 This week is Period Poverty Week, and we are here to tell you that Period Poverty is real.
Did you know that 29% of girls miss school due to lack of supplies needed, 39% cannot provide period products for themselves, and some are forced to use towels and plastic instead of proper supplies? It's true. The reality is, half of the population menstruates. To help alleviate Period Poverty, the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County hosts an ongoing WGC Feminine Hygiene Product Drive, where we are bringing in needed supplies for women and girls in Howard County. And, we have wonderful student interns who are supporting our efforts because they feel strongly that no fellow student should have to miss school, work, or daily life activities because they are unable to afford the basic necessities they require. During Period Poverty Week we are honored to profile our student intern Zahra Johnson who is helping to lead the charge - here's what she had to say about being a part of the Women's Giving Circle: We are so excited you are working with the WGC this year! Tell us a little about yourself.
What interested you in specifically working on the WGC's Feminine Hygiene Product Drive?
What is the most interesting thing you've learned so far about women's philanthropy and giving to programs that benefit women and girls?
We are so fortunate to have Jess investing her volunteer time, energy, ideas, and wisdom as a WGC Student Intern focusing on our Feminine Hygiene Product Drive - thank you Zahra! "The WGC has chosen to continue our focus on this important issue because it's a need that is easily and often overlooked" said Paula Seabright, WGC's Feminine Hygiene Product Drive Chair. "It's time to break the cycle of period poverty and along with our incredible student interns, we invite our community to join with us." Learn more about getting involved in the WGC's Feminine Hygiene Product Drive here
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 This week is Period Poverty Week, and we are here to tell you that Period Poverty is real.
Did you know that 29% of girls miss school due to lack of supplies needed, 39% cannot provide period products for themselves, and some are forced to use towels and plastic instead of proper supplies? It's true. The reality is, half of the population menstruates. To help alleviate Period Poverty, the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County hosts an ongoing WGC Feminine Hygiene Product Drive, where we are bringing in needed supplies for women and girls in Howard County. And, we have wonderful student interns who are supporting our efforts because they feel strongly that no fellow student should have to miss school, work, or daily life activities because they are unable to afford the basic necessities they require. During Period Poverty Week we are honored to profile our student intern Cami Schwartz who is helping to lead the charge - here's what she had to say about being a part of the Women's Giving Circle: We are so excited you are working with the WGC this year! Tell us a little about yourself.
What interested you in specifically working on the WGC's Feminine Hygiene Product Drive?
What is the most interesting thing you've learned so far about women's philanthropy and giving to programs that benefit women and girls?
We are so fortunate to have Jess investing her volunteer time, energy, ideas, and wisdom as a WGC Student Intern focusing on our Feminine Hygiene Product Drive - thank you Cami! "The WGC has chosen to continue our focus on this important issue because it's a need that is easily and often overlooked" said Paula Seabright, WGC's Feminine Hygiene Product Drive Chair. "It's time to break the cycle of period poverty and along with our incredible student interns, we invite our community to join with us." Learn more about getting involved in the WGC's Feminine Hygiene Product Drive here  This week is Period Poverty Week, and we are here to tell you that Period Poverty is real.
Did you know that 29% of girls miss school due to lack of supplies needed, 39% cannot provide period products for themselves, and some are forced to use towels and plastic instead of proper supplies? It's true. The reality is, half of the population menstruates. To help alleviate Period Poverty, the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County hosts an ongoing WGC Feminine Hygiene Product Drive, where we are bringing in needed supplies for women and girls in Howard County. And, we have wonderful student interns who are supporting our efforts because they feel strongly that no fellow student should have to miss school, work, or daily life activities because they are unable to afford the basic necessities they require. During Period Poverty Week we are honored to profile our student intern Isabella Farro who is helping to lead the charge - here's what she had to say about being a part of the Women's Giving Circle: We are so excited you are working with the WGC this year! Tell us a little about yourself.
What interested you in specifically working on the WGC's Feminine Hygiene Product Drive?
What is the most interesting thing you've learned so far about women's philanthropy and giving to programs that benefit women and girls?
We are so fortunate to have Jess investing her volunteer time, energy, ideas, and wisdom as a WGC Student Intern focusing on our Feminine Hygiene Product Drive - thank you Isabella! "The WGC has chosen to continue our focus on this important issue because it's a need that is easily and often overlooked" said Paula Seabright, WGC's Feminine Hygiene Product Drive Chair. "It's time to break the cycle of period poverty and along with our incredible student interns, we invite our community to join with us." Learn more about getting involved in the WGC's Feminine Hygiene Product Drive here  This week is Period Poverty Week, and we are here to tell you that Period Poverty is real.
