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vol. 9, no. 1 February 2015

In Partnership with United Way - Thomas Jefferson Area

BY MARGERY DANIEL

SusanHamelin

The Story of Women UnitedWomen. Wisdom. Collective giving. Community enhancement. These are the guidelines reverberating throughout the ten-year history of Women United.

Revisiting our history and envisioning our future is a timely and important aspect of our 10th Anniversary celebration. When we met ten years ago we knew that collective giving would add depth and efficacy to our aim of maximizing the opportunities for our community’s women and children. Why collective giving? Because we wanted to foster potential in the most forceful way possible, and knew that could be accomplished through collaboration. Our decision to officially organize as a group, in partnership with the United Way, was made at a time when women’s collective giving efforts were exploding. In a five-year period, women had individually and collectively had contributed $44,000,000 philanthropically across America.

As participants in this organization, we have contributed not only to the growth and potential of our grant recipients, but also to our own growth as a group and as women individually. We have learned from each other, our speakers, our presentations, our research and our grant recipients. We have realized that experiencing membership in Women United can happen on many levels – collectively, individually, civically, professionally, personally and collegially. What a group. What a force.

The collective giving of Women United has been converted into grants totaling $312,825 towards services for our community’s women and children. Our core aspirations to educate, and then facilitate opportunities have been demonstrated, for example, by the purchase of two vans for transportation for program participants of both CHIP, and the Boys and Girls Club; the provision of mental health treatment by The Women’s Initiative to 200 uninsured local women; and the coordination and administration of the Backpack Program by the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. And this is only the beginning!

Every woman who has been a Women United member has made an imprint on our organization, and therefore on our community. As we move in to our next 10 years we look forward to continuing the fruitful goals of our original purpose.

Thank you for being a vibrant part of Women United’s collective community action. Happy 10th Anniversary!

In addition to her role as a co-founder of Women United, Margery Daniel, PhD, LCSW, has been an adjunct faculty member at Smith College School for Social Work; clinical staff psychotherapist at UVA Counseling and Psychological Services, and private practice psychotherapist in Charlottesville. She is married with three amazing daughters, serves on the United Way Board of Directors and is an integral part of many groups in the Charlottesville community.

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In 2005 eight women gathered in Charlottesville with an eagerness to know more about the needs of our community. Less than a year later Women United awarded it’s first grant in the amount of $15,000. In the ten years since that initial meeting eight has grown to hundreds, over $300,000 has been awarded and the idea that we could do more together has become a reality.

To celebrate our 10th year of learning and giving together we asked our Founding Members to look back on what their hopes and dreams were for the group in the beginning, as well as what ideas they have for the future of Women United. Here is what they had to say:

“What inspired you to get involved in the creation of Women United?”

“I knew women in our community had big hearts, fine minds and much community spirit…I hoped WU might enable targeted giving by an empowered group of women who wanted to make an impact together.” – Deborah Conway, RN, MSN, Assistant Professor of Nursing, University of Virginia

“I was inspired by the belief that women in our community could and would be more philanthropic with their time and funds if the opportunity was provided.” – Sue Friedman, President, Alzheimer’s Association of Central Virginia

“What do you hope to see during Women United’s next 10 years?”

“I would hope Women United could increase the number of Donor Members that we have so that we could make a really significant impact for an organization (or two!).” – Suzanne Brooks, Executive VP, Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. of Central Virginia

“I would love to see more women get involved in the grant-making process so that they have an even better view of the significant needs of women and children in our community.” – Liza Borches, President & CEO, Carter Myers Automotive

“I would like to see us exceed the $1mm hurdle the way we’ve done it so far, by being lean and efficient. Whenever I tell someone about our group, I always start by saying “we raise money, and we give it all away”. That’s a good story to tell.” – Jennifer Feist, COO Murray Enterprises

“I would love to see continued membership growth among all ages, informative presentations and educational session that add value to participants’ understanding of needs, policies and issue of importance in our community.” – Cathy Train, President, United Way Thomas Jefferson Area

Contributing MembersMildred Abraham Kate Acuff Robin Amato Jeanie Anderson Maia Bannan Sharon Barker Louisa Barrett Sarah Blackman Karen Boeschenstein Bonnie Brewer Maxine Burton Melba Campbell Blair Ciesil Jennifer Corbey Molly Akeel Crawford Annette Daly Pat Davis Kathy Del Rosso Mary Loose Deviney Lucille Digges

Athena Eastwood Melanie Elston Joan Fadden Kathleen Ford Anne Gardner Maran Garland Laurie Gillette Debbi Goodman Sasha Greene Sonia Haimes Lynda Harrill Donna Hearn Joyce Holt Amy Hughes Katie Ikenberry Elizabeth Irvin Suzannah Kamath Barbara Kessler Susan King Karen Knierim Elyta Koh Pender Koontz Kristina Koutrakos

