“I’ve always loved butterflies, because they remind us that it’s never too late to transform ourselves.”

– Drew Barrymore

President’s Letter

Yes, it feels like spring and with the month of May come beautiful smells, sounds, and sights. For me it is a time filled with expectation and butterflies!

The butterfly is a lovely symbol of change. First the caterpillar turns into a chrysalis when it rests and re-forms. Like the chrysalis, we all take time for rest and reflection in the spring and summer. Then reinvigorated, we blossom into graceful butterflies come late summer.

We look towards 2024-25…welcoming new members in to our Club, inspired by new voices joining our board and committees, and relying on our returning members for their wisdom and commitment.

Spring is a time when our Club reflects. At the end of our Zonta year we look back at everything that we have done, and it is easy to be inspired by our efforts to Build a Better World for Women and Girls. We have touched many through our scholarships, our leadership clubs, our advocacy, our service, and most importantly, our time together.

Thank you each and every Club member for an unprecidented year. We worked together to see record breaking fundraising through Colorado Gives and Zing for Zonta. Our voice was more impactful than ever, as we took a public and visible stand by supporting Colorado Reproductive Freedoms, the fight against domestic violence and sexual assault, wage disparity, gun protections and more. We continued to help women succeed in education through more and larger scholarship awards and leadership development.

In May we recognize our Club members who have made all of this possible. It is also a time to award our scholarship recipients and cheer on our graduates. And like the butterfly we look ahead to a time of rest and relaxation before we spread our wings again.

-Pam

• Book Sorting - Saturday, May 11, 10 am - 2 pm. Sign up available at May business meeting.

• Club Social - Thursday, May 16th Join the Advocacy Committee to see What the Constitution Means to Me. Those registered will meet in the lobby at 7 pm for drinks and conversation. The play begins at 7:30

• Mother’s Day March for Child Care - Saturday, May 18, 8:45 - 11 am, Roosevelt Park, Longmont

• Advocacy Committee Meeting - Monday, May 20, 11:30 am -1:00 pm Pica's Boulder Mexican Taqueria

• Z Club and Golden Z Club Lake Party - Thursday, June 6th. Time TBD, Details to come. All Foothills Club members invited to join our clubs, hang out by the lake and enjoy a relaxed afternoon together.

• Combined Board Meeting - Date, Time and Location TBD

• Club Retreat - Saturday, June 22, 9 am - 1 pm, Location TBD

• Golden Z Club Defense Training - Saturday, June 22, Way of the Crane Martial Arts, 1925 55th St, Boulder

• Longmont Zappy Hour, Thursday June 27 - hosted by Catherine Bailey

• District 12 Governor’s Conference, October 4, 5, 6, 2024 at beautiful Chautauqua - Zonta Foothills Club will be hosting so SAVE THE DATE!

• President: Pam Malzbender

• President-elect: Nancy Rowe

• Secretary:  Catherine Bailey

• Treasurer: Michelle Medal

Our At Large Board Members for 2024-25 are:

• Colleen Farrell

• Sheila King

• Marta Lindrose

• Gaby Lopez

• Ranelle Randles

FUNdraising Committee

Zonta FUNdraising Committee - Co-chairs: Marta Lindrose and Colleen Farrell, Kathy Israelson, Nancy Rowe, Catherine Médal, Tommie Atanasof, Pam Malzbender

Zervice Committee

Zonta Zervice Committee - Co-chairs: Marta Lindrose and Cheri Magin, Kim Prosser-Noonan, Joan Siebenaler, Catherine Bailey 

Advocacy Committee

The Advocacy Committee- Chair Ranelle Randles, Sheila King, Elizabeth Freedman, Sara Gillespie and Sharon Trumble

Educatez Scholarship Committee

We always welcome any member that’s interested in participating with our scholarship selection. Feel free to contact Nancy Rowe!

The EducateZ Scholarship Committee - Co-Chairs Nancy Rowe and Michelle Médal, Jan Cheney, Kim Prosser-Noonan, Catherine Bailey

Membership Committee

To keep up this great momentum the Membership Committee is planning to host other Zappy Hours in the next few months (one in North Longmont hosted by Catherine Bailey on June 27 and a Boulder event in late August hosted by Ranelle Randles). We had a few interested people reach out who could not make it last week so we are hoping to get them involved by the time fall comes around. We are also hoping to broaden our reach in Boulder County. Be thinking of who you would invite!

Zonta Membership Committee  Co-Chairs Colleen Farrell and Ann Hodgson, Amanda Elsnes, Kathy Israelson, Catherine Médal, Kay Meyer

Zonta EducateZ Committee

Pantherz Z Club Calls for a Culture of Respsect

The Pantherz Z Club launched a campaign at Boulder High School asking their community to help create a Culture of Respect. They created this Panther TV spot to promote the effort and then they collected signatures from classmates,. teachers, and others in the community.

