Back row: Barbara Younker, Penny Cooper, Mary Wiese, Susan Fallon, Regina Mamer, and Diane Randecker. Front row: Jill Burnham, Sydney Nations, Willa Kravitz, Susan Malone, Mary Flynn, Ruth Shaffer, and Dana West. (Photo by Jerry Younker)
Jill Burham
The Women’s Giving Circle’s (TWGC) 3rd Annual Packing Party benefiting Go With The Flow (GWTF) was held on March 15 and was a resounding success thanks to the planning and organizational skills of Dana West and the outstanding volunteers who packed 1,500 bags!
Each of the fabric bags contained the following period products: 2 maxi and 2 thin pads, 3 pantyliners, and 4 tampons, which will go to West Valley schools and shelters to people who can’t afford or don’t have access to period products. At the time of this article’s writing, more than 1,000 bags had already been distributed by GWTF. Grateful thanks go out to the following groups who contributed to this endeavor: sewers who made the bags as well as those who sewed on the decorative buttons, ladies who packed the products, and the generous donors who purchased period products or gave donations. TWGC needed 16,500 products to meet our goal of packing 1,500 bags, but through the generosity of our community, 30,900 products were received—totaling an approximate $6,300 in period products that were delivered to GWTF on March 25! Special thanks to Maureen McCann of Realty ONE Group for her sponsorship of the packing party event.
The spring happy hour took place on March 30—hosted in various homes throughout the community. Members and guests gathered to socialize with one another and learn a bit more about who we are and what we do. If you are a member of TWGC club and are interested in joining us for future happy hours, please contact Mary Flynn [email protected].
TWGC Annual Spring Meeting was held on April 17 at Tuscany Falls Chianti Room. TWGC was delighted to welcome Leanne Leonard, the Executive Director of Agua Fria Food Bank, who provided an update on the status of the needs of the organization and the Arizona citizens they serve. She expressed grateful thanks for the $5,800 donation made from the Date With a Plate fundraiser. The business portion of the meeting included the election of the 2023-24 officers.
Never to sit back on past successes, TWGC has begun the process of making the fabric bags to meet our 2024 projected goal. Here is how you can get involved in this worthy endeavor:
* Become a volunteer bag sewer.
* Make fabric donations—100% cotton or a cotton-polyester blend fabrics work best for these bags (typically fabric used for quilting is good). Material that is at least 18” wide and 10” long is needed to assemble each bag and can be in assorted colors and designs.
* Make donations of large buttons that are used to adorn the bags.
* Donations can be dropped off at Mary Wiese’s home (16179 W. Mulberry Drive) or contact her to make other arrangements at [email protected].
* Anyone interested in becoming a bag sewer should contact Regina Mamer at [email protected]. You will receive an invitation to join Team Cowboy, which is the email system used to communicate with the sewers. Once the invitation is accepted, you will receive instructions and occasional group updates.
The Women’s Giving Circle is about gifting time and talent to serve the needs of residents of the West Valley. The generous residents of PebbleCreek never cease to amaze with gracious contributions and participation in our many activities. To join The Women’s Giving Circle of PebbleCreek, contact Willa Kravitz, TWGC president, at [email protected].
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has…”—Margaret Mead