Category: Volunteers in Action

GFWC Fowler Progress Club 

Members of GFWC Fowler Progress Club (Colorado) helped organize a Healthy Relationships program to educate local high school seniors.

The GFWC Fowler Progress Club (Colorado) is working to raise awareness and prevent domestic and teen dating violence among young people in their community. The club began a partnership with the Arkansas Valley Resource Center (AVRC) in 2019 and continue to work with them in various ways today. AVRC is a crisis intervention agency for three counties that provides shelter, counseling, and support services for survivors of domestic violence and other crimes.

The club’s secretary, Angela Gordon, explained members worked with AVRC and the local high school to start an education program for the senior class about healthy relationships. Now, the yearly awareness session presents an opportunity for students to learn about what to look for to recognize an unhealthy or unsafe relationship and how to find and reach out for help if it is ever needed.

The Healthy Relationship program educates students on how to define a safe relationship. It’s an interactive session where real-life examples are shared and the students learn how life elsewhere can be very different than the community they grew up in.

Angela said as these seniors graduate and potentially move away from their small, rural community, she hopes they carry this basic knowledge with them always.

“I think it’s important for young people in general to have this knowledge. It’s easy to feel comfortable with the people you grew up with, but in a small area in particular, they need to know,” Angela said. “…Once it’s in their head, it will come back if they need it.”

She noted this program has been very well received by the students and faculty and they look forward to continuing it well into the future. In addition to helping start this program, clubwomen host fundraisers and help sponsor events to benefit AVRC.

GFWC Virginia 

GFWC Virginia clubwomen attended a Legislation Day event to learn more about the legislative process and advocacy.

Clubwomen from 32 different GFWC Virginia clubs participated in a successful Legislation Day in February as they learned more about the legislative and political process. GFWC Virginia State President Dale Fisher explained one of the goals of the event was to introduce clubwomen to legislators and to share information with these government officials about what GFWC does and how they are working to create positive change in their communities through volunteer service and advocacy.

During the Legislation Day event, guests gathered for a breakfast that featured the Honorable Winsome Earle-Sears, Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, as guest speaker. A veteran and businesswoman, Earle-Sears shares GFWC’s commitment to community service and has worked as a director of a women’s homeless shelter and led a men’s prison ministry. Following the breakfast and program, members had the chance to meet with their delegates and senators, and visited the House and Senate chambers.

Dale said the event was a good opportunity for clubwomen to begin to think about future legislative projects and volunteerism and how they can support GFWC’s Legislative Action Center.

“The ladies thoroughly enjoyed seeing the political process at work,” she said. “Overall, I think it sparked everybody’s enthusiasm.”

GFWC du Midi Woman’s Club 

Members of the GFWC du Midi Woman’s Club (Alabama) have dedicated many volunteer hours to helping people experiencing homelessness in their community by supporting First Stop, Inc. This nonprofit organization includes a day center that offers two hot meals a day, showers, laundry facilities, transportation services, and other basic and necessary hygiene and medical services to people in need. They also offer various outreach, enrichment, and case management support with the goal of helping people become independent. The club’s Health and Wellness Chairman Betty Zoller explained clubwomen work with First Stop, Inc., in many different ways.

One of these ways is by providing a large quarterly breakfast to clients of the organization. Betty said members spend many hours and several hundred dollars to prepare a meal for more than 50 people that includes healthy items such as egg casserole, sausage, fruit, biscuits, and much more.

“The clients get excited when we serve because we serve a wonderful meal,” she said.

In addition to offering a hot meal, Betty said members provide personal hygiene items, warm clothes, underwear, and blankets to the nonprofit when they can, as well as some monetary donations. She added a couple members also volunteer in the office of the day center.

For all of the clubwomen of GFWC du Midi Woman’s Club, offering people a helping hand and supporting them as they regain their independence is a rewarding experience.

“Helping First Stop is a joy for us,” Betty said. “…I have always had a heart for people experiencing homelessness. Some people have just had a hard time in life and you just want to help them any way you can.”

