The Federal Building Courtyard resounded with happy voices during the social portion of the GWC Annual Celebration on a bright, crisp April evening. There was indeed much to celebrate as we look back on 2024! Our membership increased again, and our 2024 GWC Grants pushed the total amount of awards to Greenwood nonprofits to over $403,000!

Members and guests were greeted in the Federal Building courtyard by Debbie Bourne and Nina Trent, representatives of the Membership Committee, and Peggy Dewane-Pope, new Vice Chair of GWC. An array of delectables including strawberries, prosciutto wrapped cheese, quiches, spanakopita, brownie bites, and a tower of macarons were graciously served by Holley Coyle, Courtney Christensen, and Connie Carstens. At a separate but equally sumptuous table, Brenda Wulfekotte and Summer Booker served a delicious pomegranate punch (with or without prosecco).

At 6:00, with high anticipations, we made our way into the Greenwood Community Theatre where we were greeted by a stage swathed in bright green light that introduced us to this year’s Annual Celebration theme: Empowered Women Empower Communities.

Mary Woodiwiss, outgoing chair of GWC, opened the program with a warm welcome to our members and guests, including the four Co-Chairs of Greenville Women Giving: Beverly Ward, Connie Lanzl, Jane Pannier, and Jill Fivecoat, our “sisters from up the road.” Members of this organization were especially helpful resources in the formation of GWC. Mary gave special thanks to Ryan Hewitt, GCT’s Artistic and Technical Director for handling technical aspects of the evening.

Mary then noted: “It has been deeply meaningful to me to guide the creation and establishment of Greenwood Women Care since the earliest days of research into, and focus group discussions about, women’s giving collectives in 2016; through the formation of our Steering Committee in 2017 and our Charter Membership year of 2018; until this point in our 8^th membership year and 7^th year of grantmaking. Thank you for this distinct privilege, and special thanks to the many of you who have supported this enterprise with your positive dedication, hard work, creative ideas, and generous spirit. We grow as empowered women – empowered to serve, to lead, to generate, to support, and to strengthen the fabric of Greenwood County.” She commended Rachel Strayer, incoming GWC Chair, saying, “She brings uncommon energy, care, and commitment to all she sets her mind to. And she is an absolute delight to know and to work alongside! Thank you, Rachel, for assuming this role on behalf of all of us!”

Thank you, Mary Woodiwiss! Through your vision, values, and inspired leadership, you have made an enormous impact on Greenwood and have empowered many women, both in and out of GWC!.

Representatives of some of our 2024 grant recipients spoke in program portions entitled “Empowerment in Action”. Rosemary Bell and Ginger Lawton of Greater Greenwood United Ministry thanked GWC for the grant that enabled their organization to establish The Larry Tompkins Colon Cancer Prevention Program, named in honor of their clinic colleague.

A lively video composed by Rachel Strayer, “2024 Year in Review,” highlighted GWC events from the “Silver and Gold” Winter Social to our November Quarterly meeting, “Data Matters”. (View the video here.)

Our second “Empowerment in Action” speakers, Andrea White and Gwen Wiggleton represented the Food Bank of Greenwood County. Andrea referenced how empowered women lift others up as well. They both thanked GWC for the grant received last fall to support the soup kitchen and spoke of the importance of providing a safe place to gather, giving of oneself to aid someone else, and meeting essential needs for healthy meals.

Catherine DiBenedetto and Laura Bachinski introduced a lively game of “That’s GWC!” After hearing a statement pertaining to GWC, such as “I’ve attended a GWC meeting in a venue I’d never been in before”  and  “ I have a friend I wouldn’t have known without GWC,” audience members stood if this statement applied to them. A glitter-filled, GWC green beach ball was tossed in the general direction of the standing members, and the recipient briefly shared their response to the prompt. Fun! Fun! Fun!

