Category: Uncategorized

By Mary Ellen Brock
GFWC First Vice-President

When the holidays come around, it’s often easy to get caught up in your own plans. From gift shopping to meal preparation, it’s certainly a busy time. We often need to take time to pause from our own holiday celebrations and remember those who are less fortunate than us.

With 14.5 percent of people living below the poverty line in the United States, many families suffer during the holidays and don’t even have enough money for dinner, let alone an extravagant holiday meal. While wrapping presents for our own friends and family is fun, it’s important to keep in mind our neighbors who may be struggling to make ends meet.

GFWC clubwomen are always doing something to help others and improve their communities. Between Holiday Home Tours that raise money for scholarships and club projects, toy drives that ensure all children have a present to unwrap, and Santa’s Workshops that give money back to the community, members are committed to making sure everyone has a happy holiday season.

Clubs in every state have creative and innovative projects that spread the holiday cheer. For example, the GFWC Seward Woman’s Club (Nebraska) has partnered with the Eberspacher House, a 1906 Victorian, to host “Christmas Past at the Museum.” The event featured beautiful Christmas decorations and included a soup luncheon. Members raised money for their club and also for the Eberspacher House.

In Tennessee, the GFWC Cookeville Junior Woman’s Club hosts the annual Santa’s Workshop, an art and crafts show which is now in its 38th year. Since the event started, over $500,000 has been raised and given back to the local community. With only 27 members, the GFWC Cookeville Junior Woman’s Club proves that with some hard work and holiday cheer, anyone can make a big impact.

To help families in need, the GFWC Verona Junior Woman’s Club (New Jersey) has set up Adopt-A-Family wish trees throughout the community. The trees include ornaments with wish lists from families who need some help this holiday season. The Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills is also participating in an Adopt-A-Family program in New Jersey, and has donated over $1,500 worth of clothes, toys, and other gifts for a local single mother and her three children.

Another club in New Jersey is making a difference this December by playing the role of Santa. The GFWC Junior Woman’s Club of Jefferson is offering to send letters from Santa to children in the community for $4 each, with all proceeds benefiting the Jefferson Township food pantries.

The GFWC Woman’s Club of the Denville-Rockaway area (New Jersey) filled hundreds of Christmas stockings with items such as soap, combs, shampoo, lotion, tissues and toothbrushes/toothpaste and donated them to the local social service agencies and to a Veteran’s group home located nearby.

Holiday Home Tours are often a Christmas Tradition, but in addition to being a fun activity, they also serve an important purpose. For the GFWC Temecula Valley Woman’s Club (California), proceeds from its 31st Annual Holiday Home Tour benefit the club’s project, “Canine Support Team.” The GFWC Woman’s Club of Antioch is another California club that hosts a Christmas House Tour. This year’s theme is “Peace on Earth,” and all the money raised from the event go to scholarships for local high school students and help the club maintain its historic clubhouse.

In Florida, the GFWC Brandon Junior Woman’s Club hosts a “Hope for the Holidays” shopping event, featuring local vendors online and at the clubhouse. Shoppers can feel especially good about their purchases at this event, with proceeds going towards the club’s Annual Children’s Holiday Party for 90 underprivileged children in the area.

Wearing a pair of cozy pajamas over the holidays may be something we take for granted, but some children often go without this warm item of clothing. The GFWC West Virginia Club of Shinnston provided extra comfort for children in crisis at the Genesis Youth Center by donating 26 pairs of pajamas. It’s often something simple like this that makes a difference for a child during the cold winter months.

Speaking of something cozy, the GFWC Kannapolis Junior Woman’s Club and GFWC Kannapolis Woman’s Club (North Carolina) made Build-a-Bears and donated them to Main St Mission’s Christmas with Dignity Program for children in need. The clubwomen enjoyed making the bears and feel even better about helping children enjoy Christmas.

These are only a few of the many thoughtful deeds clubs are doing this December. With nearly 3,000 clubs across the country, this holiday season is a little brighter, thanks to GFWC members who uplift others by Living the Volunteer Spirit.

View more photos of holiday volunteer projects on the GFWC Pinterest Page. 

On December 12, GFWC International President Babs J. Condon, GFWC staff, and clubwomen participated in the annual Wreaths Across America Day at Arlington National Cemetery. Clubwomen Jennifer Nowak and Lisa Vartanian, members of the Wilbraham Junior Women’s Club, traveled all the way from Massachusetts for this special event. Below, Jennifer explains the history of Wreaths Across America and shares her special experience at Arlington Cemetery.

The History
Wreaths Across America began in 1992, when Morrill Worcester, the owner of Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine, had a surplus of holiday wreaths. Worcester remembered visiting Arlington National Cemetery at the age of 12, and decided he had an opportunity to honor our veterans. He arranged to place the wreaths at Arlington in sections that were receiving fewer visitors with each passing year.

As plans were underway, a number of other individuals and organizations stepped up to help. James Prout, the owner of local trucking company, generously provided transportation all the way to Virginia. Volunteers from the local American Legion and VFW Posts gathered with members of the community to decorate each wreath with traditional red, hand-tied bows. Members of the Maine State Society of Washington, D.C. helped to organize the wreath-laying, which included a special ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

After many years of this wonderful tribute, a picture circulated on the internet in 2005 brought the project national attention. Requests poured in of people wanting to help, share stories, and thank Morrill Worcester for honoring our nation’s heroes.

