News and Notes - January 16, 2016
Participate in MLK Day of Service
This Monday, January 18, honor the legacy of Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. by participating in the MLK Day of Service,
when people across the nation will join together in volunteer
service. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was declared a national
GFWC—an international women's
organization dedicated to community
improvement by enhancing the lives of
others through volunteer service
day of service by Congress in 1994, and communities have
joined together to serve others ever since.
If you don’t have a place to volunteer on Monday, click here
to enter your zip code and find opportunities near you. To
share your MLK Day of Service volunteer event with your
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Answer Dr. King’s question, “What are you doing for others?”
by volunteering on Monday. Post your photos to Facebook
and Twitter using the hasthtag #MLKDay.
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GFWC, what are you waiting for? Signing
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Simply provide your name, mailing
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2016: Social Media Survey
Is there something you would like to see
more of on the GFWC Social Media Pages?
2016 Annual Convention Service
Projects
In conjunction with the MLK Day of Service, we wanted to
announce the service project for our 2016 Annual Convention.
Last year, GFWC established a precedent with its tremendous
support of St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen in Memphis, Tennessee.
Dozens of attendees gave their time volunteering and many
more brought much needed supplies.
Whether it’s posting more club photos on
Facebook, sharing project ideas on
Pinterest, or retweeting your club on
Twitter, we want to hear your
feedback! Click here to fill out the quick
survey and let us know how we can
improve to make social media an even
more valuable tool for GFWC members.
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This year in Baltimore, Maryland, we are unleashing GFWC’s
awesome volunteer power on the Weinberg Housing and
Resource Center (WHRC). This WHRC (not to be confused
Try an Easy Fundraiser
with our own WHRC – Women’s History and Resource Center)
Flower Power Fundraising offers you
provides fundamental shelter and food to 275 people (200
the chance to buy and sell flower bulbs for
men, 75 women on average) each day. Open 24/7, the
gardens all over your community. Earn
Weinberg Housing and Resource Center is a “low-barrier”
50% profit from sales while taking pride
shelter, meaning they accept virtually everyone. Not only are
in a fundraiser that helps to beautify the
basic necessities provided, the WHRC endeavors to assist
community. An extra 5% from every sale
residents in finding permanent housing through case
also goes directly to GFWC to support
management and a variety of life skills and empowerment
national projects. When requesting
classes. Nearly 70% of people experiencing homelessness in
information, please use GFWC in your
Baltimore used the Weinberg Housing and Resource Center at
organization name. Information and sales
some point last year. After personally visiting the facility and
supplies can be found
talking with their staff, we know this is a worthwhile cause
at www.FlowerPowerFundraising.com/GF
where GFWC can make a fantastic impact.
WC or call 1-888-833-1486.
Here’s the way you or your club can get involved! From now
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until the June 2016 Convention, GFWC Headquarters will be
collecting items for Weinberg Housing and Resource Center.
During the Convention at the Sisterhood of Service Luncheon
Sad News
on Sunday, June 26, attendees will have the opportunity to
GFWC would like to send our condolences
help assemble hundreds of bags for the WHRC to pick up. We
to GFWC Michigan State President Fran
would prefer that your donations be shipped to GFWC
Leonard, whose brother Nick passed away
Headquarters prior to June 1 - but Convention attendees are
in December. Our thoughts and hearts go
welcome to bring additional items with them if collected or
out to Fran.
purchased after that date.
Our sympathies also go out to clubwoman
Signature Project Committee Chairman
ITEMS FOR TOILETRY BAGS (Weinberg’s biggest need!):
Deodorant, Soap, Razors/Shaving Cream, Lotion, Socks,
Underwear, Feminine Hygiene Products,
Toothbrushes/Toothpaste, travel size Shampoo, Comb/Brush,
Tissues, etc. – all items need to be new
ITEMS FOR HOME STARTER KIT (maximum of 30 needed due
to Weinberg’s limited space): Towels, Sheets, Air Mattress,
Basic Kitchen Utensils, Collapsible Laundry Bag
Chris Sienkielewski, whose brother-in-law
recently passed away. We are sorry for
your loss and our thoughts and hearts are
with you.
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January is Birth Defects
Awareness Month
More than 120,000 babies are born in the
Monetary donations are always welcome, and any money
United States each year with a birth
received from our members will be used to buy food for a
defect, and approximately 70 percent of
meal kit we will assemble during the luncheon. If sending a
causes for birth defects are not
personal check please make sure your GFWC club name is
known. Click here to learn about how
included in the memo line. If you choose to send any of the
GFWC's Juniors' Special Project:
items listed above, please include your club name and address
Advocates for Children Partner March of
in the package. All monetary donations will be acknowledged
Dimes is researching birth defects.
from GFWC with a letter of thanks. Non-monetary donations
will also receive an acknowledgement letter from GFWC but
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without a value listed. Questions? Contact Derek Tennant at
[email protected].