The final “Empowerment in Action” portion featured Tammie Price and Vali Johnson from A Place for Us. Their GWC grant allowed the organization to provide a new program, Compassion Relief Retreats  at their 60-acre property, Our Farm. These retreats are designed to help nonprofit staff in direct services who experience stress and fatigue from caring for others. Retreats include equine, nature, and art therapies.

After each “Empowerment in Action” segment, presenters drew names for door prizes donated by women business owners. Contributors were: Kristen Bennett, Bonhomie, Charming Gourmet Sticks, Fig, Main & Maxwell, and Sweet Indulgence. Bev Gebicke and Madison Bryan delivered gifts to the lucky winners: Terry Lewis, Angie McCool, Debra Moton, Whitney Nicholson, Jan Saul, and Nina Trent.

Jan Puzar and Debbie Coesens presented “Empowering our Community” celebrating the 62 grants made to Greenwood nonprofits over the past six years. “The Grants Number Shuffle” ensued! Eight audience members were asked to come to the stage and arrange matboards with digits and symbols into the correct number reflecting our total awards in our granting history. After moments of hilarity and “helpful” coaching from the audience, the proper order reflecting the correct amount was achieved. $403,974!

Jan noted that, even with the significant grant funds GWC has been able to move into our community, there are still many unmet needs. Gift memberships to GWC, employer-sponsored memberships, and direct donations to GWC Granting Fund are all excellent ways to build our capacity to address local needs and opportunities through grantmaking. She closed with the apt statement “our community cannot be strong unless each component of our community is strong.”

Our new GWC Chair, Rachel Strayer, closed out the evening by thanking numerous committees and contributors for their involvement in the celebration. She expressed gratitude on behalf of the entire organization to Mary for her vision, leadership, and dedication to building GWC into the powerhouse for good that it is today. Rachel then introduced our new GWC Officers: Mary Woodiwiss, Treasurer; Margaret Conrad, Secretary; Peggy Dewane-Pope, Vice Chair; and herself as Chair.

Rachel concluded the celebration by inviting all to attend our 2^nd Quarterly Meeting on Monday, May 12^th, “Breaking the Silence: Together for Suicide Prevention and Awareness” at the Main Street United Methodist Church.

What a glorious evening!

GWC’s first quarterly meeting of 2025, For the Dreams of Children, was held on Monday, February 24^th at Connie Maxwell Children’s Ministries in their Sandifer Dining Room, decorated with vases of fresh flowers and photographs of life at Connie Maxwell. Though the room was spacious, GWC was thrilled to have an overflow of women eager to socialize and learn more about the dreams of Connie Maxwell Children’s Ministries.

All were warmly welcomed by Anne-Marie Johnson, co-chair of the Membership Committee, along with Karen Smith and Vicki Chandler of the Social Committee. More  Social Committee members awaited us at the bountiful buffet of breads, pimento cheese and egg salad croissants, open faced turkey sandwiches, club sandwiches on a roll, tabouli, and fruit. Courtney Christensen and Holley Coyle, co-chairs of the Social Committee graciously greeted us and directed us to yet another Social Committee member, Bobbie Fulton, who served hot cider, and water.

Rachel Strayer, Vice Chair of our Advisory Board, welcomed us and extended heartfelt thanks to our many renewing members and the 13 new members who have joined us and recognized our guests. Sincere thanks were also extended to our hosts, Danny Nicholson and Lauren Boyd for their warm hospitality. Rachel noted: “Greenwood is a special place because of organizations like Connie Maxwell, where compassion meets action. It’s a community where generosity and service are woven into the fabric of everyday life – where people and organizations come together to uplift, support, and inspire. It’s this shared commitment to caring for others that makes Greenwood not just a town, but a home.”

Rachel then introduced Laura Stowe, co-chair of the Communications Committee who announced the Greenwood Women Care exhibit at the Greenwood County Library which will be on display from March 1 – April 30.

