Volunteers in Action: GFWC Warwick Women’s Club, GFWC Service Guild of Covington, Ojai Valley Woman’s Club

November 5, 2019

Forty years ago, the chairman of the Warwick Junior Women’s Club (now GFWC Warwick Women’s Club) had a vision to develop an agency to protect women and children from domestic abuse. She, along with the clubwomen, worked along with the mayor and were able to settle on a vacant school that would serve as the shelter. After much planning and hard work, the facility opened as the Elizabeth Buffum Chace Center (EBCC). Over the years, with the cooperation of several mayors, the center has housed many families. Houses acquired by the Rhode Island Airport Corporation that were scheduled for demolition were procured by another mayor and relocated to city-owned lots to provide transitional housing. EBCC is now undergoing renovations to provide nine separate permanent housing units for families in need. The creation of the shelter was a GFWC Improvement Project and won national recognition at the GFWC International Convention. At the Fortieth Anniversary celebration, bricks inscribed with names were presented to honor those involved and taken back to be placed in a peace garden to be built by EBCC.

Pictured are members of the Warwick Women’s Club, l-r Helen Polselli, Carol Zimmerman, Debra Capuano, Jane Schwab, Janet Trombetti, President; Judith Earle, Member of WWC and Executive Director of EBCC; Diane Iacono, Pat Briggs, Madeline Perreault, Roberta Bianco and Barbara Walsh.

On Saturday October 26, GFWC’s Service Guild of Covington in Georgia sponsored a booth at Covington FUMC’s Change the World event. This was a huge event covering all areas surrounding the church, with free warm clothing for the upcoming winter months and help with the ongoing food pantry. Hundreds of people came out to support and attend the various tents, ranging from free food and beverages, a petting zoo, face painting, and promoting community service organizations. At the event, GFWC Membership Tri-Fold and monogrammed pencils were given out to potential members. Displays of manuals with photos of club projects from this year and GFWC Clubwoman Magazines were shown to garner interest in GFWC Georgia’s organization.

It was a great day and everyone had lots of fun making many connections with women interested in volunteering with GFWC!

Pictured above are Service Guild members who worked the booth this year L to R: Teri Jones, Carolyn Bennett, Unice Stevens, Lynn Garrett and seated is Pam Barnes

Carina Solecki, Treasurer of the Ojai Valley Woman’s Club in Southern California, is shown (left) presenting a check to Margie Bartlett of the organization, For the Troops, an all-volunteer nonprofit which ships “We Care” boxes of goodies to our American military overseas. Each month members of the club help fill the boxes with donated items including toiletries, cards, snacks, etc.

Carina, who is also a member of Quilts of Valor, has a special interest in the Military: her son Brian is currently serving in the U.S. Army as a CH-47 Pilot in Command, with the rank of Warrant Officer 2.

On Veterans Day, Monday, November 11, members of the Ojai Valley Woman’s Club, along with the Ventura Children’s Choir, will honoring our military all day at the Ojai American Legion, and Carina, along with Teresa Perry who will be presenting Quilts of Valor to two military veterans.

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