In 2006, simultaneous wreath laying ceremonies took place at over 150 locations around the country. The Patriot Guard Riders volunteered as escort for the wreaths going to Arlington. The “Veterans Honor Parade” continues to this day as the wreaths travel the East Coast in early December.

In 2007, the Worcester family, along with veterans and other groups and individuals formed Wreaths Across America, a non-profit 501-c (3) organization, to continue and expand this effort.

The mission of this group is simple: Remember. Honor. Teach.

This year, Wreaths Across America distributed 900,000 wreaths to volunteers across America to place and honor our nation’s heroes. To know that individuals, organizations, and corporations purchased each one of those 900,000 wreaths is heartwarming.

Arlington National Cemetery: December 12, 2015

This trip began back in September, when I talked with President Babs Condon about a return trip to D.C. to attend Wreaths Across America. Without a hesitation, my sister-in-law and fellow clubwoman, Lisa Vartanian, were both ready to go back to help. We traveled once again, all the way from Massachusetts, and arrived late Friday night to a warm welcome at GFWC Headquarters. It was the beginning of a perfect weekend.

On Saturday morning, I woke up early and joined President Condon, President-Elect Sheila Shea, Chief Operating Office Rosemary Thomas, and Lisa as we traveled to Arlington early enough to see the Convoy enter the cemetery. We gathered at the front door at the WIMSA Memorial, where staff members Michelle Furman and Melanie Gisler joined us. Another clubwoman, Millie, also joined us after reading about the event in News&Notes. At nearly 60 degrees, the weather could not have been better.

The number of volunteers that came to show their respect and honor our veterans was astounding. They came in every age, from very young to very old, and every age in between. There were civilians like us, as well as military in uniforms, and veterans proudly displaying hats and apparel from their branch of service, who were a part of this inspiring day.

The Veteran’s Honor Parade began with Maine Police vehicles leading, followed by other vehicles that traveled from Maine, then the beautifully decorated trucks that carried the wreaths. Volunteers then followed the vehicles in and proceeded to different sections. While walking along, the white headstones lined with exact precision gave us goose bumps as we remembered each headstone stood for a person who protected and defended our country.

Soon the trucks cargo doors were opened and the wreaths were passed from one volunteer to another. I said a prayer of thanks for the dedication of our veterans before placing a wreath on a headstone.

As we looked around, it was heartwarming to see how quickly wreaths were placed on the headstones, when it seemed so calm and serene. It was inspiring to see how many people gathered at this hectic time of year to honor those who have fallen. It was humbling to see how many Americans sacrificed so much for their nation.

Soon the trucks were emptied, boxes broken down, and the debris cleaned up. Then it was time to walk and enjoy the beauty of the pristine white headstones with green wreaths and red bows, knowing that someone thought of each hero today.

To say the day was incredible would be an understatement. It was a day that reminds me to stand tall, and makes me proud to be an American.

Jen Nowak has been a member of the GFWC Wilbraham Junior Women’s Club since 1994 and currently serves as Treasurer.

Shot@Life truly enjoyed the 2015 GFWC Annual Convention which took place from June 12-15 in Memphis, Tennessee. We can’t believe that it has already been a month!

There is a lot to be learned from the inspiring group of amazing women that helped create kindergartens and public libraries in the United States. Today they are as active as ever helping to provide children worldwide with a chance a Shot@Life.

The convention was a lot of fun – from dancing in blue suede shoes at the Shot@Life Awards Banquet to sipping lime green cocktails at the GFWC Social Hour. We had a lot of fun and we learned a lot too! Therefore, I thought to share some of the content of the event with you!

We were fortunate to host many activities at the event including the following:

• Champion Building Workshops: Click here to view the presentations and notes from the two workshops that we hosted on June 13.
• Awards Banquet: Click here to view the slideshow (of pictures of GFWC women in action) that was displayed at the event.
• Post-event photos: To view a slideshow from the photos taken from the Awards Banquet with our Elvis Tribute Singer, click here.
• Awards Winners: Shot@Life recognizes and awards GFWC women for their fundraising efforts. Click here for the September 2014 – September 2015 list of award winners as of June 1. We are making it easier to win in 2016! Click here to learn about the new 2015-2016 Lifesaver Award program with GFWC.

Shot@Life would like to extend extra special thanks to the GFWC Champions of Shot@Life and to all of those who participated in the 2014-2015 Awards Program. We truly appreciate your efforts!

If you would like to learn more about how you can fundraise for Shot@Life, please contact as at info@shot@life.org or visit www.shotatlife.org.

We look forward to having even more fun next year at the 2016 GFWC Annual Convention in Baltimore. I am already planning my outfit for the lime green fashion show!

With best wishes,
Alan Kissick

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

Clubwomen are always there to help, so let’s help spread the word about our organization! An easy (and free) way to spread the word is through social media. Use the power of Facebook to share our story!

GFWC’s Facebook page hit 5,000 LIKES last week. Let’s double that by Convention in Memphis (June 12-15)!

How do I ask people to “LIKE” our page?

Here are a few easy steps.

1 – Go to the GFWC Facebook Page (or any group page that you have already “liked”). And see the highlighted area that says “Invite friends to like this page.”

2 – Click on the “invite friends” and a pop up will appear with a list of your friends.

3- Click on the “INVITE” tab and you are finished! You can select the friends on your list that are GFWC members, or people that you know support your club and all that you do. They will receive a notice in their notification “world” that you invited them to like a page. You will also be able to see which of your friend have already “liked” the page.

Share your love of GFWC with all of your friends!