Taylor Haigler, Programs & Education Committee member, introduced our first speaker, Danny Nicholson, President and fund raiser extraordinaire, who treated all present to a peek at the dreams of Connie Maxwell. He shared an excellent 20-minute video which outlined major components of Connie Maxwell Children’s Ministries: A dynamic, foundational history and dreams for the future, including Maxwell Farm reimagined with plans for an amphitheater and animal therapy, the creation of a Charleston campus, and a Healing Center in Greenwood devoted to addressing trauma. He also spoke from his personal experience about the need each child has to be truly seen and loved to be able to thrive.

Danny Nicholson then introduced Lauren Boyd, Fitness and Wellness Specialist at Connie Maxwell Children’s Ministries and GWC member! Lauren leads the MaxFit program to promote physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being for staff and students. She thanked GWC for awarding the very first grant in support of MaxFit and informed us that GWC funding provided for the purchase of multiple large pieces of equipment in the MaxFit gym. We viewed a second video, “Dream On.”

Laura Bachinski, chair of our Programs & Education Committee, presented All the Places We Call Home by Patrice Gopo (Author) and Jenin Mohammed (Illustrator) to Danny Nicholson and Lauren Boyd for inclusion in the Greenwood County Library in their honor.

Mary Woodiwiss, Advisory Board Chair, closed out the meeting with special thanks to all who attended for making time to be present at this special gathering and to our Social and Programs & Education Committees for their efforts to make this evening possible. In expressing appreciation to Danny Nicholson, Lauren Boyd, and the staff of Connie Maxwell, she said:  “The book of Proverbs says, ‘without a vision, the people perish.’ In your service to children in need of care, you are often holding that vision on behalf of a child or youth until she or he can carry it forward for themselves. Your daily dedication gives substance to the dreams of children, and we are all enriched by it.”

It was a wonderful evening, ending with hugs and a large group photo!

GWC was thrilled to welcome our members, guests, and esteemed presenters from United Way of the Lakelands to our last quarterly meeting of 2024, “Data Matters”, on Tuesday, November 12^th at the United Center for Community Care. All in attendance were treated to a unique and enlightening “Data Walk” presented by staff and interns of United Way of the Lakelands.

Everyone was graciously greeted by members of the Membership Committee (Betty Adams, Cindy O’Connor, and Anne Marie Johnson) and the Social Committee ( Courtney Christensen, Holley Coyle, Summer Booker, and  Brenda Wulfekotte) and given a number that indicated the station number where they would begin their Data Walk. Special thanks to Bobbie Fulton, Connie Carstens, Cindy Logan, Casey Tompkins, and Vicki Chandler for going the extra mile and surprising us with delicious homemade cookies to enjoy during our stroll around the information stations situated throughout the room.

Rachel Strayer, Vice-Chair of GWC, welcomed members and recognized guests. Special thanks were extended to the Social and Programs & Education Committees. Rachel introduced the theme of the meeting stressing the power of knowledge and the importance of data-driven awareness in decision-making and selecting grant recipients. Rachel introduced Jan Puzar, Co-Chair of the Grants Review and Awards Committee. Jan invited members to volunteer to collaborate with her and the Grants and Rewards Committee on the upcoming GWC Women’s Health Grant cycle which will be awarded in the first quarter of 2025. GWC will be granting approximately $5,000 from a Women’s Health Fund held by Greenwood County Community Foundation to a local organization working to improve women’s health.

Laura Bachinski introduced Marisel Losa, President and CEO of United Way of the Lakelands since 2018. Marisel welcomed us to the United Center for Community Care and spoke of the importance of having all social service agencies centrally located in one building. She described the collective impact data model used as a tool for critical decision-making for Abbeville, Saluda, Greenwood, and McCormick counties. Justo Chalaire, Director of Community Impact and Evaluation of the United Way of the Lakelands, gave framing comments for the Data Walk, informing us that 44% of the households in SC live on the verge of financial instability and struggle to meet their basic needs; that number is 51% of households in the Lakelands. He invited us to begin our Data Walk at our assigned stations.

