Young Women's Giving Circle Makes a Difference this Year

The WGC's Young Women's Giving Circle of Howard County will complete their 2019/2020 Journey virtually this week - what a year! 

They started the year in September with twenty young women in 7th - 12th grade participating in the 2019/2020 class, who share the same passion: helping women and girls in need.

They met monthly to learn about each other, learn about the community, and determine a joint philanthropic project for the year. Through a Shark Tank-like presentation effort with community judges, the girls decided to organize a Feminine Hygiene Product collection effort from January - March 2020. They decorated collection boxes and engaged over 20 local businesses and our Howard County Library System to serve as collection sites. And, they ran a fundraising campaign to purchase additional products.

The result? They learned about philanthropy, giving circles and collective giving, and organized lots of product and monetary donations to support women and girls in Howard County!

The YWGC Feminine Product Drive ended in March and boxes around the county continue to be stuffed full of donations. Given the challenges of picking up products due to COVID-19 related closings and restrictions, the YWGC is waiting to collect many of the product donations from our collection partners until it is safe to do so. 

The YWGC was able to donate some of the products that the YWGC was storing to the Community Action Council to distribute to those in need. And, the YWGC also donated $1,500 to the community.

They raised $1,006, which the WGC supported with an additional $500. While the YWGC is waiting until it is safe to pick up and distribute the donated products, in order to assist during this challenging COVID-19 time, WGC/YWGC has used these funds to provide HopeWorks with a check for $750 and the Community Action Council with a check for $750 to purchase feminine products to distribute to those in need now, and we are continuing to accept donations. 

We want to thank all of the organizations and businesses that have generously been serving as collection sites for the YWGC's Feminine Product Drive!

"The power of collective giving helping people in our very own community was the focus of the girl's philanthropic efforts this past year" said Lee Draminski and April Force Pardoe, WGC Advisory Board members and leaders of the YWGC. "We are so proud of the learning and growth the girls experienced this year, and the measurable results they have seen from their efforts."

We aren't yet sure about our plans for the 2020/2021 YWGC class due to COVID-19 concerns, but we will inform the community once plans are finalized.

If you are interested in learning more, please contact us at youth@wgchowardcounty.org.  We look forward to the collective impact we will make together in Howard County in the years to come, and specifically in the lives of hundreds of women and girls.  

“We are so proud of these young philanthropists who are committing themselves to learn more about the community and raising money to fund programs that are meaningful to them” said Barb Van Winkle, WGC Advisory Board Chair.

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