Skip to main content

Hope is Alive


 

While yesterday began at a low ebb for me (see yesterday’s post) it ended on a high note. I was able to spend some time in the company of some truly amazing women at the Women’s Giving Circle event at Howard Community College. There’s nothing more effective for jarring one out of a sense of hopelessness than an evening surrounded by women who see what needs to be done and are doing it. 



From their website:

Mission

The Women’s Giving Circle is building a community of philanthropists to address the needs of women and girls in Howard County.​

Impact

We have been part of the Howard County community for 20+ years, have given $1M+ to our nonprofit partners through 250+ grants. We have a $1.3M endowment from 1,600+ donors that will ensure that there are funds to support women and girls in our community in perpetuity. In 2022 we gave $200K to our nonprofit partners in honor of WGC's 20th Anniversary.

While I’ve written about WGC before, I’m not sure I’ve ever revealed that my earliest notions of this group were painfully inaccurate. I somehow had gotten the notion that they were a bunch of affluent white women do-gooder types, maybe like the Junior League. It wasn’t until fairly recently that I finally understood that their mission was about women and girls!

Yikes.

What changed my perceptions? Two things. The first was seeing women I knew take leadership roles with the Women’s Giving Circle: Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz and Candace Dodson-Reed. It’s pretty simple. When you have a personal connection, you find yourself paying more attention. The second was when WGC dedicated themselves to pursuing a path of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through Philanthropy. Many nonprofits pay lip service to such ideas. WGC has truly been walking the walk. 

I’m also impressed by The State of Women and Girls in Howard County a report which is “a baseline compilation of data and a resource about women from statistics published by a range of federal, state, and county agencies as well as public, private, and nonprofit organizations.” Last night I learned how analysis of this information has led to concrete actions by the WGC to address specific needs in the community.

I began the day feeling that everything was hopeless. As the evening wore on I began to think about this quote from George Bernard Shaw:

People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

I’m never going to be a big money donor (unless I win the lottery). What’s special about the Giving Circle model of philanthropy is that it gives all donors, big or small, the opportunity to pool their resources and make a bigger impact. All donors are welcome. And valuable. 

Don’t have big bucks? Or, not sure where to jump in? Here’s a simple way to get started. The Women’s Giving Circle has an ongoing drive to provide feminine hygiene products to those who need them through places like the Community Action Council/Howard County Food Bank, Columbia Community Care. You can drop items off at collection bins at the Howard County Library, The 3rd, Bra La La, and Howard Community College. Or you can make a monetary donation here.

On a day when I looked at the concept of International Women’s Day and felt hopeless, it was reassuring to encounter a place where hope is very much alive and hard at work. 









Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else.  Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not  chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...
1 comment
Read more

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday.  Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was  "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018.  2018 .  But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest.  In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...
1 comment
Read more

What Kids Are Thinking

  It’s a Monday in February, and if you guessed that a lot of Howard County students have the new cell phone policy on their minds, you’d be right. It will mean big changes and it will be stressful, no matter how much good we hope it will do in the long run. But on this particular Monday cell phones might not be top of mind, as amazing as that seems. Some kids will go to school wondering if they or family members will be seized by ICE. Some will fear that their parents’ employment will be purged by the ongoing rampage of Elon Musk and his cronies through Federal Government. Some fear heightened and renewed racism as programs that supprted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vilified and destroyed.  Some worry that it soon won’t be safe for them to use the bathroom in school anymore. It goes without saying that some kids fear going to school every day because of the prevalence of school shootings.  And look! Here’s something new to fear. That old hate group, Libs of TikTo...
1 comment
Read more