Kakie Brooks Rose Capon Trish Cluff Deborah Conway Margery Daniel Amy Eastlack Peggy Echols Jennifer Feist Shirley French Sue Friedman Grace Giras Allyn Gutauskas Bebe Heiner Sharon Hostler Carol Johnston Emily Kobyra Harriet Kuhr Barbara Lee Etta Legner Jennifer Lehman

Cheri Lewis Peppy Linden Deborah McAndrews Janet Miller Jackie Newton Valerie Palamountain Maryfrances Porter Sue Rainey Katherine Rhyne Jane Rotch Margie Swanson Elsie Thompson Cathy Train Louise Trudel Erika Viccellio Peggy Williams

Donor/Voting Members

Celebrating 10 Years

Founding Members: Back Row: Sue Friedman, Deborah

Conway, Suzanne Brooks, Cathy Train. Front Row: Jennifer Feist, Margery Daniel, Liza Borches. Not Pictured: Bitsy Waters.

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Why So Few? Closing the STEM Gender Gap: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics When: Tuesday, February 24 at 8:30am Where: Omni Hotel, Charlottesville

Corporate Members

Contributing Members, continuedAlicia Lenaham Sue Liberman Lotta Lofgren Abby Lunn Lee McCallister Jennifer McCune Diantha McKeel Kathy McQuilkin Tracy Meade Derry Miller Christina Monfalcone Judy Morton Deana Nowell Judy Nunley Ruth Ellen Outlaw Arlene Page Paula Pagonakis KK Pearson Kim Peel Jacquie Pickering Michelle Pike Daniela Pretzer Lainie Rainwater Gwenyth Rankin Caitlin Reed Meg Riechman

Joy Sabol Caroline Satira Errin Searcy Anne Slaughter Judy Smith Mary Frances Southerland Julie Sparks Jeanne Stanborough Gay Stillwell Sandra Thomas Carrie Throckmorton Anne Tilney Susanne Tilney-Peyton Deborah van Eersel Ellen Vaughan Martha Weiss Elizabeth Wertheim Roxanne White Blair Williamson Risé L. Wilson

Kimberlee Barrett-Johnson Barrett-Johnson & Associates Liza Myers Borches, Carter Myers Automotive* Suzanne Brooks, Pepsi-Cola Bottling of Central Virginia* Lynn Brown, Brown Automotive* Carol Clarke, Montague Miller & Co.* Cheryl Duncan, Charlottesville Newsplex Sasha Farmer Sasha Farmer Team Realtors Susan Hamelin* Wendy Heifetz, MH Swanson & Assoc. Brooke Jenkins, Virginia National Bank Valerie Long, Williams Mullen Kim Martin, Volvo of Charlottesville Jeanne McCusker Home Instead Senior Care* Stacey McDonough Royer, Caramanis, & McDonough* Kendra Stribling, Hanzmon Wiebel Judi Williams, FirstLight Home Care Sherry Williams, University Tire & Auto

*Corporate Underwriter

In an era when women are increasingly prominent in medicine, law and business, why are there so few women scientists and engineers? Join Women United at 8:30am on

Tuesday, February 24 at the Omni Hotel as we host a panel to discuss steps our community must take to expose girls

to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields and encourage those who are interested to

follow their hearts and minds. 

This event is FREE and open to the public. We encourage all interested women and men to attend.

Register by contacting womenunited@unitedwaytja.org

During our annual luncheon in November, Women United proudly announced the recipients of our 2014 Human Services Grants. This year we awarded two $22,500 grants to the following organizations:

Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the Blue Ridge matches children ages 6 through 18 facing adversity with professionally supported 1-to-1 adult mentors that change their lives for the better.  They will use their $22,500 grant to recruit mentors, provide training to support monthly group activities and conduct monthly support calls to volunteers, children and their family members.

ReadyKids (formerly CYFS) serves the Charlottesville area with programs focused on giving kids the chance to reach their full potential by contributing to their own and the community's success.  They will use their $22,500 grant to support a year-long ParentingMobile program in the Southwood

neighborhood, which will provide a pre-school like learning experience for children and their families.

Including these grants, Women United has awarded $312,825 to local non-profits serving women and children in our area through our Membership.

2014 Human Services Grant Awards

2014 Grant Committee Co-Chairs Peppy Linden and Brooke Jenkins (far left and far right) with 2014 Grant Award Recipients ReadyKids Executive Director, Jacki Bryant and Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge Executive Director, Jackie Bright – Photo Courtesy of Terry Beige Photography

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United Way - Thomas Jefferson Area Women United 806 East High Street Charlottesville, Virginia 22902

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www.WomenUnitedCville.org phone: 434.972.1701/Fax: 434.972.1719 email: womenunited@unitedwaytja.org

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