Quirk Middle School in Hartford is offering a new consumer home economics career program that gives its 1,400 students a taste of jobs that vary from dietitian to fabric designer to maintenance worker.
The catch is that the staff has only $726 budgeted this year for the courses, which require many items.
In recent years, the school department has felt the budget pinch and suffered shortages of paper supplies — including toilet paper — and has even considered layoffs.
Home economics staff members Carol Koladicz and Patricia Vozzella are proposing that people help students complete their 37 “hands- on” related tasks that would be performed on a particular job.
They are seeking donations of several items:
Potting soil; peat; terralite or vermiculite; small plants and pots; plastic petri dishes; dram bottles; fabric paints; 100 percent wool, cotton, nylon, polyester fabrics; Velcro fasteners; denim; non-woven fusible interfacing and medium weight, non-woven interfacing (Pellon); and yarn.
Also needed are alcohol pre- wipes, paper supplies and other food-related and fabric-related supplies.
If you can donate any of these items or would like more information, please call Koladicz or Vozzella at 247-9211.
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Johanna Murphy, director of the Capitol Branch of the Greater Hartford Chapter of the American Red Cross, said she desperately needs disaster action volunteers.
Volunteers are on call on certain days and nights to respond to emergencies such as fire or heating outages.
Volunteers will work with fire victims and try to get them temporary housing, as well as clothing and food. Lately, the need has been crucial.
Fo example, two weekends ago a resident from Hartford and two from East Hartford were killed in fires. “We need trained people to respond and deliver basic services,” said Murphy.
She said they are looking for people with organizational skills who can help victims piece their lives together again. “We know you care,” she said. “Help us help.”
Murphy also is looking for a Connecticut child-care volunteer instructor for the Greater Hartford chapter who can train people to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on an infant or a child as well as recognize communicable diseases and detect signs of child abuse.
Anyone who can help in any of these areas may call Murphy at 249- 9000.
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A client with acquired immune deficiency syndrome living at the Project Mercy house for people with AIDS wants to photograph his fellow boarders and hang the pictures at the house. But he needs a camera.
Amy Silverman, director of development for Mercy Housing & Shelter Corp. in Hartford, said the organization is accepting donations of money or a camera with a zoom lens so the photographer can take close- up shots.
Project Mercy has been operating for five years and offers housing for residents with AIDS. Mercy Housing and Shelter Corp. was founded by the Sisters of Mercy. For more infomation, contact Silverman at 724-7988.
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The Rev. Annika Warren, an Episcopal priest who is running an adolescent education program at Stowe Village, is looking for help with her program.
Warren said her typewriter is broken and she would just be thrilled if someone can help her out. For more information, please contact her at 278-5868.
