GFWC Indiana Federation of Clubs

GFWC Indiana Federation of Clubs

Annual Convention, April 25-26, 2014

Winners

Why They Won

Arts Program

1st Place Winner-- GFWC/IFC Chesterton Woman’s Club

For the past 62 years the members of the Chesterton Woman’s Club have continued to sponsor a non-juried art show open to artist not only in Indiana but also in neighboring states. This year’s show displayed over 100 works of art at the Chesterton Art Gallery.

Members were involved in sending out invitations, mailing donation request letters, printing posters and programs, contacting area newspapers and radio stations for coverage of the show, providing refreshments for the opening ceremony and served as hostess for the show. Profits from this show helped to fund donations to other community projects. Two other major projects were also listed on the club’s report totaling 575 hours dedicated to the arts.

2nd Place Winner-- GFWC/IFC Lowell Women’s Club

Through the Language Arts Department at the Lowell Middle School this club continued to sponsor a poetry and short story contest for the 6, 7 and 8 grades. Along with a local poet club members judged all the entries. Certificates and monetary prizes were awarded by club members at the school’s May Award Program. Winner’s photos along with an article then are published in three area newspapers.

This club also sponsored a dedication ceremony at their public library for a large mural painted in the children’s section. They provided refreshments, entertainment and held a silent auction of donated items which raised $500. That money was in turn donated back to the Library. A total of 404 hours were dedicated to the arts for this club.

3rd Place Winner-- GFWC Munster Junior Women’s Club

This club dug deep to be creative using paper bags. Several club members are involved in delivering Meals on Wheels to members of the community. To spread a little sunshine to those recipients this club organized local groups of children such as Girl Scout groups, Boy Scout groups, church groups, etc. to decorate the paper bags used for cold food items delivered with the meals. Some bags had decorative scenes on them while other showed creativity with designs. The bags were such a hit that many Meals participants have started saving the decorated bags as a remembrance that others do care for them.

This club also helped make booties for the IFC State Convention table decorations.

Conservation Program

1st Place Winner—GFWC Highland Woman’s Club

GFWC Highland Woman’s Club reported on three projects that all members participated in. All members reported recycling plastic, glass, and paper on a regular basis through the community recycling programs. The ladies maintain a planter on the town’s bike trail that is taken care of throughout the year. This year, along with annuals and perennials, the club planted pinwheels and displayed signs with information about Pinwheels for Prevention. Flowers were donated to the Hobart Girl Scouts to plant and help beautify the Respite Home. The club reported donating 42 volunteer hours and $410 from 100% member participation.

2nd Place Winner-- GFWC/IFC Lowell Women’s Club

Seven projects were completed by the GFWC/IFC Lowell Woman’s Club in 2013. Highlights include all members collecting and donating their pill bottles to a local verterinarian to help keep costs down and ladfills less filled. Newspapers are recycled as well as a special collection twice a year of hazard wasted items. A Tulip tree was purchased for a newly built school’s landscape, and the ladies maintain the tree throughout the summer. At a meeting, part of the program was that trash bags were distributed to each member, and the members walked through the neighborhood cleaning up litter. The fifteen members spent 77 hours, $40 and $184 in-kind to find great successs to conserving their community.

3rd Place Winner—GFWC/IFC Progress Club of South Bend

The Lincoln Highway Beautification Community Program has been an on-going project for the club for 14 years. The history of this Lincoln Highway Project reaches back 100 years when the GFWC Women were encouraged to plant the Lincoln Highway, a transcontinental highway and beautification project. The GFWC logo and Lincoln Highway Association signs are a part of this historic viaduct area that is maintained by the club. The club also works closely with the Lincoln Highway Historical Program with a member of the club as a board member. The club also provides KIND NEWS for two preschool programs. The Progress Club donated $1,213.45 toward the projects, $275 in-kind donations and 152 hours.

Education Program

1st PLACEGFWC Highland Woman's Club

This club provided school supplies and backpacks for low income families in their community. All club members participated in this project that was coordinated with the school counselors for identification for the recipients. Some of the member’s children even helped put together the backpacks. This club also raises funds to award scholarships to college bound individuals. This year they were able to award three scholarships and these recipients were either physical or learning disabilities. This club collects Box Tops for Education and also collects stamps for a stamp collecting program for Stamp Camp USA. They also made a donation to their District Nurses Scholarship.

2nd PLACE GFWC/IFC West Baden Research Club

This club has an ongoing project for the last 19 years. They have a book on the history of their community and this year it was time to do a revision because of a request from a community council. Thisbook revision would include more information about the surrounding county. The council wanted to distribute the book to the school students throughout the area and have it as part of their education about the community. This club partnered with various businesses and foundations in order to make this project happen.

