WGC Emergency Response Network
assist
What?
These requests - and more - are funded by women coming together as part of the WGC’s Emergency Response Network (ERN).
The ERN began over 19 years ago in response to the desire of many women to provide direct help to other women in need, women identified by trusted nonprofit partner agencies serving women and girls in Howard County.
Started under the visionary leadership of former WGC Advisory Board members Arlene Sheff and Kim Flyr, the mother-daughter team helped to build the ERN so that it has now assisted over 150 women and their families, and organizations that have benefited from over $150,000 from members who have responded to a call to action through WGC’s ERN.
So What?
And the impact is real.
In partnership with organizations including Bridges to Housing Stability, Community Action Council, Columbia Community Care, Girls on the Run, Grassroots, Hopeworks, Howard County Autism Society, HCC Educational Foundation, Howard Hospital Foundation, and Luminus. WGC Members have come together to help fund childcare costs, rent, medical bills, car repairs, legal fees, respite support, food, shelter, and safety.
A woman fleeing an abusive relationship with her two children was able to quickly rent her own apartment, saying, “I moved into my place and my children are the happiest we’ve ever been. Thank you again and I hope to be in a position where I can help someone else just as myself in the near future!”
And that’s the key: these requests are emergencies.
They are from women and girls in immediate need of assistance, those without safety nets who simply need a helping hand to make it through a difficult situation to go on to thrive and succeed.
During the pandemic, the ERN strategically responded to ever-growing needs within our community and has been assisting the organizations themselves as well as individual women with ERN requests that surpass the typical $1,000 request. One example is the partnership with Columbia Community Care (CCC):
Since March 2020, the WGC has provided critical and timely support to CCC through ERN, with WGC members generously funding pantry supplies for sites throughout Columbia.
Now What?
We have 19 years of inspiring stories of women helping other women, of women standing together as allies to face and overcome difficulties together.
Will you join us? Anyone who gives any amount to the WGC is a member.
It’s easy to become part of the ERN:
When the WGC receives a request from one of our vetted nonprofit partners, we’ll make an announcement via email and social media outlining the need and the amount. Once we receive the amount via online donations from members, the request closes and the gathered funds are sent directly to our nonprofit partner.
I would send out that email for help for another woman and I just remember the feeling of those emails coming back at me - just all these women who I didn't know instantly writing to me and saying yes yes yes yes, I'll help! There were many days that I felt like that Response Network reaffirmed my faith - I used to say in womanity - because it wasn't really in humanity, it was in women.” - Kim Flyr
It’s that simple.
And that meaningful.
And that powerful.
For 20 years, the WGC has dedicated itself to leveraging our collective dollars, to amplifying the power of collective giving, to building a community of philanthropists and creating a permanent legacy to address the needs of women and girls in Howard County.
Will you join us? www.womensgivingcircle.org
Be a part of our story.
#WGC20Years
#WGC20Years20Stories
assist
What?
- A young mother desperately needs reliable transportation to keep her job.
- An older woman living on her own is faced with eviction.
- A mom desperate to leave an abusive marriage needs first and last month’s rent.
These requests - and more - are funded by women coming together as part of the WGC’s Emergency Response Network (ERN).
The ERN began over 19 years ago in response to the desire of many women to provide direct help to other women in need, women identified by trusted nonprofit partner agencies serving women and girls in Howard County.
Started under the visionary leadership of former WGC Advisory Board members Arlene Sheff and Kim Flyr, the mother-daughter team helped to build the ERN so that it has now assisted over 150 women and their families, and organizations that have benefited from over $150,000 from members who have responded to a call to action through WGC’s ERN.
- “It started in 2003 with me going to all the nonprofit agencies in the county and meeting with them and getting wishlists. We started getting requests from individual women, from school counselors, just from people in the community who had heard of women in need. And it needed to be a woman who needed a one-time amount of money: she had had some immediate crisis but she would be able to get back on her feet.” - Arlene Sheff
So What?
And the impact is real.
In partnership with organizations including Bridges to Housing Stability, Community Action Council, Columbia Community Care, Girls on the Run, Grassroots, Hopeworks, Howard County Autism Society, HCC Educational Foundation, Howard Hospital Foundation, and Luminus. WGC Members have come together to help fund childcare costs, rent, medical bills, car repairs, legal fees, respite support, food, shelter, and safety.
- “The WGC’s Emergency Response Network expands philanthropic opportunities for WGC donors and increases awareness of unmet needs among women and girls in Howard County. The partnership between the WGC, our members, and our nonprofit partners is an easy and innovative way to have an immediate impact in the lives of women in our community.” - Barb Van Winkle
A woman fleeing an abusive relationship with her two children was able to quickly rent her own apartment, saying, “I moved into my place and my children are the happiest we’ve ever been. Thank you again and I hope to be in a position where I can help someone else just as myself in the near future!”
And that’s the key: these requests are emergencies.
They are from women and girls in immediate need of assistance, those without safety nets who simply need a helping hand to make it through a difficult situation to go on to thrive and succeed.
During the pandemic, the ERN strategically responded to ever-growing needs within our community and has been assisting the organizations themselves as well as individual women with ERN requests that surpass the typical $1,000 request. One example is the partnership with Columbia Community Care (CCC):
- “I created CCC because I saw that many of my students and their families who were already facing hardships were concerned about how they were going to make ends meet, provide food for their families, and survive through the pandemic.” - Erika Strauss Chavarria
Since March 2020, the WGC has provided critical and timely support to CCC through ERN, with WGC members generously funding pantry supplies for sites throughout Columbia.
Now What?
We have 19 years of inspiring stories of women helping other women, of women standing together as allies to face and overcome difficulties together.
Will you join us? Anyone who gives any amount to the WGC is a member.
It’s easy to become part of the ERN:
- Join our mailing list to participate in the WGC’s ERN
- Follow the WGC on social media to learn of WGC ERN announcements
- Contact us with questions: [email protected]
When the WGC receives a request from one of our vetted nonprofit partners, we’ll make an announcement via email and social media outlining the need and the amount. Once we receive the amount via online donations from members, the request closes and the gathered funds are sent directly to our nonprofit partner.
I would send out that email for help for another woman and I just remember the feeling of those emails coming back at me - just all these women who I didn't know instantly writing to me and saying yes yes yes yes, I'll help! There were many days that I felt like that Response Network reaffirmed my faith - I used to say in womanity - because it wasn't really in humanity, it was in women.” - Kim Flyr
It’s that simple.
And that meaningful.
And that powerful.
- “The possibility and opportunity for real social change can only be realized with the power that comes from authentic partnerships and collaboration among organizations like WGC and CCC. This power for change is even stronger with women leading the charge and leveraging our collective dollars for greater impact.” - Erika Strauss Chavarria
For 20 years, the WGC has dedicated itself to leveraging our collective dollars, to amplifying the power of collective giving, to building a community of philanthropists and creating a permanent legacy to address the needs of women and girls in Howard County.
Will you join us? www.womensgivingcircle.org
Be a part of our story.
#WGC20Years
#WGC20Years20Stories
