the members. With e-mails and connection outside the group as well, sometimes including lunch after the meeting, she finds it a very warm and welcoming club. And, although it is a women’s group, it is an open club, and a gentleman was brave enough to join last month.
For more information about B.A.B.E. and other BFF activities, please call (661) 702-8712. Or visit their web-site @ www.BettyFerguson.org. BFF is located at 25510 W. Avenue Stanford, Suite # 104. Valencia, CA 91355. You can find them on Facebook too!
We believe that Education is power and learning continues throughout our lives and affects everything we do.
We have an Education Advancement Forum (EAF) here at Betty Ferguson. There are three channels through which monies for education are dispersed.
COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS $ 100,000 ENDOWMENT: Given yearly to a female student that is selected by the COC Scholarship Committee using criteria developed by BFF.
BETTY FERGUSON TRUST: Money is given yearly to student(s) who are identified by scholarship foundations, non-profits, or public agencies in Santa Clarita Valley who have identified a female student(s) that have passed their individual scholarship screening process, and, in addition, fit our criteria developed for the Endowed Scholarship. This Trust process has an interview component. If selected, the deserving applicant(s) would have a lump sum of money deposited at the school or technical school they are attending from which they can draw for school related expenses.
BETTY FERGUSON GRANT: The maximum grant is $1000.00 and is available to female students who have been referred to BFF by other non-profits in Santa Clarita Valley or by a community agency to fund expenses related to education. Over the years, Grant money has been given for a variety of last minute needs, e.g. to help students buy books, sign up for extra classes.
BFF….we Train, Develop and Empower Women and Youth to be a Vital Force in Society.
By Jane E. Bettencourt-Soto:
I was a professional patient when I attended a Betty Ferguson Foundation luncheon 10 years ao. My days were filled with taking medication, visiting doctors and being down in bed for hours. Some days I wouldn’t even brush my teeth. When I was up, I was a wife and mother. I have a chronic illness called fibromyalgia. I share this with you because I want you to know my life changed after I found BFF. I had a purpose, I had a place and I had a new family. I slowly became involved and assumed a new role as a “volunteer” – which sounded much better than being a “patient.” My daughter became involved in the youth program where she found mentors for life, learning about leadership and community service. Today, as part-time executive director of BFF, my days are filled with making a difference. Do I still have fibromyalgia? Yes, but I don’t let it keep me down. Come visit BFF and maybe you will find your place too.
The above article was posted in a publication of The Signal, Philanthropy.
As printed in The Signal Newspaper 7/28/10:
The results are in, and the honorees for the second annual 40 Under Forty have been announced.
The joint project between JCI Santa Clarita Valley and the SCV Business Journal honors 40 members of the local business community, under the age of 40, who are also active in the community.
The group of 40 were nominated over a course of weeks, with the program promoted by the SCV Chamber of Commerce, the Valley Industrial Association and other trade groups. The slection committee comprised Randy Moberg, Morris Thomas, Marlee Lauffer, Ed Masterson and Barry Gribbons.
The 40 Under Forty reception is set for Sept. 23 at the Robinson Ranch Golf Club.
The honorees include:
* Raul Alberto, SCV Latino Chamber of Commerce
* Seher Awan, College of the Canyons
* Mike Bjorkman, RE/MAX of Santa Clarita/SCV Leasing
* Chris Chegwin, LBW Insurance and Financial Services
* Crystal Collatos, SCV Chamber of Commerce
* Danielle Cooper, Veracity Tax
* Jarrod DeGonia, Office of Assemblyman Cameron Smyth
* Allison Devlin, College of the Canyons
* Ryan Drake, City of Santa Clarita
* Michael Fisher, Aflac
* Allan Fisher, Premier Financial Search
* Jessica Freude, City of Santa Clarita
* Aleksandra Gajewski, SCV Business Journal
* Kelly Herta, Aligned Health Chiropractic and Wellness Center
* Brendie Heter, City of Santa Clarita
* Stacie House, SCH Public Relations and Marketing
* Erika Kauzlarich-Bird, Triple D Realty
* Maggie Keegan-Gross, Le + Pelletier LLP
* Tim Ketchepaw, ServPro of Santa Clarita, Lancaster and Palmdale/Acton
* Casey Kirkman, AQMS Mayflower
* John Labick, Baxter Healthcare Corp.
* Alan Lewis, Newhall Roasting Co.
* Jackie MacDougall, SCVMomsBlog.com
* Micheal Mansfield, Bowman High School
* Suzette Martinez, Office of Congressman Howard “Buck” McKeon
* Tera McHugh, Association of Women Entrepreneurs
* Juliet Mothershed, Westfield
* Cary Osborne, The Signal
* Andrea Pohlot, SCVMomsBlog.com
* Madison Schwartz, Fresh and Fresh at the Beach
* Claudia Sheridan, ServPro of Santa Clarita
* Amy Sparks, City of Santa Clarita
* Qiana Staral, Child and Family Center
* Renard Thomas, College of the Canyons
* Brett Walker, Office of Congressman Howard “Buck” McKeon
* Brian D. Walters, Cash Technologies, Inc./Prime Asset Fund III, LLC
* Ericka Watson, Foundation for Childrens Health
* Troy Werner, Law Offices of L. Rob Werner
* Amy Wiese, Kaiser Permanente
* Jeff Wilson, SCVTalk.com
BFF wants to send special congrats to Tera McHugh and Qiana Staral!!!
Here at Betty Ferguson we open our hearts, and also our doors, to help people. One of these ways is having other non-profit orginizations utilize our Multi-Purpose Room to facilitate their meetings.
We are pleased to be able to help the weSPARK Cancer Support Center continue their committment here in Santa Clarita.
For more information about weSPARK please visit their website @ www.wespark.org.
If you have a Facility Request, please call (661) 702-8712.