GFWC Gloucester County Women’s Club 

Taking care of the environment for future generations continues to be a goal for the members of the GFWC Gloucester County Women’s Club (New Jersey). Club President Mary Schneider explained that the clubwomen designed and began selling reusable tote bags when they learned of the plastic bag ban that will take effect in New Jersey in May 2022. This law will prohibit all retail stores, food service businesses, and other grocery stores from selling to or providing their customers with single-use plastic carryout bags. The sturdy tote bags can hold 15 to 20 pounds and feature the club’s name and a message about recycling and reducing waste to protect the Earth.

Mary said she is glad the club has been able to help provide their friends and neighbors with a sustainable solution to the plastic bag ban and hopes this new law will make a positive impact on the number of plastic bags in landfills and waterways.

“[The law] will keep things out of landfills. Plastic bags accumulate so fast,” she said. “We’re doing this so people have something to put their groceries in and we’re helping save the environment.”

The club recently donated a portion of the funds raised through their tote bag sales to the South Jersey Land and Water Trust. This nonprofit organization works to preserve land and water resources through education and stewardship.

“They are really on top of things with the environment,” Mary said.

GFWC Potpourri Club of Glenwood 

Members of the GFWC Potpourri Club of Glenwood (Minnesota) have been working hard to raise awareness about teen dating violence in their community. Club member Darlene Femrite explained clubwomen prepared nearly 400 envelopes with self-advocacy information and helpful resources that were then delivered to a local high school social worker, who then distributed them to junior and senior high schoolers.

The messages included helpful tips and advice related to various uncomfortable situations young people may find themselves in, such as creating a code word with friends when going out if they would like to make it clear they want to leave a situation discretely, to always trust their gut, and to remember they are never obligated to do anything. Darlene said the envelopes also included safe-life numbers that teens can call and text if they ever need to.

Darlene said the clubwomen wanted to participate in this project because it is important to raise awareness in both teens and adults about the dangers of teen dating violence to hopefully educate young people and prevent future incidences from happening.

“I think awareness is so important because teens are usually not taught this stuff directly,” she said. “If we are going to raise healthy children, they have to feel safe whether they are at home or out with their friends.”

GFWC Jubilee Woman’s Club 

The GFWC Jubilee Woman’s Club (Alabama) continued its longstanding commitment to honoring and supporting veterans by participating in a Wreaths Across America wreath laying ceremony in December. Club President Carol Cleveland said during the ceremony clubwomen placed 12 handmade wreaths at the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Spanish Fort, Alabama.

“We wanted to be a part of honoring these wonderful people who have done so much for us,” Carol said.

She explained the club has been involved with Wreaths Across America since about 2015, but members have worked with veterans through the Honor Flight Network and in other capacities since 2009.

Throughout the years, Carol said clubwomen have made no-sew blankets for veterans, hosted parties and special events, created handmade fidget pillows for veterans in the memory care unit of the William F. Green Veterans Home, and more.

With all of these projects, Carol explained the clubwomen aim to show their support and respect and even encourage younger generations to build and foster a connection with veterans as well.

“I think it’s so very important–and many in our club do too–for us to make a connection with these individuals,” she said.

GFWC Sisters of Service Woman’s Club, Inc. 

Members of GFWC Sisters of Service Woman’s Club, Inc. (Florida) have been hard at work organizing a program to teach at-risk youth between the ages of 7 and 10 in their community various basic life skills. These skills include dental and personal hygiene, laundry, cooking, budgeting, couponing, and grocery shopping.

Charter President Vanessa Moore explained this program was made possible due to a $20,000 grant the club was awarded through the Tallahassee-Leon Cares Group. She explained the club will be receiving the grant in increments throughout the next two years and will use those funds to purchase the supplies for the training, such as dental hygiene kits, cleaning and laundry supplies, grocery gift cards, and more. Vanessa said they also received a $250 Costco Gift Card and a $1,500 micro grant from Walmart to provide breakfast to the kids in the morning before the classes begin. The first training sessions will begin this month on Saturdays.

