Category: Uncategorized

Lexington Woman’s Club

The Civic Engagement and Outreach Community Service Program of the Lexington Woman’s Club (South Carolina) designed, funded, printed, and displayed “Thin Blue Line” banners in coordination with and support of local law enforcement. The Woman’s Club of Cayce and Saxe Gotha Woman’s Club (both of South Carolina) were included in this project.

During May, in recognition of National Police Officers Week, the “Thin Blue Line” banners were hung on poles throughout the town of Lexington, South Carolina, and on the Marc H. Westbrook Lexington County Judicial Center complex surrounding the Law Enforcement Memorial Monument. These banners replaced the annual blue ribbons tied to the aforementioned poles in prior years. These 18 banners represent the first phase of a three-year expansion project to include hanging banners near the sheriff’s complex, police department, and Ice House Amphitheatre.

On May 12, the names of 17 Lexington County law enforcement officers were read in remembrance and recognition of their ultimate sacrifice in service to Lexington County. State and local officials attended the remembrance ceremony.

Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon and Police Chief Terrance Green met with some members of the Lexington Woman’s Club to thank them for leading the way. On May 18th, the club was presented with a town of Lexington Proclamation. Photos were also taken of the banners in close proximity to the memorial monument.

The club expressed its sincere appreciation of support from the town of Lexington, Lexington Police Department and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Foundation.

Rotonda West Woman’s Club 

The Rotonda West Woman’s Club (Florida) has been dedicated to community service throughout the club’s 47 years, with a primary focus on education and scholarship within Charlotte County. Each year, the Rotonda West Woman’s Club offers several college, technical school, and continuing education scholarships at Lemon Bay High School and to members of the community.

During the 2020-2021 club year, Education and Libraries Committee Chairman Debra Sigismondo, a junior high school teacher in New York City for 40 years, researched and assembled Diversity and Kindness Library collections of more than 50 titles designed to foster empathy, understanding, and compassion in elementary school children. Two identical collections were delivered to Myakka River Elementary School and Vineland Elementary School on April 26.

During the second year of the project, Debra and co-chairs, including Norma Wood, will continue fundraising for the Diversity and Kindness Libraries to add an additional 50 titles to each collection.

GFWC Mira Mesa Women’s Club 

For the past four years, the GFWC Mira Mesa Women’s Club (California) has been donating fleece blankets to survivors of sexual assault. The blankets are given to the Palomar Hospital in San Diego County and are then given out to people after the collection of rape kits so that the survivors have something warm and comfortable to go home with since their clothes are taken into evidence at the hospital. The fleece blanket donation project was originally started by the North County Inland Quilters.

In just this last year, clubwomen have donated 72 blankets, which is almost three times more than usual thanks to the help of the club’s newest member Kate Maruszak and her family. Members can help participate in this project by donating fleece in all colors except black. Club members said the hospital needs about 60 blankets per month.

GFWC Rhode Island 

Following the lead of GFWC Rhode Island State President Debra Capuano, several GFWC Rhode Island clubs participated in a donation challenge with GFWC Affiliate Organization March of Dimes. Rhode Island clubs were challenged with a goal of making five baby hats, five blankets, and five mommy bags per club. GFWC Cranston Community Women’s Club, GFWC Women’s Club of South County, GFWC Bristol Community Women’s Club, GFWC Warwick Women’s Club, GFWC Wampanoag Women’s Club, and GFWC Rhode Island Alumni Club went above and beyond for this challenge. In total, clubwomen made 76 blankets, 737 hats, 125 baby headbands, and 40 mommy bags filled with personal care supplies. Monetary donations from club members and additional donations from family, friends, and the East Providence Senior Center were also collected. Ten boxes of donations were shipped to March of Dimes.

