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Welcome New Board Members
Shannon Booth
Bernadine Douglas
Betty Goodman
Toni Henry
Alexis Lessen
Mary Jean Ludwig
Nancy Maddox
Joanne Magley
Patty Rippey
Michelle Shams
Katherine Smith-Williams
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Power of the Purse
Last year's event was a tremendous success - even during the middle of a tropical storm! Nearly 700 ladies attended the annual luncheon at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort, and helped us raise $100,000. Make sure to save the date for this year's event - Friday, August 28, 2009.
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Did you know?
- Florida has nearly 50,000 children who are currently homeless; of those, almost 21,000 are under the age 6.
- Nearly 2,000 children attending Volusia County Schools are homeless.
- A report from the National Center on Family Homelessness ranked Florida 43rd out of 50 among states for child homelessness, with 50th being the worse.
- 31 percent of homeless families bring in a monthly income of less than $1 | |
Greetings!
 Welcome to the first edition of the Women's Initiative Newsletter. This will be a quarterly publication to help keep you up-to-date on the latest happenings of the Women's Initiative.
We hope you enjoy reading about the exciting changes that women are taking to improve lives right here in Volusia and Flagler Counties.
We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming Power of the Purse Luncheon and many other events!
Sincerely,
Donna Sue Sanders Board Co-Chair
Elan Kaney Board Co-Chair
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Maurie Johnson, wife of Dr. John Johnson, President of Embry Riddles opened their home for a Power of the Purse Social. The goal was to get a head start on the WI Luncheon Silent Auction items and to welcome new Board members. So the "ticket" to get in to the social was a silent auction item. The event was for WI Board members and guests. It was a smash success. The theme was oriental with beautiful Bonsai trees and a Chinese dancer, Kim Hardiman ERAU English teacher. See more pictures of this event.
The Bonsai Tree was provided by:
Schley's Bonsai & Supplies (Jason Schley)
1080-A Ridgewood Ave.
Holly Hill, Florida 32117
Phone: (386) 295-2612
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UWWI Funds Homeless Children's Case Manager
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| At the start of the 2008-09 school year, homeless students and their families in Volusia County had access to a new resource for finding available support and aid. Betty Butler, the new Homeless Children's Case Manager has hit the ground running. Funded solely by the United Way Women's Initiative of Volusia/Flagler, Butler works in conjunction with the Volusia County school system, and under the direction of the Volusia/Flagler County Coalition for the Homeless, to offer support to the more than 1,800 homeless students identified in Volusia County just this past year alone.
Initially, Butler is focusing her efforts on several schools in West Volusia. She currently serves 18 families, and has assisted them with everything from applying - and getting - food stamps and Medicaid, to placement in special education programs and even collecting gifts for the holidays. She's also been able to provide Publix gift cards from the United Way Women's Initiative Emergency Fund to these families for items food pantries and food stamps don't cover, such as perishable food and health care necessities.
On Butler's radar for the immediate future is volunteer recruitment and, of course, helping more homeless families in need. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact: Betty Butler: 386-795-4680 |
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On March 11, board members and supporters of the United Way Women's Initiative (UWWI) met with women in Flagler County to discuss a more formal extension of the organization into this region. While resources from the UWWI benefit both counties, the enhanced efforts will include an additional board comprised of Flagler-based women, a schedule of Flagler-based events and fundraising efforts that directly support women and children in Flagler County only. "With the extensive growth and development that's taken place in Flagler County, we felt strongly about expanding our membership and leadership to include women who already work, live and serve in this area," stated Donna Sue Sanders, Co-Chair of the United Way Women's Initiative. "Our impact in Central East Florida has been significant, and an additional chapter in Flagler will further support our mission to eradicate the social service stumbling blocks facing women and children in the Volusia and Flagler County communities." Sandy Mullen and Kathleen Tomlinson have eagerly agreed to chair the UWWI Flagler chapter. They plan to meet the fourth Wednesday of every month at 4 p.m. in the conference room at Flagler Hospital. The next meeting is set for April 22. For more information, or to get involved, please contact Lori Grant at lgrant@unitedwayvfc.org | |
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