In Memory: Kathy Van Riper

For those of you who had the privilege to meet and hear Kathy Van Riper talk at a few of our events, I am sad to share that she has lost her battle with Cancer. The Fabulous Women hosted Kathy at PVAC, where she shared information about her organization, Kathy’s Camp. She started this camp to support children who have a parent diagnosed with Cancer. She did this to support her own children who were young and watching her go through her struggles with her health. She was inspiring and very courageous. She was a wife, a mother, an athlete, and an inspiration. Kathy’s Camp is just one of her many legacies. “Thank you Kathy for being such a loving role model. We only saw you as a brave woman with a tremendous heart. God Bless!”

Recap - A Wonderful Event for Mentor Me

Thank you for your strong participation in our last gathering. The evening was another example of grand generosity and positive energy. Our cause was Mentor Me Petaluma. It was wonderful to hear Val Richman, Lyn Romstad, and Nanci Ryan talk about the impact that this program has had on so many kids in the community. It started off at McNear School….. and now the program supports 15 schools throughout Petaluma. We learned that evening that 1 hour a week can change a child’s life, and the mentors are profoundly touched by their connection with their child. The kids in the program do not have lavish expectations, they are not looking for a new parent or tough discipline……the mentor supports the child by just being present…….talking, playing a board game, or tossing a football. It’s a rare and beautiful moment for these kids to feel a sense of importance outside their homes. During that hour with their mentor, kids’ self-esteems are blooming and their hearts are growing.
Currently, there are 100 kids on a waiting list for a mentor. Like most programs, budget cuts jeopardize the program. It was generous of the Fabulous Women to raise $2,050.00 for this organization. Thank you to everyone who helped out. If you are interested in learning more about Mentor Me, please call:
(707) 778-4798. For those who could not make it, donations are gladly accepted. There is a tax write-off for this non profit organization.

The evening was hosted by Pam Torliatt. She was able to chat with the women about her candidacy for Supervisor. I’ve always applauded the fact that Pam is accessible to the public. It was a pleasure to have her join the Fabulous Women for this special cause. If you want to learn more about Pam’s campaign you can search: (www.vote4pam.net). The Fabulous Women is a non political group….but we strive to educate ourselves and look for opportunities to support fellow women in the community.

During the evening we had a special guest, Michael DuBois. Making his debut in Petaluma as a Wine Specialist / Distributor, he was kind enough to pour wine for the ladies. Because he was moved by the mission of the “Fabulous Women,” he has provided special pricing for our group. You may also contact him at:customwine@earthlink.net or call: (707) 766-6140. His new location is 307 Bodega Avenue. Michael and his manager, Alyssa Starbuck (a Fabulous Woman), would love for you to drop in. They would like to make more local connections.

First Gathering of 2010

I’m very excited about our first gathering of the year. Our own Fabulous Mayor, Pam Torliatt, has offered to help coordinate the event. She has heard about the fun, passionate, and service oriented women involved with this group and she wants to get to know us better. It’s also an opportunity to get to know her better. Pam would like to share what her goals are for the future and how she can be a positive force in the community.

Sometimes we have shared what cause our group has chosen to support……..and other times we have kept it a secret. Here are three things that you should know about the next community cause:
#1 It’s a Petaluma-based Organization.
#2 It involves children
#3 There are “Happy Endings”

I hope your heart and curiosity gets the best of you. Please join us!
The event will be January 22nd, @ 7:00pm.
The location is at: 10 Western Avenue, Petaluma CA, 94952

Please bring an appetizer or bottle of wine to share. To cut back on waste, please bring your own special wine glass. For those of you who have not attended one of our events, feel free to invite any of your friends that you think would enjoy it……..The more “Fabulous Women” the better!
This event will be on a Friday night. The first 30-45 minutes gives us a chance to socialize and relax. We will have a heart-warming surprise during the evening. Please save the date and join us for the fun! Every time this group gets together something special happens. See you there!