GFWC Woman’s Club of Ste. Genevieve 

With open hearts, members of the GFWC Woman’s Club of Ste. Genevieve (Missouri) embraced the opportunity to assist their community for what they said is one of the most important endeavors in their lifetime. After learning about the many people involved with COVID-19 vaccines around the world and of the great demands upon the healthcare system to vaccinate against the coronavirus, Eileen Roth, GFWC Woman’s Club of Ste. Genevieve recording secretary, contacted Vaccine Distribution Coordinator Katie Hogenmiller, of Ste. Genevieve Memorial Hospital. Eileen offered the volunteer services of the club members. Members eagerly volunteered to help with the vaccine clinics by assisting with registration, directing people to stations for the shots, and any other requests by Ms. Hogenmiller.

For the month of March, clubwomen attended the six vaccination clinics and eleven members volunteered more than 66 hours. Members also volunteered at three additional clinics in April. The club members said they will continue to volunteer as long as these clinics are held and that being part of such an important endeavor provides a rewarding experience for them.

Women’s Club of Farmingdale 

Women’s Club of Farmingdale (New York) member Dolores Cianciabella, together with her daughter, Carolyn Hanson, packaged 50 healthy snack packs to donate to those facing food insecurity during these challenging times. Carolyn was chosen as “Volunteer of the Month” by her company, AIG, and she chose YOU MATTERnation as her charity of choice. They supplied her with a MATTERbox Volunteer Kit. Each healthy snack pack contained whole grain crackers, an unsweetened fruit serving, and protein WOW butter (a peanut butter substitute). Also included in each pack was a personal note stating “YOU MATTER.”

As a surprise to her mom, Carolyn presented her with the entire box of 50 packs to donate to a charity of her choice in the name of the Women’s Club of Farmingdale.  Dolores chose the St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Farmingdale, New York, which provides a free hot meal once a month to those in need. GFWC New York State President Linda Kreussling, Women’s Club of Farmingdale President Tina Diamond, and Dolores Cianciabella distributed the packs to St. Thomas on May 29.

GFWC Shorewood Woman’s Club 

When GFWC Wisconsin State President Abby Lorenz publicized her request for one cape per club member for the Capes for Kids project, GFWC Shorewood Woman’s Club (Wisconsin) took it to heart. To start the project, one member put out a request for fabric, thread, fusible bonding, and Velcro to the community, asking area residents to drop off donations into a container on her front porch.

Next, members tallied the contributed fabric to see if they would need to purchase any before a group sewing project began. Board members then spent several hours matching fabrics that would compliment one another to comprise the cape and the lining.

Two four-hour sewing extravaganzas followed during which eight to 10 members met to cut out, sew, design the emblem for the back of the cape, and iron in-progress and completed capes. After another two-hour session with four members, the club had not only finished the desired number of capes, but exceeded that number by 10.

Clubwomen delivered 60 beautiful capes to the State Convention in Rothschild, Wisconsin, on May 13.

A few of the club members also had fun making and completing capes on their own.

Capes for Kids is a project started by a Michigan woman whose mission is to bring light, hope, and dignity back into the lives of women and children escaping domestic violence, sex trafficking, and homelessness.

GFWC Santa Rosa Woman’s Club

When GFWC Florida State President Dianne Foerster challenged clubs to create a project displaying “love, kindness and respect,” GFWC Santa Rosa Woman’s Club (Florida) chose to support Children in Crisis (CIC), a residential-style foster care neighborhood. The nonprofit includes an emergency shelter and five houses in a residential campus that support a four-county area with up to 60 children living there at any time. CIC’s mission is to keep foster siblings together in family-style homes. House parents choose food preparation items from an 800-square foot cupboard before shopping retail. For a two-month “Help Feed the Children” food drive, GFWC Santa Rosa Woman’s Club members set up collection bins at businesses and libraries, partnered with other organizations, applied for grants, raffled a large sunset photograph, and worked with neighborhood and homeowners’ associations. Nine members, who live in the same neighborhood, canvassed 440 homes with flyers and organized neighborhood pick-up sites. The food drive raised more than $7,500 in donations and grants and collected more than 9,000 pounds of food for CIC.

