On April 16 Laura LaVelle, a member of the steering committee for the Fairfield County chapter of 100 Women Who Care admitted that the organization’s name was for the moment “aspirational.”
“So many things are just random and dependent on the weather and who’s busy and who’s just had a grandchild,” LaVelle said with a laugh on the porch of the Milestone restaurant in Redding. She noted that the chapter typically sees between 40 and 50 attendees at events including a core of 30 regulars, although several regulars had been unable to attend for reasons, she said, which encompassed the “entire circle of life.”
The chapter was founded in 2015, and LaVelle attended her first meeting on a whim, deciding to join a friend and was immediately taken with the way the organization combines having a community impact and a social atmosphere without relying on Robert’s Rules of Order and lengthy planning meetings.
“People just come. They speak from the heart about a charity they care about and it’s a nice group of people, we always have fun, have dinner afterwards if people want to hang out,” Lavelle said. “The theory is we’re more powerful giving together than separately. It’s nice that it’s very democratic.”
The organization, which includes chapters which are co-ed or focused around a particular type of issue, enables participants to “make a real impact right here in Fairfield County without time-consuming events and planning,” according to the chapter’s website. “And it takes only an hour…Simply a great way to give back right in our own community.”
At each of the quarterly meetings three charities are selected to make a presentation to the group, and afterwards members who have made previous donations vote on which charity should receive a $100 donation from every member in the chapter.
The presentations themselves are equally streamlined. PowerPoint presentations are explicitly banned, although handouts are permitted, and the organizations only have five minutes to make their case. The audience is permitted to ask questions afterwards, and then the ballots are distributed, filled out, and counted.
The charities themselves are nominated by members who submit a slip of paper which is then picked out of a literal hat. A winning charity is kept out of the hat for two years, but otherwise 100 Women Who Care members are encouraged to choose causes they’re passionate about even if they have a personal connection to it.
For the April 16 meeting the charities up for consideration were the Saint Joseph Parenting Center of Stamford, Adam’s House in Shelton, and the Aspetuck Valley Rugby Club based in Newtown.
Saint Joseph Parenting Center provides parenting training courses in a variety of languages, with an emphasis on helping parents learn how to break out of patterns or thought processes that could harm their children or lead to State involvement.
Adam’s House offers families dealing with grief a space to learn how to handle those feelings, and heal with others who are experiencing a similar situation.
The Aspetuck Valley Rugby Club has created a club sport enjoyed by a diverse group of boys and girls throughout the valley which has helped students earn vital college scholarships.
As the votes were tallied pizzas from the Milestone kitchen circulated, compliments of the manager.
The members also received an update from President, CEO, and Founder of nOURish BRIDGEPORT Inc., Reverend Sara D. Smith about how the previous donation of almost $5000 had been put to use. Reverend Smith explained how transformational it had been for food insecure families across Bridgeport to receive fresh produce from the indoor hydroponic farm the non-profit runs, especially in the dead of winter.
After the ballots were counted the winner, by a single vote was the Aspetuck Valley Rugby Club, earning $4200 which Club President and Assistant Coach John O’Neil said would help ensure full participation of each member, even for away games.
“We’re an organization that doesn’t turn away any kid,” O’Neil said. “Many kids come to us that can’t afford it but we believe in the importance of every kid being out there playing, learning having fun. We also teach lot of respect of the game.”
O’Neil noted that unlike many sports, if a player is ejected from a Rugby game for misconduct or breaking fundamental rules they can’t be replaced by a benched player.
“So now your team is forced to play down because of your actions,” O’Neill explained. “They learn quickly what they need to do in order to be successful on a successful team.”
As those who couldn’t stay for dinner began to depart LaVelle encouraged them to consider contributing to the other charities as well if possible. A team works best when it works together.
Thank you for writing about us! Any local women interested in joining us, please get in touch at 100wwcfairfieldcounty@gmail.com. You’d be welcome to attend our July meeting as our guest and see what we’re all about.