Vanessa explained the clubwomen are all excited about this program because they want to help children in the area learn these skills that they no longer learn in school and may not be learning at home.

“Now that schools don’t offer these types of programs, kids are struggling to become successful adults,” Vanessa said. “It’s our job to make sure younger generations don’t struggle. We want to empower them with this knowledge.”

Along with the clubwomen who are helping organize and make this program possible, Vanessa said they have received significant support from the community such as from the local charter school, which has offered the school to be used for the trainings, and from volunteers at local churches, who have agreed to help transport some of the children to and from the trainings. She said many local teachers, chefs, healthcare professionals, and others have agreed to assist with teaching the kids.

“We have a melting pot of volunteers from our club, our sister clubs, and other community professionals,” she said.

GFWC Rhode Island 

GFWC Rhode Island clubwomen collaborated with friends, family, and neighbors throughout their state to deliver more than 20 large bags full of clothes and shoes to the Rhode Island Veterans Home Community Living Center. This organization provides nursing and residential care to Rhode Island veterans, including medical and rehabilitation services.

Karen Leach, member of the GFWC Cranston Community Women’s Club, said in addition to her club all of the other Rhode Island clubs participated in this donation project, including the GFWC Bristol Community Women’s Club, GFWC Warwick Women’s Club, GFWC Women’s Club of South County, and the GFWC Wampanoag Woman’s Club.

Along with the clubwomen who helped out, they received support or monetary donations for the project from several community organizations, such as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, Bank Newport, and Fisher Bus.

Karen explained the veteran’s center provided them with a wish list that included items such as pajamas, blankets, medical underwear, socks, and shoes, and people from across the state rallied to deliver everything on the list.

“This was a very large project for a fairly small state membership,” she said. “It was really a community effort.”

Karen said many of the men and women at the living center do not have close family members who can provide them with these essentials, and it is important to the clubwomen to help them maintain their dignity through having access to new, comfortable clothing.

“Rhode Island has always been small, but generous,” she said.

Ladies Tourist Club 

The Ladies Tourist Club (Minnesota), continues to support the American Red Cross by helping to organize and volunteer at blood drives every year. Club President Judy Loewe said even when COVID-19 restrictions caused various shutdowns throughout the country, the clubwomen did what they could to help.

“There’s always a need for blood,” Judy said. “We are here to help Red Cross get the blood to the people who need it.”

Judy explained the Ladies Tourist Club and a nearby church, Altona Hutterite Brethren, Inc., worked together to coordinate and assist at 12 blood drives in the past two years in Henderson, Minnesota.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Judy said there was a learning curve to understand how to keep everyone safe while they donated or volunteered. Safety protocols were put into place such as wearing face masks, taking everyone’s temperature, sanitizing hands regularly, maintaining distance, wiping down surfaces frequently, and keeping sandwiches and cookies in individual bags. These safety procedures remain in place in various ways in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus.

With a history of supporting the American Red Cross since 1979, Judy said she hopes the club and the community will continue to see the importance of donating blood to benefit those in need for years to come.

GFWC Women’s Civic League, Inc. 

Members of the GFWC Women’s Civic League, Inc. (Utah) wrapped and donated gifts to residents and clients of North Eastern Services, an organization that offers support to adults living with disabilities by providing opportunities to achieve independence, improve self-esteem, and live a full life.

Club member Linda Kuwana said the club was able to donate gifts to 17 adults in five different group homes by raising money through their annual poinsettia sale. Items donated included clothing, games, bedding, arts and crafts materials, board games, and holiday treats.

Linda said the members wanted to participate in this project to help an often forgotten group of individuals.

“Once people age out of a lot of services at 18, they do not always have other places to get support. North Eastern Services does a lot to help people with daily activities, taking care of themselves, helping vocationally, and they help them feel like they can be part of the community and have self-worth.”

This is the third year the club has donated to the organization, and Linda said they will likely continue to offer their support annually.