GFWC Woman’s Club of Dunbar 

The GFWC Woman’s Club of Dunbar (West Virginia) has been hard at work on several community service projects throughout the past couple months. For their first project, club members purchased reusable bags and filled them with snacks, water bottles, Gatorade, and other goodies in honor of National Fire Fighters Day and National Police Week. The bags were delivered to the Dunbar Fire Department and Dunbar Police Department along with a large bag of new stuffed animals.

Clubwomen also held two COVID-19 drive-thru vaccination clinics. Members said they wanted to find a way to help vaccinate the local residents who could not wait in long lines for the vaccine. During the two clinics, more than 360 people received the vaccination.

GFWC Woman’s Club of Lake Wales 

GFWC Woman’s Club of Lake Wales (Florida) organized an in-person seminar in February to promote the awareness of mental health issues within the community. The seminar was based on a video created last year by the club’s Health and Wellness Committee out of concern for the mental health of its club members, families of members, and friends during the COVID-19 pandemic. The video called “It’s Time to Talk,” addressed awareness of the mental and physical signs of depression brought on by isolation and how to combat the effects in a positive and hopeful manner. This video was inspired by the Campaign to Change Direction Program, but was adapted to a more personal and simple means of awareness geared toward caregivers and friends of the older adult generation.

GFWC Woman’s Club of Lake Wales is dedicated to educating the public on the serious ongoing issues faced by the older adult population that have been made worse by the isolation created during the pandemic and continues in all generations due to the anxieties of unemployment and domestic issues.

GFWC Monroe Woman’s Club 

GFWC Monroe Woman’s Club (Wisconsin) recently completed a gently-used shoe drive that generated 2,688 pairs of shoes. The donation event with Soles4Souls ran from February 15 until April 30. Clubwomen said they were overwhelmed by the support of the club members, community, local businesses, churches, and area Chamber of Commerce. A total of 58 boxes (approximately 50 pounds each) were shipped via UPS through Zappos for Good, which offered free shipping to Soles4Souls.

Three local businesses offered to be donation drop-off points and two members accepted donations at their homes for people who didn’t feel comfortable walking into a business. A local graphic design business also offered to customize the flyer for the shoe drive at no cost. This flyer was posted at local businesses, church newsletters, and was featured on the local Chamber of Commerce website. Big Radio in Monroe, Wisconsin, also featured the drive on their website.

Club President Shelly Isely said the Soles4Souls donation drive reminded the clubwomen of what a generous and thoughtful community they live in. She said many volunteers assisted with the drive and many hours were dedicated to making it a success.

The shoes will be distributed across the U.S. and internationally to help families in need.

GFWC Millville Woman’s Club 

GFWC Millville Woman’s Club (New Jersey) has supported the Cumberland Family Shelter in the past by donating essential items such as pillows, towels, and body wash, but in May they decided to do something special for Mother’s Day. Clubwomen contacted the organization to ask if there were children there who would need gifts to give their mothers on Mother’s Day, and when this was confirmed, Club President Diann Ewan delivered new donated gift items along with wrapping paper to the shelter. Josephine Rivera, with the shelter, expressed her appreciation and said it would be a fun experience for the children to select their own Mother’s Day gifts.

GFWC Service Guild of Covington 

GFWC Service Guild of Covington (Georgia) presented Ronald McDonald House Charities with a donation after the GFWC Georgia Day of Service. They delivered $430 worth of fast food gift cards and checks that were donated by club members in April. The donations will be given out to the parents of children awaiting surgery or treatment while residing at the Ronald McDonald House Charities facility. Ronald McDonald House Charities is a nonprofit organization whose stated mission is to create, find, and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children.

