Volunteers in Action: GFWC New Hampshire, Women’s Club of Farmingdale, GFWC Brookings, and GFWC Northwest Suburban Woman’s Club

May 18, 2021

GFWC New Hampshire

Several GFWC New Hampshire clubs recently worked to fill and deliver “spring bags” to residents of the New Hampshire Veterans Home in Tilton, New Hampshire. Participating clubs included the Salem Area Woman’s Club, GFWC Hudson Women’s Club, GFWC Concord Contemporary Club, Exeter Area GFWC, Candia Community Woman’s Club, GFWC Dover Area Woman’s Club, Hollis Woman’s Club, and Nashaway Women’s Club. The clubs worked in partnership with Granite State Baptist Church and Centerpoint Community Church in Salem, and the bags were filled with candy, pens, paper, flashlights, and other treats, plus hand-written cards of appreciation to the veterans. GFWC New Hampshire also filled a gift basket for the staff. Patti Copeland, volunteer activities supervisor, and Sarah Stanley, program information officer, were happy to accept the delivery on behalf of the residents and staff.

 

 

GFWC Brookings 

GFWC Brookings (South Dakota) partnered with the Brookings Fiber Guild to make knit or crocheted soap “scrubby bags.” The bags were filled with a bar of soap and donated to a domestic abuse shelter and local food pantry. This year, club members have filled 31 bags as of the beginning of May, and this is an ongoing project.

Since first working on this project in 2017, GFWC Brookings members have given the soap-filled scrubbies to a food pantry, the local university food pantry for students, Feeding Brookings, which is part of Feeding South Dakota, and an area domestic abuse shelter.

 

 

Women’s Club of Farmingdale

In time for Mother’s Day, members of the Women’s Club of Farmingdale (New York) donated 38 new and gently used tote bags filled with toiletries and personal care supplies for young women and 17 new or gently used tote bags filled with diapers, lotions, pacifiers, and more for babies or small children residing at Madonna Heights, a 24-hour care facility that addresses the physical, emotional, and social needs unique to women and girls.

The Welfare Committee, chaired by Rosemary Emigholz, also made several donations to local charities during the winter and early spring months this year. Members donated dozens of bags of food items to St. Kilian’s Outreach and paid a visit to Epic House with Easter baskets filled with stuffed bunnies, cookies, and chocolates for the residents.

 

 

GFWC Northwest Suburban Woman’s Club 

GFWC Northwest Suburban Woman’s Club (Illinois) was asked to join other local organizations in a Wings Mother’s Day project. Wings is the largest Illinois provider of shelter and services for adults and children who are survivors of domestic violence and abuse. With guidance from Therese Fuglaar and Eileen Tuman, the club’s Signature Program Chairmen, members provided 22 cheery Mother’s Day bags filled with spa specialty products, candles, sweet treats, and a “wild woman” pin. Therese encouraged members to fill the bags with items that they would enjoy receiving.