Category: Volunteers in Action

GFWC Glendale Woman’s Club 

Members of the GFWC Glendale Woman’s Club (Arizona) have been working hard in their community to ensure kids of all ages have the basic life skills they need to be successful. Club President Cheryl Kappes explained the club has offered a Sewing Basics 101 class to local students during the summer for the past few years, but the class was always limited in the number of teachers and sewing machines available. However, after attending the 2021 GFWC Annual Convention, the club was challenged to “amp it up.” Cheryl said the clubwomen determined that to offer more classes to the community, they would need more teachers and equipment, so they reached out to local schools and successfully recruited volunteers and received several donated sewing machines. Some members also contributed funds for additional machines. In total, the sewing class in 2022 tripled in size from eight to 24 students.

“It was very exciting to see it all come together,” Cheryl said.

One of the club’s goals was to make the class affordable so that it would be accessible to more area residents. Cheryl said for only $20 the children were able to learn a skill that they could carry with them for years to come.

“This basic sewing class gives them some life skills that are no longer offered at public schools,” she said.

GFWC Windsor Woman’s Club 

GFWC Windsor Woman’s Club (Connecticut) members donated about 50 handknit baby hats to a hospital for Ukrainian refugees. Clubwoman Maureen Andryuk explained that the club has a longstanding committee that knits baby hats for area hospitals, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have been unable to donate the hats and had a couple hundred waiting to go to those in need. Earlier this year, clubwomen learned that one member’s daughter, who works out of Germany to provide international relief, was able to take many of the hats with her to distribute as part of the relief efforts. The hats were sent to a school in Warsaw, Poland, that has been collecting supplies for Ukrainian refugees who have been impacted by the ongoing war crisis in their country. The school then provided the hats to a hospital for distribution.

“We were all shocked by what is happening in Ukraine, and we felt so much sympathy for the people fleeing–pregnant women, families, and others,” Maureen said. “We wanted to show our support.”

In addition to the hats, members also provided a monetary donation for diapers and wipes.

GFWC Millville Woman’s Club 

Participants of this year’s Girls’ Career Institute program attended many lectures and workshops from professional volunteer women speakers.

The GFWC Millville Woman’s Club (New Jersey) continued their tradition of hosting the Southern District reception for Girls’ Career Institute (GCI) at their clubhouse this spring. GCI is a “mini college experience” that invites girls completing their junior year in a New Jersey high school to stay at Douglass Residential College on the campus of Rutgers University in New Jersey to attend lectures and workshops provided by successful volunteer women speakers from a wide variety of careers.

Nancy Hammond, with the GFWC Millville Woman’s Club, explained that GCI is underwritten by New Jersey State Federation clubs. The girls who wish to participate apply for the program at their respective schools and the guidance departments select girls they believe to be good candidates. The girls are then interviewed by the guidance counselors and representatives from local woman’s clubs throughout the state. They are selected for GCI based on their interests, community service, and participation in school activities.

This year, the GFWC Millville Woman’s Club worked with the Millville High School guidance staff to interview candidates and selected three students to participate in GCI.

“It is great for the girls to have exposure to these other professional women,” Nancy said. “I just think this is a wonderful opportunity.”

Although GCI was not offered in the past two years due to COVID-19, the program has been in place since 1947.

GFWC Valamont Woman’s Club 

Clubwomen donated more than 60 new pillows to a local nonprofit that supports women and children experiencing homelessness.

Members of the GFWC Valamont Woman’s Club (Tennessee) organized a “Pillow Fight” to donate 66 new pillows to the Chattanooga Room In The Inn, an organization that supports women and children experiencing homelessness.

Club President Linda Hershey explained the club developed a questionnaire for members to fill out that highlighted various community projects they would be interested in participating in and supporting. After compiling the answers, Linda said the Chattanooga Room was among the organizations that clubwomen indicated they most wanted to help.

“The Chattanooga Room is one of the main organizations in the area that deals with homelessness,” she said.

In the past, Linda said the club has supported the nonprofit by cooking meals, making individualized Easter baskets for children at the facility, and more. This year, the club reached out to a volunteer coordinator to ask where they had the greatest need and learned donations of pillows was a priority.

Linda said the clubwomen were excited to participate in this project because it provided members a way to come together as a group while helping people in their community in need.