GFWC New Hampshire

Several GFWC New Hampshire clubs recently worked to fill and deliver “spring bags” to residents of the New Hampshire Veterans Home in Tilton, New Hampshire. Participating clubs included the Salem Area Woman’s Club, GFWC Hudson Women’s Club, GFWC Concord Contemporary Club, Exeter Area GFWC, Candia Community Woman’s Club, GFWC Dover Area Woman’s Club, Hollis Woman’s Club, and Nashaway Women’s Club. The clubs worked in partnership with Granite State Baptist Church and Centerpoint Community Church in Salem, and the bags were filled with candy, pens, paper, flashlights, and other treats, plus hand-written cards of appreciation to the veterans. GFWC New Hampshire also filled a gift basket for the staff. Patti Copeland, volunteer activities supervisor, and Sarah Stanley, program information officer, were happy to accept the delivery on behalf of the residents and staff.

GFWC Brookings 

GFWC Brookings (South Dakota) partnered with the Brookings Fiber Guild to make knit or crocheted soap “scrubby bags.” The bags were filled with a bar of soap and donated to a domestic abuse shelter and local food pantry. This year, club members have filled 31 bags as of the beginning of May, and this is an ongoing project.

Since first working on this project in 2017, GFWC Brookings members have given the soap-filled scrubbies to a food pantry, the local university food pantry for students, Feeding Brookings, which is part of Feeding South Dakota, and an area domestic abuse shelter.

Women’s Club of Farmingdale

In time for Mother’s Day, members of the Women’s Club of Farmingdale (New York) donated 38 new and gently used tote bags filled with toiletries and personal care supplies for young women and 17 new or gently used tote bags filled with diapers, lotions, pacifiers, and more for babies or small children residing at Madonna Heights, a 24-hour care facility that addresses the physical, emotional, and social needs unique to women and girls.

The Welfare Committee, chaired by Rosemary Emigholz, also made several donations to local charities during the winter and early spring months this year. Members donated dozens of bags of food items to St. Kilian’s Outreach and paid a visit to Epic House with Easter baskets filled with stuffed bunnies, cookies, and chocolates for the residents.

GFWC Northwest Suburban Woman’s Club 

GFWC Northwest Suburban Woman’s Club (Illinois) was asked to join other local organizations in a Wings Mother’s Day project. Wings is the largest Illinois provider of shelter and services for adults and children who are survivors of domestic violence and abuse. With guidance from Therese Fuglaar and Eileen Tuman, the club’s Signature Program Chairmen, members provided 22 cheery Mother’s Day bags filled with spa specialty products, candles, sweet treats, and a “wild woman” pin. Therese encouraged members to fill the bags with items that they would enjoy receiving.

GFWC Illinois Morris Woman’s Club

Members of the GFWC Illinois Morris Woman’s Club spent three afternoons cleaning up trash along three miles of the Illinois and Michigan Canal. The canal is a 96-mile hand-dug canal that was completed in 1848 to connect the Chicago River to the Illinois River. It is a direct link from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River and it opened trade and transportation from the Midwest to the southern states. In 1984, it became a National Heritage Corridor and is used mainly today for transportation and recreation.

There were 15 members who participated in the clean-up, along with five additional guests, and they collected 21 large bags of trash.

The towpath along the canal is a popular place for walkers, runners, cyclists, and fishermen, and it is used by tourists and townspeople alike. Club members said the area is a national treasure to be preserved and that it should be kept as clean as possible.

GFWC Wamego Study Club

In April, the GFWC Wamego Study Club (Kansas) was honored to serve a grab-and-go lunch for 27 K9 Police Officers from across the state for the 23^rd annual K9 Certification and Training Convention. The Convention was held in Wamego, Kansas, and hosted by the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office.

GFWC Wamego Study Club members were proud to prepare sandwiches, pickle spears, chips, apples, and homemade brownies for a brown bag lunch, as well as a large Milk-Bone treat for the patrol dogs. The food and supplies for the lunches were purchased and donated by the members and the club treasury. The lunch was served at St. Bernard’s Parish Hall in Wamego, allowing plenty of space for the officers to sit down and relax for a short time with their meals.

The lunch was an important Civic Engagement and Outreach project for the Wamego Study Club, and members were pleased to have the opportunity to meet the police officers that attended from different counties and cities in the state of Kansas and show their support for their service and hard work.