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State Federation
and Club Websites
Promoting your Club with Press
Releases
Is your club or state’s website listed on
GFWC Headquarters would like to assist clubs in their public
club or state’s website is not listed or
relations efforts by supplementing the great work that you do.
need to be updated, please email your
Luckily, with Meltwater, a public relations tool that allows us
website to [email protected]. If your
to distribute press releases to journalists at a local, regional,
club has a Facebook or Twitter page,
and national level, we can!
please let us know as well.
If your club has written and sent press releases to local
Still working on a website for your club or
reporters, please send them to GFWC Communications
state? Check out the Communications and
Coordinator Janelle Germanos at [email protected]. We
Public Relations Advancement Guide for
will then review your press release and determine if
tips and stay tuned for a special article
GFWC.org? To make sure we have your
current website, please click here. If your
distributing it via Meltwater will benefit your club by reaching
about building a website in the
more reporters in a broader area.
January/February issue of Clubwoman
For a sample press release that can be adapted for your club,
click here. The GFWC Communications and Public Relations
Magazine.
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Advancement Guide also provides valuable tools that can help
your club get the word out! Click here to view the guide.
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UNICEF Human
Trafficking
Webinar
Interested in speaking to
your club or local
community about ending
human trafficking? Join the U.S. Fund for UNICEF’s
informational webinar and learn all you need to know about
the End Trafficking project! Join Manager of Civil Society
Partnerships at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF Mansi Mehta on
Shot@Life Champion
Summit
Spots are filling up for the 2016 Shot@Life
Champion Summit in Washington, D.C.
Whether you are a new or returning
champ, get your application in soon!
GFWC and Shot@Life will cover the
registration and travel fees for new
Champions. Ten slots have been reserved
for GFWC members. Registration closes
on Tuesday, January 26. Click here to sign
up now!
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Tuesday, January 26 from 2-3pm EST OR Thursday, January
28 from 4-5pm EST. Stay tuned for further details on the
webinar, and feel free to contact Mansi
at [email protected] if you have any questions.
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125th Anniversary Yearbook Update
The General Federation of Women’s Clubs 125th Anniversary
Yearbook has completed production and will be mailed directly
to members who ordered a copy. Members can begin to
expect to receive their copy mid to late February 2016.
Success for Survivors
Scholarships
As part of the GFWC Signature Project:
Domestic Violence Awareness and
Prevention, the GFWC Success for
Survivors Scholarship was created to lend
a helping hand to those impacted by
intimate partner violence who are
pursuing higher education. The
scholarship aims to provide survivors with
a means to achieve both financial and
Reminder that members who signed up for the Magazine
personal independence. If you
Direct offer and wish to cancel may do so at any time during
or someone you know would like to
the three-month risk-free trial period and never be charged.
apply click here to download an
The toll-free number is 855-248-8874 and is available 24/7.
application. The deadline for applying
Please contact Membership Services Manager Kate Garlick
has been extended to March 1, 2016.
at [email protected] or (202) 347-3168 ext. 220 for more
information or assistance.
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Wreaths Across America Clean-up
In The News
Thank you to everyone who participated in Wreaths Across
In 2013, the GFWC Goochland
America 2015. With your help, over 900,000 wreaths were
Woman’s Club (Virginia) published “50
placed in cemeteries across the country to honor our nation’s
Cheers! 50 Menus for 50 Years of
veterans. GFWC was honored to attend this year’s event at
Entertaining with the Goochland Woman’s
Arlington National Cemetery, which you can read about in this
Club,” a cookbook printed to mark the
blog post.
club’s 50th anniversary. Three years later,
Now, it’s clean-up time! Join Wreaths Across America on
Saturday, January 23 to help clean-up at Arlington National
Cemetery. For more information, click here.
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the club has sold close to 600 of these
cookbooks, raising money for college
scholarships, Habit for Humanity, fire
stations, and more. Click here to read the
Richmond-Times Dispatch article about
the club’s successful ongoing fundraiser
GFWC Infinity
Scarves
The GFWC infinity scarf is made
of lightweight and slightly sheer
fabric, measures 21" x70", and is
seamed together to create a
loop. Our custom looped scarf provides high fashion appeal so
you can look and feel your best whether you are dressing up
or down! Wrap yourself in this soft and silky viscose scarf, a
stylish GFWC accessory. Scarves are available in black with
white lettering and white with purple emblems for only $20
each. Get yours today at the GFWC Marketplace!
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Our Contact Information
General Federation of Women's Clubs
1734 N. Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
202-347-3168
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and check out some of the delicious
recipes from the cookbook. This recipe for
pumpkin muffins sounds especially tasty!
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