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

May 17, 2022

GFWC Pennsylvania 

GFWC President-elect Deb Strahanoski joined GFWC Pennsylvania clubwomen for their 2022 State Convention, during which members were encouraged to donate to UNICEF USA to support the organization’s relief efforts in Ukraine.

GFWC Pennsylvania clubwomen donated $2,175 to GFWC Affiliate Organization UNICEF USA’s Ukraine Relief Fun. The funds will allow UNICEF to continue to provide essential services to children and families being impacted by the ongoing was crisis in Ukraine.

GFWC Pennsylvania State President Sandy Hauenstein said when she heard about the relief fund in GFWC’s weekly News & Notes, she knew she wanted to encourage clubwomen to work together and help if they were able.

“We had our Convention coming up and we thought that was a perfect time,” she said, adding that a flyer with information about the relief fund and how to donate was created.

Sandy said many clubs and individual members chose to donate. In total, $1,175 was collected during the State Convention and another $1,000 was provided by the GFWC Junior Women’s Club of Butler.

With more than $2,000 in donations sent in, Sandy said she is very grateful to her fellow clubwomen for donating to help the people of Ukraine.

 

GFWC Millville Woman’s Club 

The GFWC Millville Woman’s Club delivered feminine sanitary supplies and children’s books to a local homeless shelter.

Members of the GFWC Millville Woman’s Club (New Jersey) donated feminine sanitary supplies to the Cumberland Family Shelter, a local homeless shelter, to combat “period poverty.” Period poverty is referred to as a lack of access to menstrual products, sanitation facilities, and adequate education, and impacts people throughout the world.

Clubwoman Nancy Hammond explained the club’s financial secretary, Barbara Westog, first brought up the issue of period poverty to members and initiated the collection of sanitary supplies for the shelter. Nancy said the members were all happy to help with this project to keep young girls and women safe and healthy.

“People don’t like to talk about things like this, but we need to make people aware that this is an issue,” she said.

In addition to the sanitary supplies, clubwomen collected and donated many children’s books for kids at the shelter. Nancy added members feel it is important to help the Cumberland Family Shelter in many ways, as they provide services such as temporary housing and meals and assistance in finding new housing, employment, medical care, and more.

“We like to support them for all the work they do,” she said. “They are a vital resource for the county.”