P.E.I.’s 100 Women Who Care chapter made its largest donation to date at its December meeting, presenting P.E.I. Family Violence Prevention Services (PEIFVPS) with a cheque for $21,000.
The 210 members of the group, which is also the highest membership in the group’s history, each had a chance to nominate a charity that can benefit from a financial donation. The members nominated a total of 43 registered charities, with some charities receiving more than one nomination, thereby increasing the chances of their name being drawn and a representative being asked to make a presentation at the meeting.
The three charities drawn by Grant Thornton were Special Olympics P.E.I., P.E.I. Family Violence Prevention Services and Kidsport P.E.I.
At a glance
- 100 Women Who Care P.E.I. chapter is helping local charities provide services to Islanders.
- No other fundraising activity raises so much money in only one hour.
- Despite the name of the chapter, there is no limit to the membership and more members mean bigger financial miracles for charities.
- Currently, this chapter has 210 active members. Each member donates $100 per meeting, four times a year, to the lucky charity chosen at quarterly meetings.
- The next meeting is Tuesday, March 10. Registration starts at 5 p.m., and the meeting is at 5:30 pm at the Confederation Centre of the Arts.
- Any woman who wishes to observe a meeting before making the commitment to join is encouraged to do so. More information is at www.100womenpei.com or on the group’s Facebook page.
Danya O’Malley, the executive director PEIFVPS, focused on the work her organization is doing to provide support programs for abuse survivors. Her presentation won the support of the majority of members in attendance.
O’Malley explained how there is so much need for support for women once they are out of an abusive environment, yet it is hard to move forward when one is preoccupied with what many take for granted. Programs provided by PEIFVPS give the women the support they require and help them build the skills they need to be on their own. In many cases, participants form lasting friendships with the other participants in the program – all necessary things to move their lives forward in a positive manner.
“Fundraising is a major component of our organization and every extra dollar received allows us to improve the lives of abused women and their children,” said O’Malley.
Charity Sheehan, executive director with Special Olympics P.E.I., enlightened the meeting by sharing how the organization assists its athletes with health care through a program called Healthy Athletes. This program provides health services and education to Special Olympic athletes and changes the way health systems interact with people with an intellectual disability. This program has made a significant improvement in the life of the athletes.
Kidsport P.E.I. shared how every child should not be prevented from being involved in a sport.
Gemma Keoghan, executive director, and Lori Kane, Kidsport P.E.I. ambassador, talked about the value of being involved in sport, not for just the physical side but how skills such as leadership, commitment, teamwork and self-confidence are learned.