Learn more about the WGC's "Our Giving, Our Stories!" Daily Profile Series celebrating Black Philanthropy Month every day in August 2021. Double click the profile to read it as a PDF - enjoy! ​

What advice do you have for those interested in giving back?

"Individuals who are interested in giving back should not be deterred by false notions of what “giving back” means. Time and talent are just as important as money. In 1992, I organized and served as the founding president of the Columbia chapter of Continental Societies, Inc., a women’s international public service organization, whose mission is 'to foster, promote and develop the welfare of underserved children and youth.'  I continue to support the Chapter and look forward to celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2022."

Ethel's current passion is nurturing the relationships she has established with dining room and housekeeping employees at the Residences at Vantage Point. Many are immigrants with school-aged children and she delights in being able to provide them with scholarships and other resources and information. Residents of Vantage Point cannot carry over monthly meal allowance overages to the next month, so she has recently started using hers to purchase food items from “Our Marketplace“ and donating them to the Town Center Community Kiosk, a neighbor pantry that is street accessible and free to anyone in need.

#givingcircles #collectivegiving #WGCBPM2021 #BPM2021​​

What advice do you have for those interested in giving back?

"You don’t have to be very rich, highly educated, or famous to give back. There are many ways to give, including your time, finances, skills, and talents. What matters most is the intention behind it. Find causes that you deeply care about and support those efforts to the best of your ability. Be consistent and give cheerfully."

Oluwatsin is passionate about organizations that promote access to HIV/STI testing, education, and linkage to care for people living with or at risk for HIV. And, she supports the work of the following organizations:

Salvation Army
My Sister’s Place Women’s Center

Learn more about the WGC's "Our Giving, Our Stories!" Daily Profile Series celebrating Black Philanthropy Month every day in August 2021.

#givingcircles #collectivegiving #WGCBPM2021 #BPM2021​

Double click the profile to the right to read it as a PDF - enjoy! 

Many thanks to all of our members - long-time and new - who have given to the WGC recently. 

Megan Bruno, Tracey Diep, Sherine Hargrove, Kim Agnor, Alison Canning, Robyn Peters, Stephanie Schultz, Charmayne Anderson, Carlessia Hussein, Betsy Fetchko, Aquanetta Betts, Wendy Ryan, Arlene Sheff, Carolyn Bourg, Arielle Karp, Lynne Rosen, Tanya Rapacz, Nicole Berger, Irene Griff, Susan Hobby, Roslyn Jones, Susan Porter, Dana Sohr, Kashonna Holland, Deanna Peel, Angie Kozlowski, Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz, Ann M. Bromery, Colleen D'Agrosa, Rhonda Neubauer, Lori Fuchs, Martha Lohaus, Paula Seabright, Lynne D'Autrechy, Georgia Bupp, Terri Hill, Christina and Jim Beaudoin, Vivian Lawyer, Judy Barnett, Theresa Billow-Supple, Hima Jain, Michele G. Crosby, Anne Gould, Patricia Altner, Beatrice Dane, Beth Harbinson, Sharice Hammond. You are appreciated!

The Women's Giving Circle of Howard County (WGC) is working to raise $2,000 or more through our Emergency Response Network (ERN) to help our nonprofit partner Grassroots Crisis Intervention support two women clients in need. 

CLIENT #1: Grassroots has a client who is a 31-year-old single mother with a 3-year-old son who entered the Grassroots shelter after having lived in her vehicle for about eight months. She is under a lot of stress, but that does not stop her from having a positive spirit or getting herself up early in the morning, moving her unregistered vehicle from the back lot to the front of the building, and carrying her sleeping son to the car to put in a day’s work at a daycare. She is trying to focus on the steps in front of her and is climbing them bit by bit. Because of her circumstances she has not been able to pay the lease on her vehicle and the debt has built up for over 9 months. She has citations that have added up and she is living in fear that the vehicle that she uses every single day that allows her to travel the fifty minutes to work will be repossessed. She has been met with a difficult journey, with few supports that she can truly rely on. Her main goal is stability for she and her son and she needs her vehicle to keep moving towards this goal. She owes about $3,000 but Grassroots has already secured $1,000 from a local organization, and a church is helping with another $1,000. Although she faces other challenges, the removal of this debt would be a huge weight that would be lifted off of her and would allow her to move on and work on getting stable housing for herself and her son.

On behalf of our partners at Grassroots, we are inviting donations totaling $1,000 or more to help this client with debt removal that will allow her to continue working on obtaining stable housing for she and her son.

CLIENT #2: Grassroots has another client in the shelter who relies on her car to get to work and it is on its very last leg. Her car was her home for the last year before she came to the shelter. It  currently has over 100,000 miles, has failed two emissions tests, and several mechanics have told her that it will be too costly to repair. She is vibrant and remains grounded and optimistic despite all the hardships that she has faced including the loss of a child and the separation from a spouse. 

Grassroots is working toward housing for her but she will soon be left without transportation, and while she is resilient and will find a way to continue going to work, it will pull her further away from securing housing. 
​
On behalf of our partners at Grassroots, we are inviting donations totaling $1,000 or more to help this client purchase a used vehicle that is available through a contact at the Day Resource Center.

Can you help? 

All donations will go directly to this effort.​ Any amount is valued and appreciated, thank you!

Barb Van Winkle, Chair
Candace Dodson-Reed & Alison Canning, WGC Grants Committee Chair & Vice-Chair​
Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz, Executive Director
www.womensgivingcircle.org​