GFWC DeQuincy Study Club 

The GFWC DeQuincy Study Club (Louisiana) spent a warm day in December distributing children’s books, hundreds of canisters of disinfectant wipes, face masks, face shields, and disinfecting lotion to attendees of the local Farmer’s Market.

Club President Jolene Constance explained the club was able to distribute many of these items because of a partnership with Global Citizen USA, a nonprofit organization that provides emergency relief services to communities affected by disasters. They started working with this charitable organization after Hurricane Laura hit Louisiana in August 2020, and have since received four different donations of various necessities and supplies from Global Citizen USA that the clubwomen have then worked to provide to their friends, family, and neighbors. These donations have included auto supplies for the area fire department, face masks, personal protective equipment for the hospital, and canisters of disinfectant wipes.

“These global organizations are willing to help give our small rural communities hope,” Jolene said. “…It has given us the arm to reach out to our citizens. They provide us with the goods and we do the work to get it out there.”

Jolene said clubwomen purchased the children’s books to give out to families along with the other supplies at the Farmer’s Market. As the community recovers from the hurricane and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Jolene said it is important to members that children have access to fun and educational materials.

“We want to help children enjoy their everyday life,” she said.

GFWC Decora Study Club 

Members of the GFWC Decora Study Club (Texas) donated 45 pounds of peanut butter and $80 to the South Texas Food Bank, an organization which collects and redistributes food and food-related items to nonprofit agencies within a 10-county area that have programs to help provide food to people in need.

Mary Ann Wright, federation counselor for the club, said this project was part of the club’s annual President’s Choice Christmas Project, and members were excited to be able to participate.

“We have so many people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity in our community who need food and this organization covers so many counties,” Mary Ann said.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, she said members have seen an increase in the amount of people who need additional food and resources, and without adequate access to these necessities, other areas of their lives have been impacted.

“If you’re hungry, you’re not motivated to do much else. Your hunger has to be satisfied–it’s one of our basic needs,” Mary Ann said. “In order to get more stability in your life, either through work or by going to school, you have to be able to satisfy these basic needs first.”

Mary Ann explained the GFWC Decora Study Club has worked with the South Texas Food Bank in the past, and they will likely do so again in the future due to its wide-reaching and important impact.

GFWC Las Noches Woman’s Club 

The GFWC Las Noches Woman’s Club (Arizona) donated 30 wreaths to Wreaths Across America and participated in the Laying of the Wreaths at Valley of the Sun Veterans Cemetery in Chandler, Arizona, on December 18. Celene Post, Civic Engagement and Outreach Community Service Program Chairman, said as someone who has several family members who have served or are currently serving in the military, participating in this project was very important to her.

“Wreaths Across America is near and dear to me,” she said. “I think we should do whatever we can do to remember veterans.”

Celene explained the club has been contributing to this organization for the past several years, but this was their first opportunity to attend a Laying of the Wreaths ceremony. This was the most wreaths that the club has been able to provide so far. She said six clubwomen and three booster members attended the event.

The members of the GFWC Las Noches Woman’s Club wanted to participate in the ceremony because they feel it is important to recognize the sacrifice these men and women have made for the United States, Celene said.

She added the ceremony can be a great learning opportunity for children and families in attendance.

GFWC West Side 

Members of GFWC West Side (Pennsylvania) collected 485 new and gently used books during their “Nourishing Bodies and Minds” book drive. These books were distributed to kids through the Dinners for Kids program in December. This program was founded in 2011 by the owners of Ollie’s restaurant, in Edwardsville, Pennsylvania, with the goal of fighting childhood hunger with healthy meals.

Deidre Kaminski, Education and Libraries Community Service Program Chairman, said the clubwomen wanted to support Dinners for Kids and provide the children with books because both proper nutrition and access to books are vital to a child’s education.

“There are a lot of at-risk children who fall under the cracks,” she said. “I don’t want kids to be hungry and reading is so important.”

In addition to donating books to the program, clubwomen raised money through a community Christmas tree decorating contest hosted at the local Grotto Pizza.

