Volunteers in Action: GFWC West Side and GFWC New Jersey

December 21, 2021

GFWC West Side

Members of GFWC West Side (Pennsylvania) donated gifts to children living with their mothers at the Catherine McAuley Center.

GFWC West Side (Pennsylvania) made this Giving Tuesday special for four families living at the Catherine McAuley Center in Plymouth, Pennsylvania. Under the direction of Marie Warren, GFWC West Side’s Civic Engagement and Outreach Community Service Program Chairman, 29 club members donated more than 100 gifts to go to the children of families at the center. The gifts had a total value of more than $2,000.

The Catherine McAuley Center provides temporary shelter for women with children in crisis and offers individualized services to help them secure and maintain safe and affordable housing. Marie said this was the second year they participated in the gift giving program.

Last year, due to COVID-19, members received an email with gifts to purchase for the four families the club “adopted” for the holiday season.

This year, members could choose tags with gift ideas off a Christmas tree set up at their meeting in October.

“The response was overwhelming,” Marie said. “Everyone was just so generous.”

Marie explained that as someone who once went through a time in her life where she couldn’t purchase holiday gifts for her children, she was thrilled to see the club participating in this project and helping mothers make their kids happy on Christmas.

“At this time of year, you just want children to have a good Christmas. It’s really important that we help out,” she said.

 

 

GFWC New Jersey

 

Clubwomen throughout New Jersey spent their day of service making cards for children staying at Covenant House New Jersey.

Members of the GFWC Millville Woman’s Club (New Jersey) hosted fellow clubwomen throughout the Southern District of New Jersey at their clubhouse for a day of service on November 13. Diann Ewan, President of the GFWC Millville Woman’s Club, said this year’s event benefited Covenant House New Jersey, an organization which provides residential care and other services to youth who have experienced abuse, neglect, abandonment, homelessness, and human trafficking.

Diann said participating members from several clubs donated more than $900 in gift cards, created 84 handmade cards, and made two tied fleece blankets to go to the children at Covenant House New Jersey.

“We wanted to make sure we supported them as much as possible,” she said. “… It was really wonderful to see everyone come together and work on this project.”

Diann said clubwomen throughout New Jersey chose to participate in this day of service to help Covenant House New Jersey because they do not just provide immediate relief, but the services they offer help people experiencing homelessness and poverty break these cycles and build new lives for themselves.

“We wanted to do things that would help the local youth as much as we can. There is a lot of need in the area,” she said.

She added doing small things like making cards for someone can have a bigger impact than one might realize.

“This shows them someone really cares about them – that is what this is about,” Diann said.