3rd PLACE GFWC Eggleston Club

This club worked an impressive 1,491 hours on the Anniversary celebration of their town. Their club donated many hours helping with the celebration events, but more than that, they had members that created a history book and a history coloring book for the celebration. The coloring books were given to each 4th grader in the county schools. The books were also available for sale during the bicentennial. Members also helped in schools with tutoring and reading for classes.

Education Partnership

1st Place--GFWC/IFC ESO Joyce Wargo Reading Club

Library Display Window – During the month of September the club utilized two display windows to “show off’ their reading club making the community aware of all volunteer projects and explain what GFWC is all about. Books, bookmarks, book lists, samples of their community projects, awards, pictures, club’s handbook, brochures, scrapbook and GFWC T shirt.

Friends of the Library – Club members volunteer at the library assisting patrons, organizing shelves, helping at the annual book sale and donating over 120 books, videos, and other publications for the book sale.

ESO- Members select books from the state and GFWC lists. One book a month is selected and discussed at the monthly meetings. Over 1200 hours were devoted to reading.

Dedicates a half hour at each meeting for book reports, members receive copies of the state and national reading lists, 14 members, 10,350.50 hours

Home Life Program

1st Place—GFWC Progess Club of South Bend

This club had a total of 21 projects donated $8,525.00 with $10,635.00 of "in-kind" donations, worked a total of 1,174 hours, and all of this clubs 50 members participated in one way or another. They participated in the "Relay for Life" program. The Stone soup Community program is another project they assist with, making 44 goodie boxes filled with various supplies. They also brought joy and fellowship to members who were homebound, in nursing homes, or needed rides to club meetings or doctor appointments. They continue to help with Dismas house, Goodwill industries of Michiana, and a new project to help raise funds for Dismas house was Bingo for Bags. High end purses were used as prizes for this event they were able to donate $600.00 to the Dismas house from this event. They also had a new project this year. They sponsored a Luvability Dinner. They sponsored a dinner to raise funds for those with developmental disabilities. These funds offset the expenses of day services, camp and family retreats for this population.

2NDPLACE– GFWC Munster Junior Women's Club

This clubs 32 members donated $2360.00 and 329 hours towards 6 projects. They once again particiapated in the Meals on Wheels program. They deliver 16-20 meals to the elderly or disabled. They also participate in the Food Bank of NW Indiana. They pack up 300 meals in a 2 hour shift. This year they bagged up 2100 meals. They paraticipated in the "Romp and Roll" walk-a-thon, the Multiple Sclerosis walk-a-thon, the Avon " Team Hope" walk for breast cancer. They donate monies to various charities such as Canine Companions, cystic fibrosis, the Whiting animal shelter and Habitat for Humanity. Not to mention the ALS association and Crohn's and Colitis foundation of America (CCFA).

3RDPlace–GFWCHearts & Hands

This clubs 13 members donated $1,717.00 in 131 hours with 5 projects. This club provides healty snack packs to the Noblesville Boys and Girls club. They host a BINGO at the local living center in February where members brought bingo prizes and cookies for refreshments. They sponsor a Good Samaritan family for Thanksgiving and Christmas. They also made 11 fleece blankets that donated to St. Vincent Hospital to be given to the patients in the Transitional Care Unit.

Honorable Mention—GFWC Highland Woman’s Club

This clubs members participated in 8 projects raising $1175.00, In-Kind donations of $1100.00 and all of this in 88 hours. This club participated in the Annual Romp and Roll cancer resource centers fund raiser walk. They donated to the Canine Companions, The Sisters of Charity Soup Kitchen. They played Secret Santa to a local family, they had a speaker from Habitat from Humanity, and made comfort kits in conjuction with the Montessori Childrens schoolhouse. They also donated food to the Salvation army.They gave financial donations to the Epilepsy Foundation, Multiple Sclerosis Society, Parkinson Foundation, Humane society, St.Vincent DePaul walk for the Poor, Hospice and Respite Care.

Home Life Partnership

1st Place Winner-- GFWC/IFC WOMEN IN ACTION

This 9-member club had 4 participating members, completed three projects, spent 75 volunteer hours and donated $200 to CANINE COMPANIONS FOR INDEPENDENCE. In September, Linda & Leland (her CCI service animal) did a demo at Stony Run County Park in Hebron, IN for approximately 50 autistic kids and their parents. They also did a demo at Alsip Home & Nursery in St. John, IN for approximately 100 people. In November at the Great Lakes Convention, a handmade doggie bag filled with dog treats was raffled off and that money was sent to CCI.

2nd Place Winner -- GFWC/IFC PROGRESS CLUB OF SOUTH BEND

This 50-member club had 50 participating members, completed one project, spent 1 hour and donated $500.00. A $500 check was presented to the partnership CANINE COMPANIONS FOR INDEPENDENCE.