Deidre said members made book and healthy food inspired ornaments to fit their “Nourishing Bodies and Minds” theme, which they used to decorate their Christmas tree.

GFWC West Side’s tree came in fourth place out of 28 trees in the Parade of Trees contest and raised $3,401 through public voting and member contributions. All of the proceeds went to the Dinners for Kids program.

GFWC Woman’s Citizenship Club of Alamosa 

When members of the GFWC Woman’s Citizenship Club of Alamosa (Colorado) learned the Boys & Girls Club in Alamosa, Colorado, did not have a flagpole, they asked the members of the American Legion, Dickey-Springer Post 113, to help. After talking to the director of the Boys & Girls Club, the Woman’s Citizenship Club of Alamosa purchased a flagpole and the American Legion prepared the site and set the pole.

On Friday, December 17, the new flagpole, with the United States flag and the POW/MIA flag, was dedicated with a ceremony held at the Boys & Girls Club. The opening ceremony began with the introduction of the mayor, city council members, and county commissioners. A welcome and opening statement was made by the director of the Boys & Girls Club, as well as Club President Helen Taylor, who commented that, “this was a true collaborative effort between the club members, American Legion, and the Boys & Girls Club.”

The commander of the American Legion led the dedication ceremony and shared some of his thoughts on patriotism. Several Legion members shared what the flag means to them and the importance of honoring the flag. With the help of two young girls, a demonstration on how to fold the flag was given. Then they were asked to help place the flags on the pole and the legionnaires raised the pole to the sound of To the Colors by bugler. The Legion Commander led those in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance.

GFWC Colorado Membership Chairman Theresa Rudder said the clubwomen felt it was important to not only donate a flagpole, but to help host this ceremony for children so that they could learn about the important of patriotism and flag etiquette.

“Men and women have given their lives for the freedom we have and the flag represents that freedom,” Theresa said.

After the ceremony was concluded, everyone in attendance was invited inside for cookies and hot chocolate, prepared by members of the GFWC Woman’s Citizenship Club of Alamosa.

Palos Heights Woman’s Club 

The Palos Heights Woman’s Club (Illinois) recently hosted two events to help support their local community and people in need.

Parliamentarian Celeste Kappel said their first event was a “Thankful Thursday” get together. Celeste explained for the past four years the club has been hosting this event as a way to help the area food pantry. To participate, clubwomen shop for and bring at least $10 worth of food items to be donated. This year, Celeste said the food pantry requested more paper products, so along with non-perishable food, members also donated various paper goods.

In total, the club collected more than $1,000 worth of groceries and paper goods to donate.

Celeste said the clubwomen always enjoy being able to give back to the food pantry, and they also frequently volunteer their time there on Tuesdays and Thursdays to help in any way they can.

“We want to help people who, especially at this time, are in need of food, diapers, and paper goods,” she said.

The second event the Palos Heights Woman’s Club hosted was a “Christmas Enchantment” luncheon to raise money for various local charities.

Celeste explained among the many organizations they support, they frequently give the funds from this event to local schools, the food pantry, a teen center, and more.

“We are very fortunate that our members are so generous,” she said.

GFWC Ohio Junior Cyberlinks Club 

On Saturday, December 11, members of GFWC Ohio Junior Cyberlinks Club (Ohio), in partnership with the Art Outreach Gallery, presented a Gingerbread House Workshop for area children at an area mall. Club Advisor Esther Gartland said members received a grant from two local businesses that enabled them to donate gingerbread house kits for the local children, some of whom were from military families. She added the club has offered this event in conjunction with the Art Outreach Gallery for the past several years.

During the workshop, members helped instruct the children with hands-on involvement while maintaining various COVID-19 safety protocols.

Esther said the participants were provided with additional candies and decorative edibles to add to their wonderful creations and that many parents, grandparents, and/or guardians stayed to observe or participate in the holiday event.

“Getting the kids’ creative juices flowing in a hands-on way is an important opportunity,” she said. “…It was a real tactile experience for them to work with the frosting and gingerbread pieces. This was a nice way for them to express their creative side.”