Please RSVP: 799-2153 or you can e-mail me @ Littlepepper16@hotmail.com

Update on December Activities

Happy New Year to all of the Fabulous Women! I hope you enjoyed your holiday festivities! The Winter Season is always a busy time……that’s why our group took a break during December. Although our group didn’t meet, the Fabulous Women adopted two kettles for the Salvation Army. Chantel Smith and Anastasia Schuster helped organize the shifts. We had a kettle outside of Copperfields and G&G Market. It was awesome because it was pouring rain on that particular day, and the ladies embraced the challenge. Some of them even brought their kids. The Fabulous Women raised the most money for Petaluma on that day. Thanks to everyone who put on their Santa hats, cozy coats and rain boots. It really demonstrated the wonderful spirit of our group!

Other Fabulous Events for the Season....

With the help of our Community Leader, Anastacia Schuster, Chantel Smith is organizing “The Fabulous Women” to ring the Salvation Army Bell during the holiday Season. Please call her if you are interested. It’s a great way to plug into the community. It’s also a great way for our kids to be involved in Community Service. Remember, all of the money raised for the Salvation Army stays in Petaluma. If you would like to participate, please call: 338-1302 or
e-mail Chantel: chantellylace707@hotmail.com

On a Fabulous Crafty Note, if you’re looking for a fun Holiday fair to pick-up some hand-crafted jewelry and holiday items, come to Verenna in Fountain Grove. It’s this Saturday, November 21st, from 1:00PM - 5:00PM. Some of our own Fabulous Women will be selling their crafts…..wreaths, holiday cones, swags, arrangements, jewelry, gift baskets, etc…. The building of Varenna is something out of a magazine. The grounds and decorations are awesome. It’s well worth your trip!
The fair will be in the Grand Ball Room! (on the 3rd floor) I hope you’ll stop by.

The address is 1401 Fountain Grove Parkway. Take the Bicentenial Way Exit.
Pass the Kaiser building, go up the hill, Bicentenial turns into Fountain Grove Parkway.

Fall Kindness with COTS

The Fabulous Women worked their magic this past month. We were able to look at homelessness from a new perspective. With the vision of Karen Nau , we were able to raise over $1100.00 to assist “The COTS Organization”. We were able to deliver a cart full of crock-pots along with custom-made recipe books. These crock-pots are being passed on to the transitional homes within the COTS Organization. Our goal as a group was to provide some love and comfort during the fall season. We were hoping to facilitate some life style changes by encouraging the clients to eat simply and nourish themselves. We were also able to hand over an envelope of money to their director. It’s a humble amount compared to their budget needs, but this group is making a difference. Thank you for your contributions. I did feel that warm fuzzy feeling when some of the COTS clients clapped their hands and asked if the crock-pots were for them?

*Special thanks to Shawn, Jonna, Karen, Heather and Maria for putting the beautiful cookbooks together. Thanks to all of you for sending in those delicious recipes!


If you’re looking for a way to help the COTS organization, they are in great need of volunteers to drive boxes of food to their clients. They have a “Wish List Coordinator,” named, Lyn, who can answer your questions about donations, and volunteering. (707) 765-6530 x. 111

Here are some key items that would really help the organization: Blankets, towels, sheets (twin), plain colored back-packs, plastic bins to carry food and gift cards to: Kohls, Safeway, K-Mart, Payless Shoes, Luckys, etc…..Also, check your pantry for extra canned goods!

Peterson Farm and COTS

The Fall Season gives a wonderful opportunity to give!

Thank you to all of the women who came out to the Peterson Farm to support our cause for COTS. The farm was an awesome setting for this event. The day was beautiful, the ladies were generous and we really got to understand the role of COTS in our community. The word ³homeless´ means so much more now. We were able to dispel myths about who is homeless and what their needs are. The group raised a total of
$1,161.00. Included in that amount was a $300.00 donation from Target.


