2015 GFWC Michigan Narrative
GFWC Signature Program: Domestic Violence Awareness & Prevention
Club: GFWC-Hastings Women’s ClubCategory: 3District: Southwestern
No. Members: 56 No. All Projects/Programs: 11 No. All Volunteer Hours:68.25
No. All Dollars Donated: $203.50 No. All In-Kind Donations: $804
Prepared by: Kathy LaVictor, President E-mail: ph# 269-945-0745
1. For the past several years in November & December the club collects socks for the women and children at Green GablesHaven. Green Gables is the local women’s shelter in the county. This sock collection began in memory of a long-time member of our club. An assortment of 123 pairs of socks both for women and children were collected, packaged in small baggies, labeled with the reminder “as you begin your new life and step away from abuse, we hope you will find comfort and warmth as you walk into your newly found freedom”. The label also includes the template from GFWC denoting it as a signature project of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs and includes a notation that the project is done by our local club in memory of one of our deceased member. Delivery of the socks was made before Christmas to the shelter facility.
No. Members: 24 Volunteer Hours: 6 Dollars Donated: x In-kind Dollars: $232
2. We also do a collection of products needed at the shelter. The staff at Green Gables is contacted by co-chairs of this project to obtain a list of what the shelter needs. Coffee, various paper products, laundry supplies and other items were collected and delivered to the shelter by the co-chairs
No. Members: 26 Volunteer Hours: 14 Dollars Donated: x In-kind Dollars: $224
3. One member of our club also made a donation to Green Gables of food items from a personal family gathering
No. Members:1 Volunteer Hours: 2 Dollars Donated: x In-kind Dollars: $100
4. One member serves on the Hastings Family Support Center board.
No. Members: 1 Volunteer Hours: 6 Dollars Donated: x In-kind Dollars: x
5. One member is involved in the Barry County Child Abuse & Neglect Committee Coalition.
No. Members: 1 Volunteer Hours: 4 Dollars Donated: x In-kind Dollars: $10
GFWC Signature Partnership – Prevent Child Abuse America
6. Priorto the March meeting,the club’s chair to the Family Support Center of Barry County (formerly Child Abuse Prevention Council of Barry County) contacts the director of the Support Center and obtains a list of “wishes”the Center needs. “Wishes” were created on a “Wishing Tree” and members selected a leaf with an item listed. Items were collected at the April meeting. Donated items included paper cups & plates, ziplock bags, file folders, antibacterial wipes. Besides the donated items a check was presented to the Family Support Center. In addition, at the April meeting the chair made the membership aware of the Prevention Awareness Day in Lansing and encouraged attendance so that there was a strong voice at the capitol to bring further awareness to the issue of child abuse, neglect awareness and education.
No. Members: 23 Volunteer Hours: 23 Dollars Donated: $69.50 In-kind Dollars: $208.00
2015 Hastings Domestic Awareness Prevention page 2
7. Three members attended the GFWC Great Lakes Regional Conference and heard a presentation by James Hmurovich, President & CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America.
No. Members 3Volunteer Hours: 3 Dollars Donated: xIn-kind Dollars: x
8. Two members of the club donated old phones to the Barry County Victims Advocate group through the Barry Co. Sheriff’s dept. to be recycled for abuse victims.
No. Members 2 Volunteer Hours: 1 Dollars Donated: x In-kind Dollars: $30
GFWC Signature Project Partnership- Pinwheels for Prevention
*The club has built partnerships with the Family Support Center of Barry County, the Barry Great Start Parent Coalition and Safe Harbor Children’s Advocacy Hastings to lend support to the prevention of child abuse. Brochures of resources regarding the various local agencies were provided at our April meeting to promote awareness with our members and that they may pass this information on to others.*
9. Since 2014, the club voted to annually supporting the GFWC Partnership with Pinwheels for Prevention. In 2015 in conjunction with April’s Child Abuse Prevention month, the club members were given the opportunity to purchase the silver and blue pinwheels.
No. Members: 20 Volunteer Hours: 3 Dollars Donated: $109.00 In-kind Dollars: x
10. Members of the club planted the blue & silver pinwheels in the Adopt-a-Corner garden maintained by the club in downtown Hastings. An article was featured in the paper regarding this project and the club’s partnership with various support agencies. The corner served as a visible reminder of the community’s responsibility that preventing child abuse is a community challenge.
No. Members: 7 Volunteer Hours: 6 Dollars Donated: x In-kind Dollars: x
11. One member reported making a special donation in memory of grandmothers through the GFWC for Pinwheels for Prevention on-line.
No. Members:1Volunteer Hours: .25 Dollars Donated: $25 In-kind dollars: x