The International Trends & Services Facet is focused upon providing a greater awareness of global issues and concerns, and how those global concerns affect us locally. The facet also seeks to provide exposure to our international communities, particularly those in Africa, using programs and initiatives to assist and strengthen communities throughout the world.  The West Palm Beach Chapter’s 2009-2011 programming includes:

“MAAMA KITS”
This program focuses upon providing support and care to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) victims in Liberia.  The program involves distributing the kits to women in need, including personal hygiene supplies, medications and sanitary items. 

BLACK DOLLS PROGRAM
This program focuses upon distributing black or African-American dolls to an international orphanage.  The collection will begin as part of the Chapter’s holiday party and will continue through Black History month in February.

INTERNATIONAL PEN PAL PROJECT
This will be a collaborative project with the National Trends & Services Facet.  The students of the Northmore Elementary School Beacon Center will serve as pen pals with international students.  The interactions between the children will facilitate learning about other cultures and possibly enable travel between the groups.
Past programming for this Facet includes:

• Annual Easter Seals Holiday Party: sponsorship of holiday party dedicated to disabled children
• “A Conversation With Judges”: The Links in Partnership with the Girls Scouts of Palm Glades Council, Inc., and the F. Malcolm Cunningham, Sr. Bar Association, featuring Florida Supreme Court Justice, Link Peggy A. Quince, at the Palm Beach County Courthouse
• “Black Doll” Exhibition: exhibition sponsored by the Links at the West Palm Beach Library showcasing black dolls from personal collections and recent acquisitions; many of the dolls were shipped to South Africa to children who had been denied toys with black images due to apartheid
• “School In A Box” program: providing educational assistance, stipends, school supplies and materials to Rwandan and Liberian children and their teachers
• “Tour of Light”: dance troupe performance by eighteen Ugandan children orphaned by AIDS before 700 students at Northmore Elementary School
• Project Global Link”: a yearlong mentoring project for 3rd and 4th grade ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Students, including a performance by WOFA- drummers and dancers from West Guinea at the Duncan Theatre