Karen Nau was our hostess. Her goal was to raise money for the organization and buy crock-pots for each transitional home that works with COTS. She had a wonderful vision to teach the clients in the housing how to cook with the fresh vegetables that are donated. The goal of the ³Fabulous Women´ was to facilitate a lifestyle change by providing the crock-pots and providing recipe books for the clients in the program. I am currently collecting recipes for soup and crock-pot recipes. Please e-mail your favorite stew or soup recipe as soon as you can. It's not too late.
During our discussion, a member of COTS got up and told her story. It really personalized the whole experience for the women present. It helped us dispel any judgment or preconceptions about who is homeless. It was a rare opportunity to stand in someone else's shoes«««« and for that we all felt gratitude.






It is not too late to donate «..If you want to help COTS, let me know. They have a TAX ID.


At our gathering we had a lady from our group stand up and tell us about her passion in the community. Her name is Anastacia. She helps organize the bell ringers for ³The Salvation Army.´ She asked us if ³The Fabulous Women´ wanted to adopt a red can and ring the bells to raise money during the holidays. Well, the ladies present were excited to help. We learned that all of the money raised for the Salvation Army
stays in Petaluma. We also learned that it's a simple way to support the community and get your kids involved. The shifts are an hour or two. The goal is to get members of the community more involved. If you would like to participate, please e-mail Chantel. She has volunteered to coordinate this effort for the ³Fabulous Women.´ chantellylace707@hotmail.com Thanks Chantel.

If you're looking for a fun event coming up, Martha, the owner of PVAC, has invited the Fabulous Women to come to the club for her ³Hallo-Wine´ Fundraiser. It will be on October 24th. Tickets will be discounted for the Fabulous Women from $30.00 to $25.00. Just e-mail Martha: mdomont@gmail.com subject: tickets. Proceeds will support the Breast Cancer Fund.

Lastly, I wanted to remind all of you to be watching for the Petaluma 360 Magazine that comes out next month. One of the featured articles is about the ³Fabulous Women's Group.´ It's exciting to know that we are having a great time and having such a positive impact on the community. Thanks to all of you for participating and supporting the goals of the group.

Another Fabulous Cause: Relay For Life

For those of you who were able to attend the event at Club One to support Relay for Life, I would like to thank you for your presence and generosity. Club One was fantastic about opening up their facility to our group and Christina Groverman was a fantastic hostess for the evening.

The gathering was inspiring for a number of reasons. There was a relay group present called, “Kathy’s Way.” They were able to speak about their inspiration for doing the relay. They talked about their good friend and sister who had just passed away in July. She lost her battle to cancer. Her name was Kathy Cerami. Her life was inspiring because she made it her mission to help others and be a positive light to everybody in her life. Kathy’s parents were present at our event. They listened on as Kathy’s sister and best friend spoke about her life. Their memories and stories about Kathy made our cause all the more important. They gave Relay for Life a name….and on that evening it was “Kathy Cerami.” Their courage to share gave us the rare opportunity to step into their shoes. Each one of us felt a tug at our own heart…..what if this were my sister, my daughter or my best friend?
The evening gave us pause…..to reflect on Kathy, Cancer, and Hope.

The ladies raised about $1,000.00. There was another blessing that came from the event. There was a member of the gym sitting by the pool. He had on a Relay for Life shirt. Christina approached him and thanked him for showing support for the cause and told him that our event for the evening was to raise funds for Relay for Life. He was so touched that he offered to be a sponsor. He offered $2500.00 to the cause. That was amazing! It was meant to be. It makes you appreciate the random acts of kindness that happen when everyone is operating on a positive intention.

I would like to thank the American Roots Winery, the Murrell Family. They came out and poured wine for the ladies. They have dedicated their business to their mother who lost her battle with cancer. They have also committed a portion of their sales of wine to cancer research. It was fitting to have their participation in our event.

*As you can see, this group is really growing and we’re doing some positive work. Whether it’s helping an individual or a family who is going through a difficult time, supporting a community cause, or stretching outside our comfort zone and reaching as far as Rowanda to help build a school, there's no limitation on what this group might do next. In fact, you will be happy to learn that our group has been selected to be in the Fall Season Petaluma Magazine. The Argus will spotlight our group and how we have made giving a fun and social part of our lives and our community. Bravo Ladies. We have much to be proud of!