In addition to temporary housing, Chattanooga Room offers various programs and services to help the women meet their goals.

GFWC Brunswick Woman’s Club 

The GFWC Brunswick Woman’s Club (Georgia) participated in the GFWC Georgia Day of Service in April with their “Pack the Pantry” project at Nunnally House in Brunswick, Georgia, and by donating to Ronald McDonald House Charities. Located adjacent to the Southeast Georgia Health System (SGHS) Brunswick Campus, the Nunnally House offers rooms for cancer patients receiving treatment, families of critical care patients, medical students, and on-call staff. Clubwoman and Public Relations Chair Patricia Porto explained that members donated various nonperishable food items as well as plastic silverware and heavy-duty paper plates and bowls to the organization. In total, more than $450 worth of items were donated.

“This facility is just amazing to our community,” Patricia said. “It is so important to us.”

Eight clubwomen delivered the donations to the Nunnally House and were greeted by SGHS Foundation Development Coordinator Bryan Thompson, who offered them a tour of the expansive facility.

Patricia said the members all believe it is important to donate to and support this organization because of the great work they do to offer physical and emotional support to those in need in the community.

“We have done this several years in a row and it is so rewarding to know their needs are met,” she said.

GFWC Nampa Woman’s Century Club 

Members of the GFWC Nampa Woman’s Century Club (Idaho) helped kick-off the Nampa Public Library’s summer reading program on a rainy Saturday in June. GFWC Idaho State President and member of the GFWC Nampa Woman’s Century Club Cindy Biesemeyer said the members were excited to participate in the event organized by the library because they have always supported the many programs offered by the library.

“When we started in the 1900s, libraries were one of the things we brought to the community and we have supported them all this time,” she said.

Clubwomen set up a tent with a “fishing pool” filled with specially minted Lincoln pennies worth 33 cents apiece that children could fish for as part of their “Wonders of the Ocean” theme. During the activity, the kids learned about not only collecting coins, but also about several of the planet’s oceans. Each of the pennies the children caught were “mounted” on a fact sheet and then given to them to keep. Parents and guardians in attendance were also given club brochures and had an opportunity to learn about GFWC.

Cindy said several other community vendors and organizations were set up at the event as well, and the members were able to visit with them and share information and answer questions about the club.

GFWC Greensboro Woman’s Club 

The GFWC Greensboro Woman’s Club (North Carolina) initiated a portable StoryWalk project in March to give area kids an opportunity to get active and begin to foster a love of reading. Project Chair Janet Veltri explained the Story Walk was created by deconstructing a children’s book, laminating the pages, and posting them on signs that could be moved as necessary. Since its creation, the StoryWalk has been set up at three libraries, four elementary schools, and six local parks or gardens, and will be used in a city playground for a summer recreation and nutrition program in the coming weeks. The project committee has been helping with the relocation and upkeep of the StoryWalk signs throughout the spring and summer.

The club’s Education and Libraries Community Service Program Committee chose to use From Head to Toe by Eric Carle for the StoryWalk because it allowed for an interactive experience. The book features pictures of animals and prompts its reader to imitate the animals with movements such as turning their head like a penguin, raising their shoulders like a buffalo, clapping like a seal, licking like a donkey, and bending like a camel.

Janet said the clubwomen were all excited to organize this project and to give children and their families and friends a chance to enjoy books together.

“I am a strong believer that the earlier you introduce children to reading, the more they will do it throughout their lives,” she said.

The StoryWalk® Project was originally created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont, in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library.

Cochran Woman’s Club 

Cochran Woman’s Club (Georgia) members are committed to taking care of the environment and keeping their community clean. Club President Daphne Jones said the club volunteered to assist with Clean-Up Day, an event sponsored by the city of Cochran and the Cochran-Bleckley County Chamber of Commerce in April. Once members registered participants, they handed out plastic bags, gloves, and face masks to all participants and sponsored a lunch break.

Daphne explained that although it is difficult physically for many of the members to participate directly in trash pick-up events, cleaning up the environment is still important to them, and they wanted to help with this event however they could. After speaking with the city manager in charge of the event, the members were on board.

“We like to do whatever we can in the community to help out,” Daphne said, adding the clean-up event was a success with many area residents and local college students helping.