BVSD Recognizes our Culture of Respect Program

Check out the Boulder Valley School District Facebook post about our Culture of Respect program. We are so proud of the club’s leaders, Co-Presidents Nataly Villa and Andrea Herrera, Vice President Lily Beacom, and Board Member Zoe Cardenas who worked tirelessly meeting with school administrators, planning their activities, and putting it all together! They even inspired Fairview High School launch their own Culture of Respect campaign!

Zonta EducateZ Committee - Tommie Atanasof, Michelle Carpenter, Sheila Cohen, Gaby Lopez, Claudia Ibarra, Sheila King, Pam Malzbender, Marta Lindrose.

Zonta Says Now Climate News

Biodegradable

Biodegradable materials can naturally decompose with help from bacteria and small organisms. Biodegradability is great but can also cause problems: Chemically treated items like wood and paper products can become toxic in the process of being broken down. Instead of buying items that are just labeled as biodegradable, look for Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) certifications — this is a verified third-party mark of true biodegradability.

Compostable

Compostable items break down over time into soil or fertilizer—but this isn’t true all the time. Without the necessary conditions, even if something is theoretically compostable, it can still take hundreds of years to decompose in other environments like landfills. Many items marked as compostable are only compostable in industrial composting facilities (like “compostable” bioplastics), not in home compost bins (which can handle things like eggshells and coffee grounds). Boulder County is still trying to find a location for such a facility. If you have access to industrial composting, such as through your city’s pickup system, make sure you’re only putting items in there that are truly compostable. If you don’t have a composting service, swap items like supposedly “compostable” paper plates with versions that can be washed and reused, instead.

Carbon-Neutral

Carbon neutrality does not mean emissions-free, but rather that a company is reducing its emissions until it gets to the point where its emissions output equals its emissions reductions. Until it reaches that goal, it may be buying carbon offsets to make up the difference. While carbon offsets are better than ignoring the problem, they don’t always result in forward momentum in battling the climate crisis — they simply claim to cancel out damage that’s already happening or done. (Also, many carbon offset projects are based on planting trees that may or may not ever be planted.)

While a plan for carbon neutrality is still more than many companies are doing, net-zero emissions is the next step further, which accounts for all greenhouse gas emissions from a company, not just carbon. Even fewer companies are taking on carbon negativity, which means decreasing emissions and offsetting more than what they produce.

While we wait for carbon negativity to become the standard, carbon-neutral and net-zero commitments should be investigated and celebrated if found to be genuine. Start by looking on a company’s website for programs with immediate effects, such as renewable energy community projects and verification of carbon offsets. Reading reports from credible, non-partisan news sources can also help. The University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Top 100 Polluter indeces can provide more context for how company emissions rank.

Eco-Friendly or Sustainable

Eco-friendly and sustainable may seem broad — because they are. At their core, both mean ‘not environmentally harmful’. However, since neither term is regulated, they can lead to gray areas or straight-up greenwashing. Instead of taking the words at face value, investigate the packaging, website, or social media to look for sustainability pages and victories. A company practicing sustainability will gladly define the reasoning behind its use of the term.

Luckily, there are many certifications that are trustworthy when looking for products that are truly eco-friendly and sustainable. Green America’s Green Business Network certification covers businesses across 30+ industries. Other labels to look for that have third-party verification are USDA Organic, Leaping Bunny, B-Corp, Environmental Working Group, Green Guard, GOTS,Fair Trade Certified and many more. Each industry, such as food or textiles, has its own certifications, so do your research as you buy.

Ethical

Finding a product labeled as “ethical” sounds great, but the term actually doesn’t tell you much at all. Reading the word ethical is an instant signal to pull out the magnifying glass and investigate the company further. Finding a fair trade certification on the product’s label or website is a great sign. Fair Trade America and Fair for Life are trustworthy certifications representing that the company has been assessed as devoting time and resources to their economic, social, and environmental impacts in various ways that come together to create an ethically produced product. From respecting and empowering workers to climate action and transparency, Fair Trade companies represent a company certified in ethical behavior.

When traversing the jungle of sustainability speak, knowing the meaning behind buzzwords can help you confidently choose products. While it may take a little investigation, before long, you’ll find that your true green detective skills are unstoppable.

Green America and the certified Green Business Network members mentioned in this article meet or exceed Green America’s standards for social and environmental responsibility.

Just in time for planting!

For a welcoming bird and butterfly garden, plant this collection of colorful, easy-care perennials. Read More Here.

Zonta Says NOW Advocate- Kay Meyer

Zonta News

Zontians are working around the country to support this effort because as Unchained At Last explains, it closes “a dangerous legal loophole that allowed 16- and 17-year-olds to be legally trafficked under the guise of marriage. The loophole also allowed teens to be entered into the serious contract of marriage before they have the full rights of adulthood, which created a nightmarish legal trap for them. The loophole ignored the reality that marriage before age 18 is recognized as a human rights abuse that destroys nearly every aspect of a girl's life.”

public Relations

PR Committee - Pam Malzbender, Sheila Cohen, Sheila King, Sara Gillespie