Did you know that 29% of girls miss school due to lack of supplies needed, 39% cannot provide period products for themselves, and some are forced to use towels and plastic instead of proper supplies? It's true. The reality is, half of the population menstruates. To help alleviate Period Poverty, the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County hosts an ongoing WGC Feminine Hygiene Product Drive, where we are bringing in needed supplies for women and girls in Howard County. And, we have wonderful student interns who are supporting our efforts because they feel strongly that no fellow student should have to miss school, work, or daily life activities because they are unable to afford the basic necessities they require. During Period Poverty Week we are honored to profile our student intern Megan Pardoe who is helping to lead the charge - here's what she had to say about being a part of the Women's Giving Circle: We are so excited you are working with the WGC this year! Tell us a little about yourself.
What interested you in specifically working on the WGC's Feminine Hygiene Product Drive?
What is the most interesting thing you've learned so far about women's philanthropy and giving to programs that benefit women and girls?
We are so fortunate to have Jess investing her volunteer time, energy, ideas, and wisdom as a WGC Student Intern focusing on our Feminine Hygiene Product Drive - thank you Megan! "The WGC has chosen to continue our focus on this important issue because it's a need that is easily and often overlooked" said Paula Seabright, WGC's Feminine Hygiene Product Drive Chair. "It's time to break the cycle of period poverty and along with our incredible student interns, we invite our community to join with us." Learn more about getting involved in the WGC's Feminine Hygiene Product Drive here  This week is Period Poverty Week, and we are here to tell you that Period Poverty is real.
Did you know that 29% of girls miss school due to lack of supplies needed, 39% cannot provide period products for themselves, and some are forced to use towels and plastic instead of proper supplies? It's true. The reality is, half of the population menstruates. To help alleviate Period Poverty, the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County hosts an ongoing WGC Feminine Hygiene Product Drive, where we are bringing in needed supplies for women and girls in Howard County. And, we have wonderful student interns who are supporting our efforts because they feel strongly that no fellow student should have to miss school, work, or daily life activities because they are unable to afford the basic necessities they require. During Period Poverty Week we are honored to profile our student intern Jessica Ndiritu who is helping to lead the charge - here's what she had to say about being a part of the Women's Giving Circle: We are so excited you are working with the WGC this year! Tell us a little about yourself.
What interested you in specifically working on the WGC's Feminine Hygiene Product Drive?
What is the most interesting thing you've learned so far about women's philanthropy and giving to programs that benefit women and girls?
We are so fortunate to have Jess investing her volunteer time, energy, ideas, and wisdom as a WGC Student Intern focusing on our Feminine Hygiene Product Drive - thank you Jessica! "The WGC has chosen to continue our focus on this important issue because it's a need that is easily and often overlooked" said Paula Seabright, WGC's Feminine Hygiene Product Drive Chair. "It's time to break the cycle of period poverty and along with our incredible student interns, we invite our community to join with us." Learn more about getting involved in the WGC's Feminine Hygiene Product Drive here 3 Questions With ... Philanthropist Lee Draminski, in Honor of Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month5/24/2024  The Women's Giving Circle is proud to amplify the voices and stories of women givers in our community through our regular series "Our Giving, Our Stories".
This month we are profiling Lee Draminski in honor of Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month. What advice do you have for those interested in giving back? "I would strongly encourage you to find a cause or organization that speaks to you. There is no shortage of opportunities to get involved. Grab your children, a friend or colleague and simply just dive in. Find the best fit for you, grasp what and where exactly the needs are that align with your personal interests. Skill-based volunteering is such an incredible way to contribute your talents to an organization. Group volunteering can be super fun and highly productive." Read Lee's full profile here In addition to serving on the WGC Advisory Board, Lee said that her company, Vectorworks, provides 40 hours annually of VTO (Volunteer Time Off). Fan favorites for Vectorworks employees to volunteer with include: Paul's Place, Meals On Wheels, and the Maryland Food Bank Learn more about the WGC's "Our Giving, Our Stories" and nominate a woman today! We are always accepting the names of women throughout the year who may be profiled for their inspiring philanthropic leadership.  WGC Immediate Past Chair Barb Van Winkle was honored to attend the Conexiones Excellence Award Ceremony on May 22, 2024 at the Central Branch Library and support the award winners for the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County Leadership Award. "I was honored to represent the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County at the Conexiones Excellence Award Ceremony!" said Barb Van Winkle. "We are proud of our partnership with Conexiones and incredibly proud of the amazing young women receiving support for their talent and community service." The awards were given to Amanda Mejia Benitez (Mt. Hebron High School) and Natalie Thomas (Long Reach High School), both who demonstrated through their applications a history of community service and strong academic achievement. "We are grateful for the funding the Women's Giving Circle has generously provided, and make these awards possible to help Hispanic youth advance their educational careers" said Haydee Herrera, Conexiones Board Member. "The award ceremony is our way of coming together to celebrate the students and thank you, the HCPSS staff, and the community members who have helped us make these awards possible."  This week is Period Poverty Week, and we are here to tell you that Period Poverty is real.