It was a special day for the GFWC Wamego Study Club!

GFWC Woman’s Club of Lake Wales

Arbor Day is considered a time to gather and celebrate trees and plants for a greener tomorrow. In keeping with this concept, the GFWC Woman’s Club of Lake Wales (Florida) joined with the Lake Wales Heritage Group to celebrate Arbor Day on April 30. They were also joined by other civic organizations and the City of Lake Wales to restore the vision of famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. of a “City in a Garden.”

The committee to help organize the Arbor Day Celebration, under the guidance of Susan Connors, the club’s second vice president, joined with Lake Wales Heritage Group, Rotary on the Ridge, and the Family Literacy Academy at Lake Wales to host the area’s first Community Arbor Day Celebration. A proclamation was delivered by the mayor and a 100-year-old tradition was revived with the planting of a Community Holiday Tree to be decorated for future holiday celebrations.

Many volunteers from the club joined their friends and family to do all the work necessary to make the event a huge success!

Glendale Woman’s Club

In April, members of the Glendale Woman’s Club (Arizona) gathered to show women veterans some love and appreciation by assembling more than 100 beauty bags. Club members donated the cosmetic bags and then filled them with makeup that was donated by a local retailer. In recognition of Mother’s Day, clubwomen were happy to contribute more wish list items as well, including 133 pairs of socks, self-care products, gift items, and plenty of treats for the troops, along with a $200 donation to offset shipping costs. The gifts were delivered to Blue Star Moms of the Southwest Valley, who will distribute to women veterans in need.  This done-in-a-day project was a huge success, as evidenced by all the smiling faces.

GFWC Woman’s Club of Aurora 

On Federation Day, GFWC Woman’s Club of Aurora (Illinois) volunteers gathered in a parking lot to collect items for several projects. Cars drove in, trunks were popped, and volunteers retrieved the donations. Members donated baby items for the club’s annual baby shower for the VNA Healthy Families program, flower and vegetable seed packets for Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry’s Garden, Charity Blooms, unused or expired prescription and over-the-counter medicines for the Aurora Police Department’s Drug Take Back Program, and can-tabs for Ronald McDonald House. Club members said it was a wonderful morning of fun, friendship, and Living the Volunteer Spirit!

GFWC Woman’s Club of Bismarck 

The GFWC Woman’s Club of Bismarck (Illinois) hosted a special event on March 29, at Crosspoint Human Services in Danville, Illinois, for GFWC Affiliate Organization Prevent Child Abuse America’s Pinwheels for Prevention campaign. Members planted pinwheels around the Peace Pole and in the pots in front of the shelter, and 15 pinwheels in vases with tent signs were delivered for placement throughout the building. Members also made Easter baskets for the children who live at the shelter.

Members brought candy for the baskets to their March club meeting and then collected baskets, grass, and small items to place in the baskets. A local children’s ministry also donated small toys and stuffed animals to help the cause. The club’s Prevent Child Abuse Chairmen met twice and sorted items and five club members met at the shelter to assemble 15 Easter baskets. A pinwheel was also added to each basket. Extra candy from club donations was used for an Easter egg hunt for the children. The Crosspoint Human Services director and an employee who works with the residents told members they were very appreciative of the donations.

In April, members also donated coloring books, crayons, puzzles, pencils, paper, clip boards, games, books, toys, and other items needed for the Vermilion County Children’s Advocacy Center.

GFWC Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills

Members from the GFWC Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills (New Jersey) joined a town-wide clean-up effort of more than 200 volunteers as part of Earth Day on April 24. Teams were sent to various areas in town to pick up discarded trash. The ladies cleaned up along the Boonton Reservoir and a particular focus was placed on picking up micro plastics and other trash in this area to reduce the negative impact on local wildlife.

