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Women's Leadership begins lucky 13th year
|  Welcome and thank you for joining us for another year with United Way Women's Leadership. We are so grateful to have your support as we begin our 13th year with more than 1,300 members.
It is a great honor to serve as this year's chair alongside Vice Chair Margaret Marcum of Prudential C. Dan Joyner Company REALTORS. As always, we have some wonderful events planned that will provide opportunities for networking and fun, as well as the chance to work on some important initiatives to change lives and make Greenville County a better place for us all.
A fabulous, record-setting 2010 campaign has afforded Women's Leadership the opportunity to increase our impact in 2011. But as you know, Women's Leadership is about so much more than just financial philanthropy, and we hope you'll join us in seeking additional ways to get involved through volunteer and advocacy opportunities.
Again, thank you for generosity and commitment to our community.
Michelle Yarbrough, Chair Gallivan, White & Boyd, P.A.
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A celebration of giving, leadership and growth
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From left, Women's Leadership members Paula King, Debbie Harris and Kitty Allen at the New Member Celebration.
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We recognized our more than 300 new members with a special celebration on February 28 at The Greenville Little Theater. Using three Women's Leadership members as models, representatives from Belk showed the ladies in attendance how to transform their work wardrobe from day to night.
View the gallery
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Jobs to Careers set to expand in 2011
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Scholarship recipients, from left, Natalie Milom, Lisa Barnett and Debbie Jones.
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Our increases in membership and resources will enable us to multiply our impact in the community, especially through our own Jobs to Careers - Women Make a Difference Scholarship program.
Last year, the we awarded eight scholarships to deserving women looking to increase their family's financial stability through higher education and job training. Because of your support of United Way and Women's Leadership during the 2010 campaign, we'll have more money to allocate to this wonderful program, and we also expect to celebrate the graduation of some of those first scholarship recipients in the fourth quarter of this year.
Your financial support is an integral part of the program, but we're also hoping you'll commit to Jobs to Careers by volunteering your time and professional expertise as mentors to our participants. These women will need our continued support as they move forward on this important journey.
To get involved with Jobs to Careers, contact Holly Manuel at 864-467-3551, or click here to e-mail.
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Women In Engineering start outreach project
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Kathy Brooks of Fluor talks to students at J.L. Mann High during Women In Engineering's meet and greet event.
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newly-formed Women In Engineering group participated in a "meet and greet" lunch with female students interested in J.L. Mann High School's Project Lead the Way program.
Project Lead the Way is a national program designed to prepare students for innovative careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The event served as a great introduction to this new outreach project, as our women engineers seek to connect as mentors and role models with female students interested in this career path.
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Get Involved With Hands On Greenville
|  Women's Leadership is about more than just financial philanthropy. We take great pride in being women of action, as well. You can show your leadership by taking part in the Upstate's largest day of service, HOG Day 2011. Set for Saturday, April 30, you can sign up your company, family, neighborhood or group of friends to participate as a team. Sign-up now!
Busy that day? Hands On Greenville has volunteer opportunities available year-round. Check out the project calendar here, or sign up for one of the projects below:
Childcare Help at The Julie Valentine Center
Volunteer to provide childcare during adult support sessions at The Julie Valentine Center, formerly the Greenville Rape Crisis & Child Abuse Center. Sign up
Girl Scout Outreach
Help bring the Girl Scout ideals of leadership and healthy living to girls in our community's low-income neighborhoods. Sign up
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Upcoming Events
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HOG Day 2011
Saturday, April 30
Palmetto Society Celebration
Sunday, May 22
Upcountry History Museum
Women Make a Difference: Wear One, Bring One Luncheon
August/September, 2011
Carolina First Center
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2011 Women's
Leadership Council
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Michelle Yarbrough, Chair
Margaret Marcum, Vice Chair
Gena B. Allen
Courtney C. Atkinson
Fritzi Barbour
Kathy S. Brooks
Susan E. Cyr
Lisa D. DeBellis
Lynn C. Faust
Jennifer B. Floyd
Helen Hagood
Debra McAlister Ham
Debra J. Harris
Kristie Hodge
Mary Jeffrey
Paula S. King
Karen M. Lambert
Leigh A. Pagan
Frances M. Patterson
Cathy G. Petropoulos
Sandra P. Rice
Leslie C. Rodwell
Karen Schwartz
Angela R. Shapkauski
Kimberly Y. Smith
Trish Springfield
Sandra B. Welch
Advisory Council
Judy P. Alexander
Marian M. Carpenter
Jo Watson Hackl
Beth Padgett
Gwen L. Randolph
Ruth Roper
Caroline W. Schroder
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Women's Leadership
By the Numbers
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Total Members
1,337
Total Raised
$1,848,309 (up 8.9%)
New Members
300+ (up 10%)
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VITA Success
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Many of our members have volunteered their time to United Way's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program -- a free tax preparation service offered to individuals and families with a household income of $49,000 or less. We recently heard this story that perfectly demonstrates the kind of long-term, meaningful impact VITA can have on the lives of women and their families in Greenville County. Two months ago, a single mother of two young children came to the VITA site at the Hughes Library in downtown Greenville for assistance with her taxes.
The VITA volunteer found that the woman qualified for the American Opportunity Credit, the Child Care Credit and $5,036 in the Earned Income Tax Credit for a grand total federal refund of $8,086! The mother was overjoyed and says she plans to put the refund to good use as she is currently going back to school to earn a degree.
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