In addition to volunteering for this event, Daphne said members organize many other recycling projects, such as collecting plastic bags and newspapers.

GFWC Northboro Junior Woman’s Club 

Clubwomen gave out free reusable shopping bags to customers at a local Stop & Shop in recognition of Earth Day.

The GFWC Northboro Junior Woman’s Club (Massachusetts) celebrated Earth Day this year by giving back to their community. Working in conjunction with Stop & Shop, members set up a table at each entrance of one of the chain’s locations and greeted customers. Club member Mary Anne Bryant explained clubwomen gave out reusable shopping bags to people who didn’t have one, and anyone else who wanted one, and a $5 Stop & Shop gift card to everyone who already had their own reusable shopping bag to thank them for “being green.”

“The store was very excited about working with us because they are very environmentally friendly,” she said. “It was a very successful event.”

In total, Mary Anne said the club gave out more than 100 bags and $125 in gift cards. She added the bags featured a design to recognize Earth Day and promote recycling.

Nancy Coughlin, Environment Committee Co-Chair, said she was happy with the response to the project from both club and community members.

“There was much enthusiasm and kind words from shoppers as they received their gift cards and bags. Many folks are truly committed to helping our planet,” she said.

Mary Anne said the club wanted to organize this project to bring awareness to how much plastic waste people produce and to encourage others to limit how much single-use plastic they are throwing out.

“We have to look out for the Earth for generations to come,” she said.

GFWC West Side Women’s Club 

GFWC West Side Women’s Club members donated funds to Northeast Sight Services to support their mission of helping blind and visually impaired individuals.

Since 2015, members of GFWC West Side Women’s Club (Pennsylvania) have dedicated their time, talents, and money to Northeast Sight Services (NESS). Club member Ginny Zdanowicz, who serves as the liaison between the club and NESS, said the clubwomen all love being able to help the clients and have learned so much from them throughout the years.

This nonprofit organization helps blind and visually impaired individuals achieve the best possible quality of life by providing services and preventing vision loss through education and early detection for people of all ages.

The club originally began working with NESS when members reached out about donating old eyeglasses, but soon the project expanded to assisting with lunches, volunteering at Bingo events, preparing thousands of mailings, helping at an annual golf tournament fundraiser and other special events, and more.

“It took off like you wouldn’t believe,” Ginny said. “We’re kind of like a family now.”

Members recently donated several hundred dollars to the organization, and they continue to volunteer in other ways as often as possible.

“NESS needs the help and they do so much for people,” Ginny said. “This is a project that everyone can benefit from.”

Carrizozo Woman’s Club 

Local children will have the opportunity to get active and enjoy their local pool this summer due to funds raised by members of the Carrizozo Woman’s Club (New Mexico).

Club President Nordis Estrem explained that the pool is typically open for about nine weeks throughout the summer, and residents pay $1 per person to use the facility. Since there are many low-income families in the area, the club members chose to donate the funds they raised to the city so that they could be allocated to allow children to use the pool. Nordis added that several other individuals and local organizations donated funds to the city for this purpose as well.

She said that since they live in a small community without many activities for young children, the pool offers an outlet for physical activity and mental stimulation that kids need to stay healthy and out of trouble when they are not in school.

“We feel very strongly that it is important to keep the pool open,” Nordis said

The funds were raised through a community sale, 50/50 raffle, and other food sales at area events.

The Woman’s Club of Clayton 

The Woman’s Club of Clayton (North Carolina) recently provided several new and gently used books to local first graders as part of their Book Bag project. Club President Betsy Grannis explained clubwomen gather the books and then get together to pack bags with three or four books each, along with pencils and a chart so that the kids and their parents or guardians can keep track of the books they’ve read.

Betsy said each year, the members deliver the book bags to the school and stay to read a book or two to the students. This year, 83 book bags were delivered to seven first grade classrooms.

“It is always so cute to go into the classrooms,” Betsy said. “They are always so excited.”

She added the members enjoy participating in this project because it allows the students to have some books of their own to read throughout the summer even if they do not have access to a local library.

“The love of books goes a very long way,” Betsy said.

 GFWC Woman’s League of the Lowcountry 

Members of the GFWC Woman’s League of the Lowcountry helped local schoolchildren create Earth Day-inspired works of art.