The children were all able to take their creations home to enjoy throughout the holidays, and each participant also received an individually wrapped holiday cookie and beverage.

GFWC Women’s Club of Farmingdale 

The GFWC Women’s Club of Farmingdale (New York) continued its annual tradition to put a smile on the faces of children during the holiday season. Welfare Chairman Rosemary Emigholz and club members Tina Diamond, Anna Ievolo, Vicky Impollonia, Maria Ortolani, Cheryl Parisi, and Lorraine Stanton donated and delivered 39 tote bags filled with stuffed animals, blankets, books, and assorted toys and toiletries to Madonna Heights, a 24-hour care facility that addresses the physical, emotional, and social needs unique to women and girls.

Publicity Chairman Maria Ortolani said the club has been working with this facility since 2012 in a variety of ways, including donating handbags filled with toiletries to women at the center for Mother’s Day and participating in this Christmas donation program for the children in December.

For the Christmas donation program, Maria said clubwomen will donate at least a blanket, stuffed animal, and a book, and may provide other items if they choose.

“The children are always in transition, so it’s nice for them to have these three items with them wherever they go and help them feel safe,” she said.

Maria added the members are always excited to participate in this project and give back to the mothers and children at the facility.

“This has been very rewarding for the members to know the impact this project makes,” she said. “…It gives the mothers support that they need during a very challenging time in their lives.”

This year, Club President Tina Diamond also donated several boxes and plastic bags filled with dozens of insulated lunch bags and stuffed animals from a very generous “Santa” friend.

GFWC West Side

Members of GFWC West Side (Pennsylvania) donated gifts to children living with their mothers at the Catherine McAuley Center.

GFWC West Side (Pennsylvania) made this Giving Tuesday special for four families living at the Catherine McAuley Center in Plymouth, Pennsylvania. Under the direction of Marie Warren, GFWC West Side’s Civic Engagement and Outreach Community Service Program Chairman, 29 club members donated more than 100 gifts to go to the children of families at the center. The gifts had a total value of more than $2,000.

The Catherine McAuley Center provides temporary shelter for women with children in crisis and offers individualized services to help them secure and maintain safe and affordable housing. Marie said this was the second year they participated in the gift giving program.

Last year, due to COVID-19, members received an email with gifts to purchase for the four families the club “adopted” for the holiday season.

This year, members could choose tags with gift ideas off a Christmas tree set up at their meeting in October.

“The response was overwhelming,” Marie said. “Everyone was just so generous.”

Marie explained that as someone who once went through a time in her life where she couldn’t purchase holiday gifts for her children, she was thrilled to see the club participating in this project and helping mothers make their kids happy on Christmas.

“At this time of year, you just want children to have a good Christmas. It’s really important that we help out,” she said.

GFWC New Jersey

Clubwomen throughout New Jersey spent their day of service making cards for children staying at Covenant House New Jersey.

Members of the GFWC Millville Woman’s Club (New Jersey) hosted fellow clubwomen throughout the Southern District of New Jersey at their clubhouse for a day of service on November 13. Diann Ewan, President of the GFWC Millville Woman’s Club, said this year’s event benefited Covenant House New Jersey, an organization which provides residential care and other services to youth who have experienced abuse, neglect, abandonment, homelessness, and human trafficking.

Diann said participating members from several clubs donated more than $900 in gift cards, created 84 handmade cards, and made two tied fleece blankets to go to the children at Covenant House New Jersey.

“We wanted to make sure we supported them as much as possible,” she said. “… It was really wonderful to see everyone come together and work on this project.”

Diann said clubwomen throughout New Jersey chose to participate in this day of service to help Covenant House New Jersey because they do not just provide immediate relief, but the services they offer help people experiencing homelessness and poverty break these cycles and build new lives for themselves.

“We wanted to do things that would help the local youth as much as we can. There is a lot of need in the area,” she said.

She added doing small things like making cards for someone can have a bigger impact than one might realize.

“This shows them someone really cares about them – that is what this is about,” Diann said.