Did you know that 29% of girls miss school due to lack of supplies needed, 39% cannot provide period products for themselves, and some are forced to use towels and plastic instead of proper supplies? It's true. The reality is, half of the population menstruates. To help alleviate Period Poverty, the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County hosts an ongoing WGC Feminine Hygiene Product Drive, where we are bringing in needed supplies for women and girls in Howard County. And, we have wonderful student interns who are supporting our efforts because they feel strongly that no fellow student should have to miss school, work, or daily life activities because they are unable to afford the basic necessities they require. During Period Poverty Week we are honored to profile our student intern Morgan George who is helping to lead the charge - here's what she had to say about being a part of the Women's Giving Circle: We are so excited you are working with the WGC this year! Tell us a little about yourself.
What interested you in specifically working on the WGC's Feminine Hygiene Product Drive?
What is the most interesting thing you've learned so far about women's philanthropy and giving to programs that benefit women and girls?
We are so fortunate to have Morgan investing her volunteer time, energy, ideas, and wisdom as a WGC Student Intern focusing on our Feminine Hygiene Product Drive - thank you Morgan! "The WGC has chosen to continue our focus on this important issue because it's a need that is easily and often overlooked" said Paula Seabright, WGC's Feminine Hygiene Product Drive Chair. "It's time to break the cycle of period poverty and along with our incredible student interns, we invite our community to join with us." Learn more about getting involved in the WGC's Feminine Hygiene Product Drive here  Period Poverty Awareness Week, May 20 - 28, 2024 was created to draw attention to the issue of period poverty and the negative impact it has on people who menstruate, and the WGC is proud to be participating. What is Period Poverty? Half of the population menstruates. We all know plenty of people that have a period. But not everyone knows that two in five people struggle to purchase period supplies due to lack of income. This is called period poverty, and chances are we each know someone who has experienced this need – a neighbor, a co-worker, a friend. For many individuals, a period is a setback. It’s something that dictates where they can go, what they can do, and how they’re perceived. For 1 in 3 low-income women, this means missing work, school, and outings because of a lack of period supplies. No student should have to miss school, no adult should have to miss work, and no person should have to miss out on daily life because they are unable to afford the basic necessities they require. The Women's Giving Circle of Howard County hosts an ongoing WGC Feminine Hygiene Product Drive, where we are bringing in needed supplies for women and girls in Howard County. Our community is invited to support this effort in three ways:
"The WGC has chosen to continue our focus on this important issue because it's a need that is easily and often overlooked" said Paula Seabright, WGC's Feminine Hygiene Product Drive Chair. "It's time to break the cycle of period poverty and we invite our community to join with us." You can learn more about getting involved in our efforts here This week, we are profiling our amazing student interns, who represent the Women's Giving Circle in discussing this important issue and are supporting our ongoing collection efforts.  What a night at the WGC's Big Give 2024! The WGC's Big Give 2024 was a fun, meaningful, fast-paced giving circle learning, connecting, and giving experience, where 53 women collectively gave $20,000 together to three nonprofit partners: Columbia Housing Center, Grassroots, and Tuerk House.
The WGC's Big Give 2024 is designed for women who want to learn more about grantmaking to women and girls in our community in a fast-paced, hands-on giving experience. Read about the WGC's Big Give 2024 Kick Off meeting on May 10, 2024. When asked to describe in one word how WGC Big Give donors felt awarding these grants, here's what they said: "Grateful", "Optimistic", "Determined", "Amazing", "Open-Minded", "Philanthropic", "Inspired", "Fulfilled", "Excited", "Connected", "Hopeful", "Proud", "Curious", "Happy", "Energized", "Positive", "Elevated", "Wonderful", "Dynamic", "Elated", "Psyched", "Bright", "Mindful", "Inclusive", "Powerful", and "United"! This, is the power of a giving circle. 53 women + $20,000 + 3 nonprofit partners = 1 WGC Big Give community! You can learn more about the WGC's Big Give 2024 here and view photos below! Interested in participating? Sign up for the WGC's Big Give 2025 here! The Community Foundation of Howard County Spring Party is always one of our favorite events of the year - and this year the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County took over the bar for an hour. Nothing better than having fun for a good cause! We love our community!