GFWC Woman’s League of the Lowcountry (South Carolina) members organized an art project activity for local third, fourth, and fifth graders involved in the Boys and Girls Club as well as the after-school program at the Ridgeland Elementary School. Clubwoman Sandy Iams explained the club decided to organize this art project since the school had to remove its art program from the curriculum due to budget cuts.

“We were very excited to do this project,” she said. “It’s a creative project and it gives kids and outlet and offers them an opportunity they may not have at home.”

The theme of the art project was Environmental Ecology/Celebrating Earth Day – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and the children used watercolor paints to make posters inspired by this theme. Sandy said the members provided all the materials for the project and helped the approximately 40 children in attendance bring their creations to life. She added the club has been planning this project for more than a year, but had to postpone it due to COVID-19.

With arts programs frequently being one of the first cut at schools due to financial concerns, Sandy said the members are all dedicated to helping children have access to projects and activities that allow them to be creative.

“There are many children who really flourish in these programs,” she said.

GFWC North Central Junior Alumnae Club and GFWC Woman’s Club of Bridgeport

A local city council member attended a GFWC Federation Day celebration, during which donations were collected for the Louis A Johnson VA Medical Center.

Members of the GFWC North Central Junior Alumnae Club (West Virginia) and GFWC Woman’s Club of Bridgeport (West Virginia) combined their efforts to give back to veterans in their community in celebration of Federation Day.

Tressa Wolfe, Second Vice President of the GFWC North Central Junior Alumnae Club, explained the clubs reached out to a local Veterans’ Affairs medical center about how they could help and were provided with a list of items that were needed for the veterans at the center. Newsletters were then sent out to the clubwomen with the wish list items, and they were encouraged to bring their donations to the Federation Day event.

Tressa said members donated more than $780 worth of new tennis shoes, T-shirts, underwear, socks, slippers, and snacks to the Louis A Johnson VA Medical Center. Along with these items, clubwomen also made handmade notes for the veterans.

“Our ladies were so generous,” she said.

In addition to this collection, Tressa said the clubs work with the medical center throughout the year, providing items such as Valentine’s Day cards, snacks, and more.

“They have given us our freedom and we want to honor them and do what we can for those who are in the hospital,” she said.

GFWC Pennsylvania 

GFWC President-elect Deb Strahanoski joined GFWC Pennsylvania clubwomen for their 2022 State Convention, during which members were encouraged to donate to UNICEF USA to support the organization’s relief efforts in Ukraine.

GFWC Pennsylvania clubwomen donated $2,175 to GFWC Affiliate Organization UNICEF USA’s Ukraine Relief Fun. The funds will allow UNICEF to continue to provide essential services to children and families being impacted by the ongoing was crisis in Ukraine.

GFWC Pennsylvania State President Sandy Hauenstein said when she heard about the relief fund in GFWC’s weekly News & Notes, she knew she wanted to encourage clubwomen to work together and help if they were able.

“We had our Convention coming up and we thought that was a perfect time,” she said, adding that a flyer with information about the relief fund and how to donate was created.

Sandy said many clubs and individual members chose to donate. In total, $1,175 was collected during the State Convention and another $1,000 was provided by the GFWC Junior Women’s Club of Butler.

With more than $2,000 in donations sent in, Sandy said she is very grateful to her fellow clubwomen for donating to help the people of Ukraine.

GFWC Millville Woman’s Club 

The GFWC Millville Woman’s Club delivered feminine sanitary supplies and children’s books to a local homeless shelter.

Members of the GFWC Millville Woman’s Club (New Jersey) donated feminine sanitary supplies to the Cumberland Family Shelter, a local homeless shelter, to combat “period poverty.” Period poverty is referred to as a lack of access to menstrual products, sanitation facilities, and adequate education, and impacts people throughout the world.

Clubwoman Nancy Hammond explained the club’s financial secretary, Barbara Westog, first brought up the issue of period poverty to members and initiated the collection of sanitary supplies for the shelter. Nancy said the members were all happy to help with this project to keep young girls and women safe and healthy.

“People don’t like to talk about things like this, but we need to make people aware that this is an issue,” she said.

In addition to the sanitary supplies, clubwomen collected and donated many children’s books for kids at the shelter. Nancy added members feel it is important to help the Cumberland Family Shelter in many ways, as they provide services such as temporary housing and meals and assistance in finding new housing, employment, medical care, and more.

