Young Women’s Giving Circle to Focus Efforts on Providing Feminine Products to Women and Girls in Need

The 2019/2020 Young Women's Giving Circle (YWGC) has determined that they will collect and provide feminine products to county residents in need for their inaugural year philanthropic project.

Sponsored by the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County, YWGC is comprised of girls in 7th - 12th grade who share the same passion: helping women and girls in need. Members of the YWGC raise money and make grants to nonprofit organizations in Howard County whose missions support  women and girls.

In a Shark-Tank style format, four groups (STEM education, Mental Health, Women’s Healthcare and Feminine Products) presented topics of interest to three judges: Barb Van Winkle, President of Nancy Adams Personnel and WGC of Howard County Advisory Board President; Nina Basu, President and CEO of Inner Arbor Trust Inc.; and Mary Jordan, Owner of Bra-La-La.  In addition to judges voting, YWGC  members voted as well. A nearly-unanimous decision was reached by the judges and girls alike to support important access to basic feminine products. 

“All of the pitches were extremely well-done and well-presented” said Lee Draminski and April Pardoe, WGC Advisory Board Members and Co-Chairs of the Youth Development Committee for the WGC of Howard County. “And in the end, the clear winner was the need to provide greater access to basic feminine products.”

Although specific organization(s) have not yet been chosen, the YWGC 2020 did determine the thrust of its philanthropic efforts will be to create a campaign drive and collection of feminine products at key access points and will be strategically distributed accordingly to women and girls as well as organizations post-collection in Howard County.  In the coming months, the group will work together to successfully market the campaign through social media and print channels, create corporate partnerships in addition to  securing financial donors, identify key collection points, and create a logistics plan on how, when and where to distribute the feminine supplies throughout the County.

“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.

If you are interested in assisting with this campaign, please contact us at youth@wgchowardcounty.org.  We look forward to the collective minds and power of these highly intelligent and motivated young ladies to display the impact they can make in Howard County and in the lives of hundreds of women and girls.  

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