3rd Place Winners – GFWC/IFC ESO REGIONAL READERS

This 13-member club completed two projects, spent 20 volunteer hours and donated $140 to CANINE COMPANIONS FOR INDEPENDENCE. Leland is our mascot and he performed many demos. His demonstrations show how a canine can help a person with a disability. Club members also donated to CCI by purchasing items at the CCI gift shop.

International Outreach Program

1stPlace – GFWC Munster Junior Woman’s Club

This club that has 32 members participating in three projects, which included the Life for the World/Haitian Orphanage project in Port au Prince, Haiti. This non-profit organization takes care of children and provides food, shelter, and an education at the Maranatha Orphanage. They have supported this organization for several years and continue; to sponsor a child named Nathalie. In addition to the sponsorship, they have purchased two goats for her. Their donations for this project total $510 with 20 hours of volunteer time.

This club also supports “Operation Christmas Child”. This organization shares God’s love through life-changing experiences using simple shoeboxes provided by members and filled with items to send to children in 130 countries, delivered by Samaritan’s Purse. Their donations for this project totaled $406.

Through their fundraisers, this club also supports Heifer Project, Operation Smile, Shot@Life and PET (Personal Energy Transportation) totaling $1,610.

2ndPLACE -- GFWC/IFC ESO Joyce Wargo Reading Club

This club continues to support the signature project the “wish list” for Every Child’s Ministries”. The goal of the founders of this organization is to provide a Christian education for school children in Africa’s Congo. Fifteen participating members save greeting card fronts onto which they trace a variety of shapes (hearts, circles, stars, butterflies). They also trace, cut and attach Bible verses to each shape. Members have workshops at their meetings and also continue to assemble the shapes on their own time. They have presented 1,252 award plaques to every Child Ministries. They spent 790 hours on this project with an in-kind donation of $100. Also, as part of their partnership with Every Childs Ministries, 15 members made pillowcase dresses and skirts during a special meeting. They also purchased shorts for the little boys. Five members spent a total of 24 hours to provide 17 dresses, 28 skirts and four pairs of shorts for the children. Members also continue to collect empty prescription medicine vials to shop to the American Foundation for Children with Aids. They have mailed a total of 745 empty vials. The fifteen members have volunteered 1,391 hours with in-kind donations of $254.

3rd PLACE -- GFWC/IFC Lowell Woman's Club

This club participated in 8 projects donating 109 hours oftime. Three projects were dedicated to "Every Child Ministries". This is an organization thatrescues and rehabilitates slave children and women. The club purchased fabric and sewed 10 skirts and sent them to the ministry. The clubwomen also collected 25 pairs of children’s and adult size shoes and assorted sizes of children’s clothing to be sent to the area of most need in order to prevent foot fungus that affects the people of this region. They also sent 100 covers of greeting cards so the people of the region could make and sell them like bookmarks. Another project consisted of making four blankets and donating them to the “Million Moms Challenge” a maternity ward in Kenya. Ten members gathered and purchased necessary items for SOS care packages that were packed by them and then delivered to troops overseas for Christmas. Donations for all the projects totaled $143.84 with in-kind donations totaling $359. Fifteen members of the club participated in the projects.

International Outreach Partnership

1st PLACE – GFWC Highland Woman’s Club

GFWC Highland Woman’s Club had 20 members participate in 3 projects giving 30 hours and donations of $460. They also had in-kind donations of $300. This club in collaboration with Southridge Elementary “Girls on the Run” team made 30 dolls for Operation Smile. The club provided the materials and the girls made the dolls. They donated $240 for a child’s cleft lip surgery. They also donated items for Smile Bags.

2ndPlace – GFWC Fayette County ESO

The GFWC/IFC Fayette County ESO had 10 members give 8 hours and donations of $57 and in-kind donations of $250. They continue to support Operation Smile. They gathered items and mailed a huge box to Operation Smile. The goal was to donate 26 of the items in honor of the 26 deaths at Newton School. They had three members who learned of the Shot@Life initiative sponsored by Walgreens. The pharmacy donated one shot to Shot@Life for every flu shot purchased. Members encouraged everyone to get a flu shot and to support Shot@Life through this program.

3rdPlace – GFWC/IFC Lowell Woman’s Club

The GFWC/IFC Lowell Woman’s Club had 15 members give 19 hours and donations of $75 along with in-kind donations of $10 to Heifer International. They viewed a video entitled “Twelve Stones”. After seeing how Heifer International work with illiterate women in Napal and helps these women journey out of poverty to self-reliance, they wanted to help. Heifer International’s mission is to work with communities to end hunger and poverty while caring for the earth. The Club donated fund for this community to receive two flocks of chickens.