GFWC Women’s Club of Farmingdale 

Through the efforts of GFWC Women’s Club of Farmingdale’s (New York) past President Barbara Hoerner, club members were made aware of a not-for-profit organization called Beads for Courage. This organization is dedicated to improving the quality of life for children and teens coping with serious illness, their families, and the clinicians who care for them through their Arts-in-Medicine Programs. The organization has established collaborative partnerships with hundreds of hospitals nationally and internationally and worked with several community organizations to make healing happen through the use of beads as a historical art form.

With the help of a donation of upholstery fabric from Avanti Furniture Corp. in Farmingdale, members of the club sewed dozens of small bags to contain the beads so these children can have a convenient place to store them.

Naples Woman’s Club

In keeping with the theme Restore Our Earth, members of the Naples Woman’s Club (Florida) organized a beach clean-up day on Earth Day, April 22. The club’s Environmental Committee volunteered their time to clean up the beaches at Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park in North Naples, Florida.

The park’s Board President, Kathy Foster, and Park Manger Terrance Torvund had everything ready to go for the group of volunteers as they set out to clean up one of the many beaches along Florida’s west coast. Many volunteers from the club joined together to make the beaches and ocean a little cleaner one piece of trash at a time. The day was a huge success!

The Naples Woman’s Club Juniorettes also organized a beach clean-up day of their own on April 23.

Lisle Woman’s Club

Lisle Woman’s Club (Illinois) member Bea Fodor had no idea what she started when she offered to collect plastic bags and deliver them to a group in Peotone, Illinois, that was taking bags and turning them into mats for people without homes.

In total, 2,871 plastic bags were collected by the club and made into balls of plastic yarn, which were then donated to the ladies at Christ Community Church in Peotone. These women then set to work crocheting the plastic into mats to put under sleeping bags. The handles from the bags were used as stuffing for small pillows attached to the mats.

The mats will go to three mission outlets in Illinois, where people without homes can pick them up.

Many club members participated in this project by collecting and dropping off plastic bags and making the plastic yarn balls.

Exeter Area GFWC

Exeter Area GFWC (New Hampshire) presented a donation of $1,000 to Waypoint, a critical non-profit provider of resources and services to families in need. Funds were raised through their annual SleepOut21 event designed to end youth homelessness in New Hampshire. Eight club members who participated in SleepOut21 raised an additional $675. Additionally, all funds raised were matched by a generous anonymous donor, bringing the total donation to $3,350. Waypoint, formerly known as Child and Family Services, has been advocating for and servicing New Hampshire for more than years. Exeter Area GFWC members said they are dedicated to enhancing the lives of others in Exeter and surrounding communities through volunteer and charitable services.

Woman’s Club of Fredericksburg

Members of the Woman’s Club of Fredericksburg (Virginia) gathered outside the City of Fredericksburg Head Start building to recognize Child Abuse Prevention Month in April. Members assisted the Head Start children in planting blue and white pinwheels to participate in GFWC Affiliate Organization Prevent Child Abuse America’s Pinwheels for Prevention campaign. The pinwheels are a symbolic reminder of the happy childhoods and bright futures that all children deserve. The Woman’s Club of Fredericksburg was glad to recognize Child Abuse Prevention month and to live up to their motto: Not for Ourselves Alone.

GFWC Celebrates National Volunteer Week

In recognition of National Volunteer Week from April 18 through April 24, people around the country will celebrate the individuals in their communities willing to go the extra mile to help others. GFWC clubwomen are committed to Living the Volunteer Spirit, and it is this spirit that we want to recognize this week as well with a special three-part blog series that highlights members’ efforts. Although we are shining an extra light on volunteers this week, GFWC is proud to share the inspirational stories of clubwomen volunteering to make a difference for others every week.

Village Improvement Association of Rehoboth Beach

On March 29, four members of the Village Improvement Association of Rehoboth Beach (Delaware) delivered 40 boxes filled with donations to GFWC Affiliate Organization Operation Smile in Virginia Beach, Virginia. In total, 939 items were delivered, valued at $4,459. Items included children’s hospital gowns, Smile bags, and blankets. The team of clubwomen who participated said they did so because they thought they could make a difference and help children in developing countries with cleft palate and/or cleft lip. This group of women also encouraged other club members to participate, which led to 54 members and the club’s Caring Stitchers group sewing hospital gowns, knitting, and packaging items. Other members also dropped off materials for the project anonymously.

