Women's history luncheon, Amarillo Angels among this week's community news

14th Annual Louise Daniel Women’s History Luncheon set for Aug. 23, focusing on history of nurses in Texas Panhandle

The history of women nurses in the Texas Panhandle will be the focus of the 14th Annual Louise Daniel Women’s History Luncheon on Friday, Aug. 23, starting at 11:30 a.m. in the Great Hall of the Polk Street Methodist Church.

The Luncheon will also recognize Women’s Equality Day, which is celebrated each year near Aug. 26, the day the U.S. Congress set for the celebration. Louise Daniel was an early Panhandle feminist, a beloved science teacher in Amarillo, community leader, photographer, and a member of the Amarillo College Board of Regents.

The keynote speaker will be Kathy Shipp, MSN, APRN, FNP, who is President of the Texas State Board of Nursing which licenses and regulates nurses in Texas. Shipp has served as president for 18 years, having been appointed by both Governors Perry and Abbott. She is currently a family nurse practitioner residing in Lubbock. She provides Women’s Health Care for South Plains Public Health District clients.

She was faculty for 10 years at West Texas A&M University in the Family Nurse Practitioner Program retiring in May 2023. She is a member of the American, Texas and South Plains Nurse Practitioner Associations and the American and Texas Nurse Associations. She represents Texas as a Member of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) and has been Chair of the NCSBN President’s Networking Group from 2017 to 2023. She is a member of the Sigma Theta Tau National Honor Society of Nursing and the Texas Health Disparities Task Force. She has been faculty at South Plains College, Covenant/Methodist Hospital School of Nursing, WT and Texas Tech University.

Women have historically played a key role in nursing in the Texas Panhandle. The Luncheon Committee, under the direction of Katie Paul and Susan Coleman, has researched and developed a comprehensive history of nursing in the Panhandle, which will be shown in a slide presentation at the Luncheon, and the compiled research is planned to be published at a later date. Attendees can access the history through a QR code in the Luncheon program as well.Center City Director Beth Duke will serve as moderator for the luncheon, and two scholarships will be awarded to two Amarillo College nursing students.

Louise Daniel was an accomplished photographer and her family donated several of her framed landscape pictures of the Texas Panhandle to the Luncheon Committee. The last remaining picture will be raffled off at this year’s luncheon.

Hosts for the annual luncheon are Amarillo Women’s Network, League of Women Voters of Amarillo and Amarillo College Foundation. The Louise Daniel Women’s History Committee is composed this year of Claudia Stravato, Chair, Linda Allen, Cheryl Beckley, Edie Carter, Kimberley Crowley, MSN RN, Susan Coleman, J.D., Courtney Erwin, Holly Jeffreys, DNP, APRN FNP-BC, Chris Lyles, Katie Paul, and Jane Harland, luncheon administrator.

The luncheon is open to the public. Tickets are $50 can be purchased by calling Jane Harlan at 806-355-4125. Proceeds from the luncheon go to scholarships for Amarillo College students.

Amarillo Angels launch major volunteer recruitment drive

Amarillo Angels, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting children, youth, and families experiencing foster care, is launching a large-scale volunteer recruitment push.

Interested volunteers need to sign up by Aug. 23 to participate in upcoming training sessions. To ensure our volunteers are fully prepared to support foster families, Amarillo Angels is offering comprehensive training sessions both in-person and online on Sept. 5 and 6 to equip volunteers with the skills and knowledge needed to engage with families and children and to help volunteers gain an understanding of the nonprofit's mission and best practices for making a meaningful and lasting impact.

Volunteers will have the opportunity to apply for the organization's Love Box program, where they will be matched with a family experiencing foster care. "This matching process is thoughtfully managed by the Amarillo Angels case management team, ensuring that each volunteer is paired with a family that aligns well with their strengths and abilities," a release states.

For more information or to sign up for the Love Box program, visit https://www.amarilloangels.org/lovebox.html or contact cali@amarilloangels.org.

Giving multiplied as families provide school supplies for kids around the world

Local families are preparing for the school year with back-to-school sales and adding more items to their lists for children in need around the world. Shoebox packers are using this time to purchase gifts and essential items to fill Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts for children in more than 100 countries.

For more information, call 817-595-2230, or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ. National Collection Week is Nov. 18-25.

Participants can donate $10 per shoebox gift online through “Follow Your Box” and receive a tracking label to discover its destination. Those who prefer the convenience of online shopping can browse samaritanspurse.org/buildonline to select gifts matched to a child’s specific age and gender, then finish packing the virtual shoebox by adding a photo and personal note of encouragement.

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan's Purse, collected and delivered more than 220 million gift-filled shoeboxes, seeking to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need in more than 170 countries and territories.

Bushland school health specialist appointed by Gov. Abbott to state pediatric advisory council

AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Elizabeth Miller, Ph.D., Martha Shoultz, Barry Smeltzer, and Melissa Smith and reappointed Brandon Brock, D.N.P., Kara Chasteen, Sarah Garrett, Suzanne Gazda, M.D., Qazi Javed, M.D., Paula Kruppstadt, M.D., Amy Offutt, M.D., and Nathan Pullen to the Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome Advisory Council for terms set to expire on Aug. 31, 2025.

Melissa Smith, of Bushland, is a school health specialist for Region 16 Education Service Center. She is a member of the Texas School Nurses Organization and the National Association of School Nurses. Additionally, she volunteers for Eastridge Mission Center and The Church at Bushland. Smith received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from West Texas A&M University.

The council advises the commission and the legislature on research, diagnosis, treatment, and education related to pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome.

'American Pickers' to film in Texas, seeks hidden treasures

The American Pickers is returning to Texas, planning to film episodes of The History Channel hit television series throughout the area in October.

"American Pickers" is a documentary series that explores the fascinating world of antique “picking,” following skilled pickers in the business, as they hunt for America’s most valuable antiques. They are always excited to find historically significant or rare items, in addition to unforgettable characters and their collections.

"As they hit the back roads from coast to coast, the Pickers are on a mission to recycle and rescue forgotten relics," a news release states. "Along the way, they want to meet characters with amazing stories and fun items. They hope to give historically significant objects a new lease on life while learning a thing or two about America’s past along the way. The Pickers have seen a lot of rusty gold over the years and are always looking to discover something they’ve never seen before. They are ready to find extraordinary items and hear fascinating tales about them."

The American Pickers TV Show is looking for leads and would love to explore your hidden treasure. If you or someone you know has a unique item, story to tell, and is ready to sell, they would love to hear from you. However, the Pickers do not pick stores, flea markets, malls, auction businesses, museums, or anything open to the public.

Those interested shouold send in their name, phone number, location, and description of the collection with photos to americanpickers@cineflix.com or call (646) 493-2184. You can also find them on Facebook, @GotAPick.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo area Our Town briefs for Aug. 11, 2024