UPDATE: Thanks again to all of you who supported the Relay for Life Cause.
We raised about $3,500.00. That’s amazing!

Supporting the Rwanda School Project

Thank you to all of the women who attended the gathering at Melissa Becker’s House. The cause was inspiring and left all of us feeling more grateful for what is so abundant in our lives. It’s the simple things that we often forget to appreciate like having a warm home, having clean running water, having schools and jobs to help us learn and grow, having shoes on our feet, mirrors on our wall and balls to kick around the yard with our kids.

As we looked at the slide show put together by Melissa and listened to her first hand account of her experience in Rwanda, our hearts stretched a little bit larger. Most of us were saddened by the lack of necessity available to their people, but we were also moved by their resilience and Spirit. Each photo slide captured the heartache of their people and their potential.
This is a population that was engulfed in a genocide that killed 1,000,000 people in a 90 day period. Seventy percent of the people left were women and children. Their oppressors were a Nazi-like regime that lived within their own culture. This tragedy happened in 1994 It was not in some other century….it was not a few generations ago….but in our current past when the world is supposed to know better, maintain civility, and practice humanity.
The Lutheran Church of Rwanda has teamed up with American Congregations to promote peace and education. They are committed to building a school a school that supports higher education and self -sufficiency. Melissa’s father, who is also an educator, was instrumental in raising funds for building the school. The money that we raise for this project will go toward supplies and the extras needed to get the school up and running. The headmaster of the school is an American, named Robin Strickler. She is our contact and connection to the project. You can feel very good that your donations will exclusively support this school project.
I would like thank Melissa and her father for sharing this cause. I’ve personally never felt so connected to that part of the world. I now know better……….therefore, I will do better.
If you weren’t able to attend the Fabulous Women’s event, it’s not too late to help: Contributions can be made to: The Rwanda School Project
All contributions will be tax deductible
Please view to learn more: Melissa and her family are also in this footage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbjgohP-v-4

Kathy's Camp for Kids

Thank you to all of the Fabulous Women who showed up at PVAC for a fantastic night. Everybody came armed with food for the Petaluma Kitchen, wine, and awesome appetizers! Special thanks to Martha Domont, the owner of PVAC. She was so nice to host the event, and everybody was touched when she shared her personal story. We can all feel very good about having her in Petaluma promoting good health and building strong community ties.

We kicked off the night with a speech from Sadie Martinez. She thanked the group for helping her family through a difficult time when her husband, Eddie, went through brain surgery. We raised over $6,300.00. She expressed gratitude and reported that Eddie has recovered beautifully.

The key note speaker was Kathy Van Riper, a mother from Cotati. She was recognized by the TV show, “The View” for her courage as she battles Cancer. Her Cancer has not held her back. Determined to provide to her own children with support as she fights Cancer and goes through treatment, she and her husband have started “Kathy’s Camp.” The vision was to create a safe and supportive environment for kids whose parents are going through Cancer. The camp is designed to educate, and promote fun and understanding. Kathy’s story is heroic and inspiring. The ladies were all moved by our cause to support “Kathy’s Camp.” We managed to raise over $1600.00. Thank you to everyone who offered their generous donations.

For more information about Kathy's Camp for Kid's - to volunteer or make an additional donation, click here (www.kathyscamp.com)


I would also like to acknowledge Lydia Zipp who talked about The Women’s Cancer Awareness Group. She talked about symptoms and services available through her Organization. Lydia has used her own experience with Ovarian Cancer to start this positive foundation in the community. Her greatest priority is to educate women. She continues to demonstrate courage and leadership.

The final discussion was led by Cat Cantos. She is a Cancer Survivor, a nurse, and a mom. She updated the group about the Dutra Asphalt Project. She spoke on behalf of her group, “Moms for Clean Air.” (www.momsforcleanair.net) As an advocate for good health, her group opposes the asphalt project. She encouraged the group to learn more about the negative effects from an asphalt plant on a community and its residents by clicking here (www.nopetalumaasphaltplant.com).