Operation Smile is an international children’s medical charity focused on restoring children’s smiles through performing surgery on facial deformities such as cleft lip and cleft palate. They are dedicated to raising awareness of this life-threatening issue and providing lasting solutions that will allow children to be healed, regardless of financial standing, well into the future.

GFWC Junto Woman’s Club

Members of GFWC Junto Woman’s Club (Virginia) are continuing their commitment to improving the environment by participating in a new educational program with the Nansemond River Preservation Alliance (NRPA) for third grade students in Suffolk, Virginia, schools. The program is intended to encourage 8- to 9-year-olds to be an environmentally literate generation of problem solvers by learning about local waterways and watersheds, as well as the impact of rising sea levels on their community. Club members said they are excited to be involved with this new initiative by assembling the hands-on environmental learning kits and delivering the learning aids to local elementary schools.

The mission of NRPA is to raise public awareness and encourage environmental stewardships of local waterways. Several GFWC Junto Woman’s Club members also serve on the NRPA Board of Directors.

GFWC Celebrates National Volunteer Week

In recognition of National Volunteer Week from April 18 through April 24, people around the country will celebrate the individuals in their communities willing to go the extra mile to help others. GFWC clubwomen are committed to Living the Volunteer Spirit, and it is this spirit that we want to recognize this week as well with a special three-part blog series that highlights members’ efforts. Although we are shining an extra light on volunteers this week, GFWC is proud to share the inspirational stories of clubwomen volunteering to make a difference for others every week.

GFWC Mississippi

On April 22, people around the world will celebrate Earth Day to raise awareness about the environment, global warming and climate change and encourage people to volunteer for the good of the planet. Several GFWC Mississippi clubs have created community service projects of their own dedicated to taking care of the earth.

The Decatur Woman’s Progressive Club built two monofilament fishing line recycling bins for two of the local fishing and recreational lakes near their town of Decatur, Mississippi.

The three-foot-long cylindrical bins constructed of PVC drain pipe are mounted to fishing piers at launch ramps or marina boat docks, and are part of the “Reel In and Recycle” national fishing line recycling program. These bins help keep fishing line out of waterways where it can be dangerous to wildlife.

Clubwomen are in charge of cleaning, caring for, and maintaining the bins. These recycling bins have been so successful for the boaters and fisherman that they are adding two additional bins to a local park with signs stating their purpose.

Members of the Civic Women’s Club of Picayune also are participating in various environmentally-focused community service projects. One of these projects was a “Save Our Resources” challenge which began in February and ended in April that required members to identify habits that are wasteful of natural resources and work to change those habits during the challenge. This could be as small as turning off lights in unused rooms or turning off water when brushing their teeth. As part of this challenge, members were also encouraged to find new uses for no longer needed items that would otherwise end up in a landfill. One member discovered that a local elder adult facility was in need of DVDs for residents to enjoy, so instead of being thrown away, several DVDs were donated.

The club also partnered with Keep Picayune Beautiful to help sponsor the city’s clean-up day on April 17. Clubwomen helped set up, work the registration tables, issue cleanup supplies, and form a team to pick up trash. Members also made a monetary donation to the city for this project.

Finally, the Pontotoc Woman’s Club contributed 33 pounds of bottle caps for direct recycling at Green Tree Recycling. The battle caps joined more than 600 pounds of other plastic caps collected by area Boy Scouts, elementary schools, and other groups for the ABC Promise Partnership Program. Miranda Georges drove the pickup load to Indiana and returned with six park benches as part of the program.

The ABC Promise Partnership Program is a cap and lid program designed by school children for school children as a tool to learn about caring for the earth and green living.