The five stations, Health Equity, Housing, Mental Health, Healthy Eating, and Education, were alive with questions and, in many cases, surprises. Presenters at each of the stations had eight minutes with each group of 10 – 12 women. All the data presented was thought-provoking and eye-opening! For a look at current information about community indicators and services in Greenwood County, please visit the Lakelands Counts, an easy-to-use platform that supports community improvement work in Abbeville, Greenwood, McCormick, and Saluda counties. It contains data, best practices, and resources, and hosts over 235 health and quality of life data indicators. Users may customize maps and reports to visualize and analyze data specific to a particular location.

Laura Bachinski led a discussion and invited all present to share their thoughts and pose questions. During that time, Justo Chalaire noted that there are many local concerns but perhaps most troubling is the level of food insecurity in our communities (95% in one zip code) and the startling differences in health equity.

Helena Wardlaw presented a lovely children’s book, Noticing, authored by Kobi Yamada and illustrated by Elise Hurst. According to Good Reads, “this  book is a story about noticing the little things, the grand big things, the imaginary, and sometimes, hidden things. It is about embracing what is possible. And that the incredible is everywhere, and in everything—waiting to be known, discovered, recognized.” What a perfect selection for this particularly important meeting!

Laura Bachinski dismissed us with thanks to United Way for sharing their United Center with us and for providing such an informative program for us. She noted that GWC will accept monetary donations for the books we will donate to the children’s collection of the library in the coming year. She also invited anyone who would be interested in learning more about the data presented to sign up for additional data walk presentations.

All left knowing much, much more about our beloved community and with a greater understanding of where the needs of our communities lay.

“All because of we.”

GWC’s annual informational social, Kick Off the Vote! was hosted by our Grants Review & Awards and Social Committees and held at the Harley Family Center on Monday, October 21st.

The center echoed with exuberant voices of friends greeting each other. Light and delicious refreshments awaited, served by Holley Coyle and Courtney Christensen, Co-Chairs of the Social Committee, as well as other welcoming committee members. During our reception, a PowerPoint created by Laura Stowe was on display highlighting GWC’s activities during the last three months.

Peggy Dewane-Pope opened the meeting with a tribute to our beloved Sally Kauffman followed by her poem “The Fruition of GWC”, borrowing the cadence of a favorite poem from her teaching career. An excerpt:

“Great deeds are done when the vote is won by the women of GWC;

The many needs in town, we help turn ‘round all because of we.

The County of Greenwood was not as it could, so we came to save the day;

And the gifts we’ve made, and the nonprofits we’ve bade,

Provide help in a beautiful way.

We help folks’ woes with medicine, support, and clothes because giving is in our genes

Help with sports, food, and plays, in so many ways because we have the means.

By 2024 with a wide-open door the nonprofits gather for gifts larger and large

The helpers come in, proposing their wins–

It’s good to leave women in charge.”

Members of the Grants Review & Awards Committee presented informational segments. Mary Woodiwiss discussed some FAQS of Nonprofit Funding. Jan Puzar reviewed our voting process with details about how best to complete the ranked voting our ballot allows. Debbie Coesens recapped what happens after we vote, outlining the tabulation process. This is based entirely on members’ anonymous, ranked votes on Survey Monkey ballots. Grants Review & Awards Committee members review this data and determine how many organizations will receive funding and how much funding each organization will receive, based on the total amount available to award in the 2024 cycle.

Mary Woodiwiss then fielded questions. She also announced Women’s Health Grant cycle in Spring of 2025, inviting any interested members to participate in this review process, and reminded members to also vote for Ms. Carey Givings, our very own GWC scarecrow entry in the Uptown Scarecrow contest. Mary Dula closed us out with a rousing reminder of our unity to make a significant impact on our community.

Ballot links were sent at 6:00pm and the ballot will remain open until midnight on Wednesday, October 23rd.

The power and privilege to vote is a tremendous opportunity and one that we hope all GWC members will avail themselves of exercising.

GWC members make an enormous difference by being part of Greenwood Women Care.

We are grateful for this unique opportunity to be able to make our beloved community a better place for all!