Blog Archives - WGC OF HOWARD COUNTY

WGC OF HOWARD COUNTY

Empower Change: Help Make a Final Difference in 2023

12/31/2023

As we approach the end of another remarkable year, we reflect on the incredible impact the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County has made on the lives of women and girls in our community.

Your dedication to philanthropy has been the driving force behind the positive change we've achieved together.

And, as we stand on the brink of a new year filled with possibilities, we invite you to seize a final opportunity to make a lasting impact in 2023.

We have a $5,000 year-end fundraising goal. Will you join us?

Your support has been instrumental in empowering women and girls in our community, and with your help, we can continue to drive positive change.

Why Give Before Year-End?

Maximize Your Impact: Every dollar you contribute by December 31st will be maximized through matching funds and strategic partnerships, ensuring your investment goes even further in supporting our community.
Year-End Reflection: Take a moment to reflect on the positive change you've been a part of this year. Your generosity has helped create opportunities for women and girls in Howard County.
Tax Deductibility: Your donation is not only an investment in our community but also an opportunity to benefit from potential tax advantages. Consult with your financial advisor to explore how your year-end contribution can make a difference for you as well.

How Your Contribution Makes a Difference

Direct Support for Women: Your support to our Emergency Response Network helps to directly support women and their families in need through our partnerships with local nonprofits on the ground.
Investment in Women and Girls Programs: By contributing, you enable us to support a variety of programs that benefit women and girls in our community. This year we will have invested approximately $130,000 to make a difference - we are having a greater impact together than we might otherwise have alone.
Community Building: Your donation is helping to grow a community of women philanthropists and strengthen our community partnerships for greater change - we truly are stronger together.

Please donate today!

Your contribution before the year ends. Together, let's continue the momentum and create a brighter future for the women and girls of Howard County.

Your commitment to the Women's Giving Circle has been instrumental in shaping a better tomorrow. As we embark on a new year, let's build upon our successes and pave the way for even greater achievements.

Thank you for your unwavering support!

Sincerely,

Jennifer Bodensiek, WGC Advisory Board Chair
Candace Dodson-Reed, WGC Advisory Board Vice Chair
Melissa Curtin, WGC Membership & Development Committee Chair
Kashonna Marrow, WGC Membership & Development Committee Vice Chair
Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz, WGC Executive Director

The WGC Advisory Board
www.wgchowardcounty.org

WGC's Emergency Response Network - $1,000 - Can You Help?

12/29/2023

The Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County invites you to join with us to raise at least $1,000 to support our partners at JustLiving Advocacy through the WGC's Emergency Response Network (ERN ).

JustLiving Advocacy is working with a client who is a single mom with two kids who has been without housing for almost two years. She has been "couch surfing" between friends and family and living in her car. She is fully and gainfully employed, however, due to past due rents during Covid, and chronic medical conditions with her children she has fallen behind on rent and bills.

She has just been notified that she can get an apartment in Columbia which means she and her kids can move out of their car. But, she needs $1,800 to move in - and then she can receive her new apartment keys immediately.

Can you help?

Any amount is valued and appreciated!

Thank you,

Jennifer Bodensiek, WGC Chair
Candace Dodson-Reed and Alison Canning, WGC Grants Committee Co-Chairs
Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz, WGC Executive Director
www.womensgivingcircle.org

WGC in the News!

12/18/2023

Read the full article ...

WGC's 2023 Year in Review

12/13/2023

WGC End-of-Year Gathering: Celebrating 2023, Looking Forward to 2024, Together

12/13/2023

The Women's Giving Circle of Howard County's 2023-2024 Advisory Board met this week for our End-of-Year Celebration, where we welcomed new Advisory Board members, said thank you to those members departing, celebrated a successful 2023, and discussed all that we have before us for a meaningful 2024, together.

WGC ERN Request: $2,000+ to Support Women, Children, and Families

12/7/2023

Great News, New $500 Challenge: WGC ERN Request - Now $2,000+ for CCC - Can You Help?

The Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County invites you to join with us to raise $2,000+ to support our partners at Columbia Community Care through the WGC's Emergency Response Network (ERN ).

Columbia Community Care is providing gift cards to give to women, children, and families this holiday season. We are hoping to raise at least $2,000 to give Columbia Community Care 40, $25 gift cards for the holidays.

“When women support one another with true compassion in the spirit of community care and mutual aid through the WGC's Emergency Response Network, anything and everything is possible" said Erika Strauss Chavarria, CCC Founder.

Can you help?

Any amount is valued and appreciated!

Thank you,

Jennifer Bodensiek, WGC Chair
Candace Dodson-Reed and Alison Canning, WGC Grants Committee Co-Chairs
Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz, WGC Executive Director
www.womensgivingcircle.org

WGC Announces New Advisory Board Members, 2024 Leadership

12/6/2023

Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County Announces New Leadership

The Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County is very pleased to announce the addition of four new members to its Advisory Board, as well as the full slate of Executive Committee and Advisory Board members for 2024.

The newly elected Advisory Board members are Mary Jordan, Kim Lightfoot, Jessica Moreno, and Paula Seabright.

“We are thrilled to welcome these talented women, each of whom bring diverse experience and unique backgrounds to the Women’s Giving Circle” said WGC Advisory Board Chair Jennifer Bodensiek.

Mary Jordan: Mary has been in business for 16.5 years and own’s Bra-a-la, a full service bra fitting boutique in Maple Lawn. Before being a small business owner, Mary worked in biotechnology for 15 years as a contractor selling antibodies, enzymes, cytokines and growth factors to the science community. She worked at the Lombardi Cancer Center at Georgetown University for 6 years after graduating from Virginia Tech University with a degree in Biology and Community Health. She has also worked in pharmacology and radiation medicine as a laboratory technician and lab manager. Mary is a long-time donor to the WGC and has held several fundraisers at Bra-la-la to support the WGC. Mary has resided in Howard County for 30 years. She has two daughters, ages 27 and 24 and is happily married to her husband of 33 years.