Eddie's Story - Part 2

On December 17th, I had a small group of “Fabulous Women” come to my home. We wanted to present the gifts to Eddie and his wife. When Eddie arrived at my house, he recognized a few people from Mr. Pickles. We introduced him around the room, and he seemed particularly confused when he saw his daughter’s teacher, Kim Bauman, from Grant Elementary there.
We proceeded to tell him about the miracle that this group created. I told him about the intention of the women who participate in the group…. “They are an incredible group of women who come together regularly to eat, drink, socialize and help causes that touch their hearts. Eddie, this time we’ve decided to help your family.” Well, the tears came from most everyone there. Eddie was moved, but unsure of what that meant for him. I think he just felt honored to be considered. I then told him about our gathering and proceeded to give him the gift for the photography session and the pirate party for his kids. He was speechless because it was for his children. I then gave him a gift wrapped box with a brand new wallet inside. He unwrapped the package and said, “This is nice, my wife will like this.” Well, what he didn’t realize was that the wallet had all the cash that was donated along with the checks, food cards, and gift cards for his family. He looked inside the wallet, and it was then that he realized just how generous the group had been.
He hugged me and sobbed.

A few minutes passed and he told the group that the holiday season was a little overwhelming, and he hadn’t thought about shopping for his kids yet. It was the perfect moment to show him my hallway which was bursting from the seams with presents for the whole family. He was in complete shock. He couldn’t believe that so many people were cheering him on and wanting to help his family.
**** (I hope that I described this moment in such a manner that you can take in the joy and gratitude that Eddie felt. It was a magical moment for him and for me to witness)

Eddie went home and shared the gifts with his wife. She too was speechless. This group should feel so good about how we helped this family. It restored their faith in others and faith that they are not alone…………they are going to be ok. I would like to mention that ironically, Sadie had an appointment the following day to take care of her wisdom teeth. It happened to be with the same oral surgeon’s office, Dr. Robert Allen, who supported Eddie’s cause from the beginning. They had already donated money and gifts to the whole family, and then they proceeded to take care of Sadie’s surgery bill. It was for an undisclosed amount….but you can imagine how generous that was. That was unbelievable!

Please keep Eddie and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
Eddie had successful brain surgery on January 5th, 2009.

Eddie and his story

Thank you to all of the Fabulous Women who embraced the last cause for our Women’s Group. The response was unbelievable! On December 11th, I hosted an intimate gathering at my house…..
65 women showed up! Everyone was armed with something, fancy bottles of wine, delicious appetizers, checks for our cause and gifts galore. The spirit of giving was truly in the air!

Many of you were moved by Eddie’s story and his family. In fact, the e-mail that I sent out about Eddie reached far beyond our regular group. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that it circulated through
Grant Elementary, which Eddie’s kids attend. I received countless e-mails from members of the community that I’ve never even met who committed to helping Eddie’s family. I received several checks and cards from women who wanted to attend the event, but couldn’t make it. It was awesome!

In the three years that we’ve been gathering in the name of charity, there has never been such an incredible and generous response. It sounds a bit over-stated, but “I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” When I looked around my house and saw so many women who believed in the vision of this group, I felt complete joy. I realized that you can combine parties and philanthropy. We can eat, drink socialize, network and make a difference all in the same night! It’s hard to do that a lone, but collectively, our “Fabulous Women’s Group” is a force to be reckoned with, and that makes me proud.

Here is the recap on the funds / gifts raised for Eddie’s Family:

$ 1310.00 in cash
$495.00 in gift / food cards
$1,000.00 in checks
A private pirate party donated to Eddie’s kids ($1,600.00 value)
CABI clothes donated to Eddie’s wife: (approx. $350.00 value)
A photography session for Eddie’s family along with digital images and a family portrait: (approx. $200.00 value)
An air hockey donated to Eddie’s kids: (approx. $400.00)
Assorted Christmas gifts for their family of 6: (approx. $800.00)

Total thus far: $6, 355.00 (not including the gift from Dr. Allen’s office)


To read the Press Democrat story, click here