Wow, what a night to kick off the WGC's Big Give 2024 at Vectorworks! The WGC's Big Give 2024 is designed for women who want to learn more about grantmaking to women and girls in our community in a fast-paced, hands-on giving experience. The WGC Big Give 2024 has 53 women who have pooled $20,000 individually and as teams who will collectively grant this $20,000 to three nonprofits that support women and girls of Howard County. WGC Big Give 2024 members will meet again next week to hear from this year's 3 finalists and determine grant awards - stay tuned! "We firmly believe that women’s philanthropy is shaping the future for women and girls through the power of collective giving" said Melissa Curtin, WGC Big Give Chair. "WGC's The Big Give is empowering women to support other women in our community now, and in the future." You can learn more about the WGC's Big Give 2024 here and view photos below! The WGC was honored to sponsor “Listen to Your Mother - Howard County” on May 11. From hilarious and heartwarming to emotionally intense and profound, we heard 10 diverse true stories about motherhood from 10 inspiring women, including some WGC leaders! We collected products to support WGC’s Feminine Hygiene Product Drive and, our participation supported our partners at JustLiving Advocacy. Congratulations to all involved for bringing “Listen to Your Mother” to our community. 12 BIG ideas for social change in Howard County | 6 that were funded with $100k | ALL that are winners  Changemaker (n) – One who desires change in the world and, by gathering knowledge and resources, makes that change happen. On May 7, The Horizon Foundation, United Way of Central Maryland, Women’s Giving Circle, and Community Foundation of Howard County hosted The Changemaker Challenge - a social innovation competition to highlight and award ideas in Howard County, and we are all feeling energized and inspired by our Changemaker Challenge 2024 finalists! The Changemaker Challenge aims to spark social innovation to address challenges facing our community and we invested $100K to support 6 big ideas for social change in Howard County! Here are the 2024 Changemaker Challenge Winners:
Here are the Changemaker Challenge 2024 Finalists:
"We are proud and honored to have worked with all of these amazing social entrepreneurs this year" said WGC Chair Jennifer Bodensiek." And in particular, we are excited to have the $10K WGC Award go to Ballet After Dark that is launching "Periodt!" to fight period poverty, something that is very important to the WGC." Changemaker is looking for big ideas for social change in Howard County. We have partnered on the Changemaker Challenge because despite all the strengths of our community in Howard County, we recognize that many pressing problems continue to persist. Fortunately, Howard County has a long history of tireless work by many individuals and organizations that have brought creative solutions to some of these pressing problems. This idea started in Howard County, and was so successful that our partners at United Way have now replicated Changemaker throughout Central Maryland - talk about innovation! "Our philanthropic community as partnered on the Changemaker Challenge since 2017 and we are proud of our growing, collaborative efforts to invest in social innovation and change in our community" said WGC Executive Director Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz. "4 Changemaker Challenges, 125+ applicants, 40+ finalists, 17 Changemakers, and $250K in awards to date - that's social innovation!" We look forward to our next Changemaker Challenge - stay tuned! We had a wonderful Women's Giving Circle of Howard County Mother’s Day Happy Hour tonight at Bra-La-La. We highlighted how women can engage in the WGC, and in particular, our WGC Feminine Hygiene Product Drive. Thank you to all who joined us and many thanks to Mary Jordan & Bra-La-La for hosting us. Period Poverty is real. Learn more and support the drive here.  EIGHTH ANNUAL BOOKS IN BLOOM FEATURES AWARD WINNERS AND FAN FAVORITES IN MULTIGENERATIONAL, MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY EVENT
Downtown Columbia Partnership and Howard Hughes Holdings Host Book Festival May 11 at Color Burst Park in Downtown Columbia Women’s creativity and accomplishments are at the forefront of the eighth annual Books in Bloom festival hosted by the Downtown Columbia Partnership (DTCP) and Howard Hughes Holdings on Saturday, May 11, 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m., in Color Burst Park, Merriweather District, Downtown Columbia. The multigenerational, multicultural event is free and open to the public. The roster of featured presenters includes:
Children’s activities, writer’s workshops and exhibits by local literary, human rights and other organizations will be included. Busboys and Poets will showcase books by festival authors, and local restauranteurs will offer special snacks and meals for sale. Free parking is available in the parking garage at the festival site. More book festival information is at https://merriweatherdistrict.com/books-in-bloom/ |
"Women’s philanthropy shapes the future for women and girls through the power of collective giving." - Jennifer Bodensiek, Chair
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