Kim Lightfoot: Kim is a dedicated servant leader with over twenty-five years in human services who wants to encourage and grow others. As the Chief Executive Officer of First Balcony Consulting LLC, she has coordinated with organizations to develop critical human resource strategies that align with their professional human capital vision. She also works with the Montgomery County Police Department Special Victims Investigations Division. Kim has served in an appointed capacity with the Maryland Department of Human Services for over ten years as the Deputy Chief Learning Officer and Deputy Executive Director. She is originally from New Jersey and earned a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Montclair State University, and a Master’s in Human Resource Management Science from the University of Maryland University College. Kim has resided in Howard County since 2007 with her husband, James and son, J.W. Kim enjoys reading, cooking, walking trails, and golfing in her free time.

Jessica Moreno: Jessica Moreno is an HR professional currently serving at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Originally from El Paso, Texas, Jessica has embraced Maryland as her home for more than a decade. Her journey brought her to Howard County in 2014, where she promptly engaged herself in diverse volunteer opportunities. Notably, she took part in the inaugural Women’s Giving Circle’s Big Give in 2022, and participated in the Big Give 2023, contributing to the betterment of her community. Beyond her professional and volunteer commitments, Jessica finds immense joy in nurturing her passion for coaching. As a dedicated mother of two, she invests her time and energy in coaching her son and daughter’s baseball teams. This endeavor seamlessly combines her love for sports, leadership, and fostering growth in young minds.

Paula Seabright: Paula has been involved with the Women’s Giving Circle for many years, was an inaugural member of the WGC’s Big Give and participated in the WGC’s Big Give 2023, served on the WGC’s Big Give Committee, and is active in the WGC’s Emergency Response Network. She and her family have lived in Howard County for almost 25 years where she has been an engaged member of the community, volunteering in schools and for numerous nonprofits. Paula recently retired from almost 30 years of work in different aspects of security and is enjoying reading, baking, and gardening and looks forward to giving even more time to the WGC.

"We look forward to utilizing Mary, Kim, Jessica, and Paula's immense talents to support our efforts in 2024" said April Force Pardoe, WGC Governance Committee Chair. "We have a wonderful group of leaders joining our talented Advisory Board who will continue to guide our efforts to support women and girls in Howard County now and in the future."

We are very grateful to Melissa Curtin, Judy Smith, and Mary Thompson, whose terms are ending on the WGC Advisory Board after four years of dedicated leadership and service.

“Melissa, Judy, and Mary have deep community knowledge and a true passion for philanthropy” said Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz, WGC Executive Director. “We have been fortunate to have them by our side as we work to shape the future for women and girls in Howard County through the power of collective giving”.

The WGC is honoring Melissa, Judy, and Mary for all that they have done and will continue to do for the WGC through the WGC’s Barb Van Winkle Leadership Fund. This is a fund honoring former WGC Chair Barb Van Winkle and all WGC leaders, and we invite gifts in honor of WGC women's philanthropic leadership the last 22 years with a gift in her/their honor.

The WGC 2024 Advisory Board:

Executive Committee

Jennifer Bodensiek, Chair
Candace Dodson-Reed, Vice Chair and Grants Committee Chair
Barb Van Winkle, Immediate Past Chair
Lynne Schaefer, Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair
Lee Draminski, Secretary
April Force Pardoe, Governance Committee Chair
Kashonna Marrow, Membership & Development Committee Chair
Jade McDuffie McClary, Events Committee Chair
Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz, Executive Director *Ex Officio

Advisory Board Members

Adora Brown
Laura Bacon
Alison Canning
Maxine Clark
Cheryl Gray
Mary Jordan
Kim Lightfoot
Jessica Moreno
Barbara Peart
Paula Seabright
Nette’ Stokes
Beverly White-Seals, President & CEO, Community Foundation of Howard County Liaison

The Women’s Giving Circle is building a community of philanthropists to address the needs of women and girls in Howard County. We bring women together to learn about issues impacting women and girls in our community, and pool our dollars to fund programs that address those issues so we can have a greater impact together than we might otherwise have alone.

WGC's leadership looks forward to partnering in the community with donors, nonprofits, businesses, government, and the broader community to support women and girls in Howard County. www.womensgivingcircle.org.

WGC Supports Girls on the Run of Central Maryland's 5K

12/4/2023

We are excited to support our partners at Girls on the Run of Central Maryland and their recent 5k Celebration!

WGC was excited to provide marketing pieces in the awesome swag bags. Thanks GOTR ED Morgan Meneses-Sheets and team!

Go girls!

WGC Partners with Columbia Association for our Feminine Hygiene Product Drive

12/4/2023

We are so proud of our partnership with The Columbia Association on the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County's Feminine Hygiene Product Drive!

Many thanks to Columbia Association's Robin Stimson and team who collected four bins full of products that filled a full container for our partners at the Community Action Council of Howard County's Howard County Food Bank.

Thank you to everyone who donated products and to CA for your partnership!

Learn more about the WGC's Feminine Hygiene Product Drive here, and how you can give products and/or donate money to support women and girls in our community - thank you!

"Women’s philanthropy shapes the future for women and girls through the power of collective giving." - Jennifer Woods, Chair

WGC is proud to be a fund of the
Community Foundation of Howard County - cfhoco.org
EIN Number: 52-0937644
Find us on Guidestar Here

WGC is a proud member of and partner with local, regional and national philanthropic organizations

Contact Us

www.womensgivingcircle.org