Volunteers in Action: GFWC Millville Woman’s Club and GFWC Valamont Woman’s Club

July 12, 2022

GFWC Millville Woman’s Club 

Participants of this year’s Girls’ Career Institute program attended many lectures and workshops from professional volunteer women speakers.

The GFWC Millville Woman’s Club (New Jersey) continued their tradition of hosting the Southern District reception for Girls’ Career Institute (GCI) at their clubhouse this spring. GCI is a “mini college experience” that invites girls completing their junior year in a New Jersey high school to stay at Douglass Residential College on the campus of Rutgers University in New Jersey to attend lectures and workshops provided by successful volunteer women speakers from a wide variety of careers.

Nancy Hammond, with the GFWC Millville Woman’s Club, explained that GCI is underwritten by New Jersey State Federation clubs. The girls who wish to participate apply for the program at their respective schools and the guidance departments select girls they believe to be good candidates. The girls are then interviewed by the guidance counselors and representatives from local woman’s clubs throughout the state. They are selected for GCI based on their interests, community service, and participation in school activities.

This year, the GFWC Millville Woman’s Club worked with the Millville High School guidance staff to interview candidates and selected three students to participate in GCI.

“It is great for the girls to have exposure to these other professional women,” Nancy said. “I just think this is a wonderful opportunity.”

Although GCI was not offered in the past two years due to COVID-19, the program has been in place since 1947.

 

GFWC Valamont Woman’s Club 

Clubwomen donated more than 60 new pillows to a local nonprofit that supports women and children experiencing homelessness.

Members of the GFWC Valamont Woman’s Club (Tennessee) organized a “Pillow Fight” to donate 66 new pillows to the Chattanooga Room In The Inn, an organization that supports women and children experiencing homelessness.

Club President Linda Hershey explained the club developed a questionnaire for members to fill out that highlighted various community projects they would be interested in participating in and supporting. After compiling the answers, Linda said the Chattanooga Room was among the organizations that clubwomen indicated they most wanted to help.

“The Chattanooga Room is one of the main organizations in the area that deals with homelessness,” she said.

In the past, Linda said the club has supported the nonprofit by cooking meals, making individualized Easter baskets for children at the facility, and more. This year, the club reached out to a volunteer coordinator to ask where they had the greatest need and learned donations of pillows was a priority.

Linda said the clubwomen were excited to participate in this project because it provided members a way to come together as a group while helping people in their community in need.

In addition to temporary housing, Chattanooga Room offers various programs and services to help the women meet their goals.