…And Why I Care
About three years ago, I was invited to attend a meeting with a group of women who meet once a quarter, for one hour, to hear three presentations by local non-profits. At the close of the presentations, a silent vote is cast, and the winning organization receives a $100 check from each woman. This totals to a donation of $2500 to $3000! I was pretty busy at the time but I thought, I can do that! So, I attended, joined, wrote my first check, and have continued ever since.
The women of 100 Women Who Care come from all walks of life… some work, some are retired. And the organizations cover everything from cat and dog rescues with spay and neuter programs, to backpacks for the kiddos, to local school needs like computers, to food banks, a group who provides customized music on MP3 players for those with memory loss, to name just a handfull of recipients.
We meet on the 3rd Saturday of January, April, July and October at 2:00 pm, usually at Tutu’s House in Waimea. This April I was a presenter for two wonderful organizations:
Ho’ola Farms was established in 2015 to provide natural agriculture education training and hands-on experiences for military veterans and first responders, their famiies and caregivers, and the community in hopes of creating a more sustainable future and well-being for all. (I had read about them in the March issue of the Hamakua Times.)
Catsnip Hawaii facilitates the spay and nueter of cats on our island. Atotal of 5,492 cats have received this service, significantly reducing the population of unwanted and uncared for kittens! And they provide temporary shelter, food and care for adult cats waiting for their forever home! (I discovered them while driving through Waimea, turning into a parking lot that flew a banner – Kitty Adoption Today! And, yes, I adopted adorable 3-month old Zoe.)
After a brief introduction, the women were able to ask questions of each organization. Then, we cast our silent ballet, and the winner was announced…Ho’ola Farms won by a narrow margin…a kitty hair, you might say. With the approximately $2500 they will receive, veterans from Honokaa to Hawi are eligible to participate in the Victory Garden program, receiving all the elements (free planter boxes, soil, amendments and starter plants), and training they need to establish their own gardens, while experiencing the joy of providing for themselves and their families. In addition, relationships are often formed which help support veterans and their families.
Honestly, after both presentations, there was barely a dry eye in the group! Members happily whipped out their checkbooks, with many making an additional donation to Catsnip Hawaii!
Since October 2015, 100 Women Who Care has donated over $57,000 to a plethora of 501c3 non-profits. What a great feeling to know that a $100 donation, when added with 25 or 30 more, help our North Hawaii communities in BIG ways!
Feel free to reach out to me for more information in regards to becoming a member, or having your non-profit presented to the group.