“We like to support them for all the work they do,” she said. “They are a vital resource for the county.”

GFWC Women’s Club of South County 

During their March meeting, the GFWC Women’s Club of South County (Rhode Island) celebrated 14 Grow Hope Grant recipients, honoring their work to address homelessness, food insecurity, mental health, and domestic violence. Club President Maria Hoey said the club was able to give away $29,750 in grants to local nonprofit organizations through the Grow Hope Grant program, which was started about 20 years ago as a club community giving project and has since grown into what it is today.

Maria explained the funds for the grant program are raised through the club’s annual Book and Author Luncheon, during which the club invites several authors to mingle with and give a presentation to guests. Book signings and sales, raffles, and more also take place during this exciting community event, which generally raises about $30,000 each year.

Local organizations can apply to be a Grow Hope Grant recipient, and each application is reviewed by club committee members who meet with the applicants to learn more about the work they do to make a positive impact for the community. Maria said the club is always excited about the grant program because they are able to help area residents through the organizations that do great work every day.

“We don’t raise a ton, but we want to spread the funds out as much as possible and still have an impact,” Maria said. “We are trying to help people who need it in a small way.”

GFWC Woman’s Club of Denville Rockaway 

Several members from the GFWC Woman’s Club of Denville Rockaway (New Jersey) joined their friends and neighbors to participate in the town’s annual Rid Litter Day, organized each year for Earth Day on April 22. The town clean-up event is sponsored by P.R.I.D.E, or Planned Recommendations Improving Denville’s Environment. This partnership consists of 20 local organizations and nonprofits and was started in 1967 with the goal of improving the community. This year, nearly 130 area residents participated in the environment-focused event.

President-elect Barbara McCloskey said the club has been a part of Rid Litter Day for 20 years.

“Recycling and conservation efforts have always been important to us,” she said.

Barbara explained P.R.I.D.E meets four to five times a year to share information about what projects each organization is working on and how they can support each other.

“We feel a camaraderie to work together and help make the community better,” she said. “This is a wonderful place to live.”

GFWC Oregon City Woman’s Club 

In an effort to keep paper out of landfills and to help people protect their identity, the GFWC Oregon City Woman’s Club hosted a paper shredding event in their community in April. Club Vice President Chris Wadsworth explained the club rented shred trucks and invited area residents to bring their old tax forms, receipts, and any other documents they had to shred to the event site. In total, Chris said there were about 160 cars, with three boxes allowed per vehicle, and they filled up two shred trucks.

“This event was really well attended,” she said.

As a retiree from the Oregon City Police Department, Chris said the department used to host paper shredding events for the community, but they haven’t in recent years, so the clubwomen decided to take up the mantle.

Along with shredding events being a great way for people to safely dispose of documents containing personal information, the shredded paper can also be compacted and recycled rather than ending up in landfills.

While this was the first shredding event hosted by the club, Chris said members would like to organize another in the future.

The funds raised throughout the event will be donated to various community service organizations.

GFWC Rotonda West Woman’s Club 

Members of GFWC Rotonda West Woman’s Club (Florida) formed a partnership with the Florida Guardian ad Litem Foundation with the 20^th Judicial Circuit Court to provide children entering the foster care system with a bit of comfort. Club President Kathryn Gallagher explained members hand-sewed bags and filled them with various items to be donated to the children in need. This project began as an idea in an email from the Child Advocate Manager Supervisor of the Charlotte County Florida Guardian ad Litem Foundation but has come to fruition and will continue on a quarterly basis.

“The whole club is excited about this project,” Kathryn said, adding that it was originally postponed due to COVID-19, but the first set of bags has now been delivered to the children.

She said that clubwomen wanted to participate in this project because children entering the foster care system are often taken from their current environment with only a black trash bag to contain their limited possessions. Therefore, members felt it was important for these children to have something unique to them that they could be proud of carrying.

“It helps them to realize that they have value,” she said.

Although created as a Civic Engagement and Outreach Community Service Project, each committee in the club has participated in filling the bags by donating age-appropriate books, pajamas, toothbrushes and other personal hygiene items, hand-knitted and -crotched washcloths, comfort toys, and more, and by making handmade birthday cards.