Communications – Page 10 – Greenwood County Community Foundation

GWC Letter to the Editor, June 2020

June 12, 2020/in Event Recap, Greenwood Women Care

In early June, the GWC Steering Committee discussed and approved the submission of the following letter to the Index Journal. It was published later in the month, on 6.30.

The impetus for the letter came from a GWC Member who recognized the critical moment in which GWC is well-situated to speak to our community as a positive, inclusive voice, consistent with our mission and values. We hope and trust that this will be an encouragement to our Members, friends, and community.

To the Editor:

In these troubled times, Greenwood Women Care (GWC) stands with the many in our community and world who continue to experience injustice.

GWC is a diverse, open membership organization of 125+ women of varied life experiences, ages, and sectors who come together in our commitment to Greenwood’s thriving through collective grantmaking to local nonprofits.

“Caring Women Building Community” is our mission statement. In our three-year history, we have experienced community-building within our membership, with our many guests, and with those serving in local nonprofits. From our formation, we have intended to be an organization that welcomes, includes, and reflects the broad range of women who comprise Greenwood. In this time of divisiveness and pain, it is good to pause and think about all we have in common.

GWC continues to seek the well-being of all in our home community and the broader communities in which Greenwood County is situated. We deeply desire that all of our actions and efforts bring us closer to the realization of the Beloved Community that Martin Luther King, Jr. envisioned and pointed us toward.

We know that one organization cannot solve the ills of our society. But we want to bring our best to bear on making our home a better one for everyone. We care passionately about our community – thus our name, Greenwood Women Care. Let us all unite in our care about each other, our community, and our world!

Mary Woodiwiss and Laura Bachinski, on behalf of the GWC Steering Committee

GWC Nonprofit Video Snapshots, Summer 2020

June 10, 2020/in Event Recap, Greenwood Women Care

In this time of special COVID-19 precautions, Greenwood Women Care (GWC) recognizes that many of our local nonprofits have been impacted by changes in contact with the public, fundraising, and other usual activity. Meanwhile, GWC has, for the time being, suspended our gatherings which allow us to regularly feature local nonprofits in our programming and by holding Quarterly Meetings and Socials in nonprofit venues.

GWC has developed another means of drawing attention to local nonprofits! We invited local nonprofits to let us shoot a very informal video to present their mission and programs. Twenty-three organizations have chosen to participate and we are thankful for their time and attention in such a challenging season as this. (We managed this with proper social distancing, simple filming on a phone, and no cost to GWC ~ please be advised, and patient with the informal results! )

Videos appeared in 5 “sessions” of 4-5 videos each, with a new session added each Thursday, June 11-July 9.

In each line below, there is a hyperlink to the website, Facebook page, or other informational site (click on each organization’s name) and to that organization’s video clip (click on here). We hope this series of videos will not only serve the efforts of these nonprofits but will also help us to stay connected as Members in this time apart and continue in our mission to inform our Members and guests of issues and opportunities in our community.

Session 1 (posted on June 11)

Learn about BLOOM here.

Learn about Greenwood Pathway House here.

Learn about Piedmont Agency on Aging here.

Learn about Cornerstone here.

Learn about The Arts Center of Greenwood here.

Session 2 (posted on June 18)

Learn about The Museum and Railroad Historical Center here.

Learn about Burton Center here.

Learn about Emerald City Rotary Club (sponsors of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library) here.

Learn about Beyond Abuse here.

GCCF Funds Youth & Education Grants, April 2020

May 5, 2020/in Check Presentations, Publicity

Greenwood County Community Foundation GCCF awarded a total of $25,000 to eight local nonprofit organizations in our 2020 Youth & Education granting cycle.

Grant recipients are:

Boys & Girls Club of the Lakelands — Power Hour program

Community Initiatives — I-station and computers for Safe Haven

Emerald City Hoops/BLOOM — LeadHERship Conference

Food Bank of Greenwood County — Weekend Backpack Program

Goodwill Industries — CNA uniforms and Job Connection training

Healthy Learners — staff and client transportation

The Museum and Railroad Historical Center — summer camp scholarships and “Polar Express” collaborative project

Salvation Army — youth music enrichment program

In response to the particular challenges experienced by nonprofits during this period of COVID-19 precautions, GCCF offered additional flexibility in the utilization of these grant awards.

(Due to COVID-19 precautions, grant check presentation photos for this cycle have been postponed.)

We congratulate each of our Youth & Education grant recipients and are grateful for your continued good work serving our community!

GWC Spring 2020 Newsletter

March 6, 2020/in GWC Newsletters, Newsletters

GWC Quarterly Meeting, “Caring for Community Members with Special Needs”, at Harley Family Center, February 18, 2020

February 20, 2020/in Event Recap, Greenwood Women Care

Sixty plus members and guests turned out on a very cold and wet Tuesday evening on February 18^th to enjoy an uplifting and highly informative Greenwood Women Care’s 1st Quarterly Meeting of 2020. After a very enjoyable extended social time, Mary Woodiwiss, GWC Co-Chair, welcomed guests and members to the Harley Family Center. She shared that we now have 122 members (of which 21 are new members!), reiterated our open Membership, and shared details of our 2020 GWC Grants cycle. Beginning this year, GWC will accept grant applications in August and vote on our grant awards in October.

Rhonda Merritt kicked off our program, “Caring for Community Members with Special Needs”, by introducing our speakers: Susan Keown, Director of Quality Assurance at the Burton Center and Carol Scales, Board President of Greenwood Place along with Toni Belcher of Greenwood Place. Each of these women touched our hearts with their messages of hope, compassion, and respect for those who are served by their organizations.

Laura Bachinski, GWC Co-Chair, closed the evening with special thanks to all who prepared for our meeting. She also announced an invitation to enjoy Greenwood Community Theatre’s production of A Raisin in the Sun on Friday March 6^th at 7:30. A special discounted rate is available to all GWC members. (An email with details was sent to Members on 2.19.)

New Members’ Soup Supper, February 11, 2020

February 15, 2020/in Event Recap, Greenwood Women Care

GWC is happy to welcome 21 new 2020 Members, as of February 11^th! On that evening, our Membership Committee hosted an informal Soup Supper at the home of Mary Woodiwiss.

Our purpose was to welcome our new Members, give an overview of the activities of our GWC Committees, and provide a smaller gathering for women to meet others before our first Quarterly Meeting on February 18^th.

After enjoying an array of several soups, breads, salads, desserts, and beverages, we each spent time getting acquainted with someone we didn’t already know well. Representatives from our six standing committees gave an introduction to their functions within GWC. There was an opportunity for questions, discussion, and continued conversation. It was lovely to be there and just relax in each other’s good company!

2019 Philanthropy Award Recipients

February 11, 2020/in Press Releases

Videos presented at GCCF’s annual ‘Celebrating A Giving Community’ Awards Gala honoring the ‘Spirit of Philanthropy,’ ‘Lifetime of Philanthropy,’ and Duke Energy ‘Citizenship and Service’ recipients.

“A Salsa Social” at The Venezuelan Spot, January 28, 2020

January 31, 2020/in Event Recap, Greenwood Women Care

It’s official! January 28^th will go down in history as one of the most entertaining Tuesday nights ever enjoyed in Greenwood, SC. A good number of GWC Members and guests showed up ready to have a good time at our “Salsa Social” at The Venezuelan Spot.

We savored a delicious Venezuelan dinner enhanced with refreshing homemade sangria and finished with tres leches cake. Thankfully, we were given an opportunity to burn off those calories with an easy-to-follow Salsa line dance lesson. Even those of us with two left feet could follow those moves!

Special thanks to Jose Hernandez of The Venezuelan Spot and Niria Abadia of Buenavista Cuban Cafe for hosting us and teaching us great dance moves, and to Marisel Losa, Laura Bachinski, Louise Watkins, and the rest of our Social Committee for providing us with such a fun night!

GCCF Awards Open Granting Funds, December 2019

December 17, 2019/in Check Presentations, Publicity

Eight local nonprofits received funding in GCCF’s Open Granting cycle in December 2019 for a range of projects and programs for Greenwood County residents. They are:

Alston Wilkes Society for essential work-related items for ex-offenders

American Red Cross- Upstate SC Chapter for Disaster Cycle Services program

Beyond Abuse for purchase of therapists’ computers, printers, and Voicestation

Burton Center for sound wall around café for clients

Connie Maxwell Children’s Home for renovation of residential home for children

Engaging Men of Color for “Reaching Your Destiny Through Education” conference expenses

SC Festival of Flowers for “When Dogs Fly!” Kidfest program

Upper Savannah Land Trust for Community Conservation Priorities spatial analysis

Congratulations! Thank you for all you do to serve and improve our community!

GWC 2019 Highlights, December 2019

December 15, 2019/in Event Recap, Greenwood Women Care

GWC Highlights 2019

January 8, 2019 “Shake off the Winter Blues” GWC Social, held at Wild Hare Productions Theatre, including

“Scenes from Shakespeare” performed by Wild Hare’s Youth Shakespeare actors

February 19, 2019 New 2019 Members’ gathering, hosted by Steering and Membership Committee

Members to welcome 26 new members

February 25, 2019 1^st GWC Quarterly Meeting, held at The Museum; Reception, followed by presentations

from GWC Committees and an outline of the voting process for our very first GWC Grant

Awards

March 12, 2019 GWC Presentation, “Learn Give Grow- Women Building Community Through Collective

Grantmaking” at Together SC’s Annual Summit, “Building Bridges” by Trentsie Williams and

Mary Woodiwiss, GWC Steering Committee Members

March 26, 2019 1^st GWC Annual Meeting, held at Greenwood Genetic Center; Reception, followed by

confirmation of slate of GWC Officers and Steering Committee, annual highlights, and

celebration of our first GWC Grant Awards, totaling $47,625!

March – November 2019 GWC presentations to community groups to spread the word about GWC

May 13, 2019 2^nd GWC Quarterly Meeting, held at Hospice Store; Reception, followed by our program

“Getting Your Ducks in a Row” featuring presentations by: Nancy Corley (CEO, Hospice and

Palliative Care of the Piedmont), the Hon. Travis Moore (Judge, Greenwood County Probate

Court) and Melissa Bane (Senior Client Private Advisor, Greenwood Capital)

July – November 2019 Informal home gatherings hosted by GWC Members and GWC presentations to other

community groups to introduce GWC to community women

July 2019 GWC Membership reached 123!

August 20, 2019 3^rd GWC Quarterly Meeting, held at the United Center for Community Care; Reception,

followed by our program “Back to School: Tools to Succeed” featuring presentations by:

Katie Davenport (Executive Director, The Greenwood Promise) and Laura Padgett (Emerald

High School Transition teacher and Emerald High School Thrift Shop)

October 14, 2019 “GWC Fall Social”, at Grand Harbor Clubhouse

November 4, 2019 4^th GWC Quarterly Meeting, at The Arts Center; Reception, followed by our program

“Celebrating Community Impact” featuring our eight 2019 GWC Grant recipients

Session 1 (posted on June 11)

Session 2 (posted on June 18)

Session 3 (posted on June 25)

Session 4 (posted on July 2)

Session 5 (posted on July 9)

GWC Highlights 2019

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