GFWC-Wyoming President’s Message – Mary Lee Dixon
Happy summer, everyone! GFWC-W has started a habit of an “abbreviated” summer news blast to let all know about a few upcoming events. Mark your calendars for our summer picnic, August 4. Louise Bellamy Richardson is spearheading this effort and I hope many can attend. Additionally, October 6 will be our fall workshop in Laramie. The Laramie Women’s Club is already hard at work with the planning for this and please make a note to participate, if possible. Our summer goes so fast so enjoy every sunshiny day!
Remember: Be Silly, Be Honest, Be Kind!
What’s Happened Lately?
GFWC International
Ten women traveled from Wyoming to St. Louis for GFWC International. It was a successful showing for Wyoming. Here’s what we did!
1. Wyoming delivered 40 pounds of jewelry to Monarch Jewelry, a member of Crisis Aid International, which is dedicated to raising awareness and funds for survivors of sex trafficking. Monarch will take the old jewelry we donated, create new pieces from them, and then use the funds to combat human trafficking. Thanks to everyone who donated.
2. Wyoming club-women took part in the Rise Against Hunger event, where 300 volunteers packaged more than 40,000 meals for those in need.
3. Wyoming clubs earned recognition for our Home Life work. State-wide, we accomplish amazing things for our communities. Thanks to Phyllis Salzburg for writing the package.
4. Our very own Patty Benskin was sworn in as Western States Region President.
5. Thirty-eight women across GFWC International took part in the first-ever Runway Challenge. It was a great time and should be continued. Wyoming’s “Little Bo Peoples” outfit earned 7th place (and 1st place in the Western States Region). Great job, Karen Kent, for sewing all those recyclable bags.
6. Wyoming won 1st place in the Community Improvement Program! GFWC Women’s Civic League of Cheyenne put together a package that earned $5,000 in prize money. The check has already been given to the Unaccompanied Students Initiative.
The first photo is one of the pallets of meals put together by the GFWC volunteers!
The second photo shows GFWC Women’s Civic League of Cheyenne accepting their first-place award at the GFWC International Convention in St. Louis on June 25th. (All are from Women’s Civic of Cheyenne unless noted). From left to right: Patty Benskin, Leslie Jo Gatti (GFWC Wyoming President), Jolie Frankfurth (GFWC International Director of Junior Clubs), Nancy Kaufman, Karen Kent, Trish Peoples, Sheila Shea (GFWC International President), Mary Lee Dixon, Phyllis Salzburg, Ann Norwood, and Pam Crochet.
The third photo is our Runway Challenge 7th Place trophy.
GFWC Laramie Women’s Club gives VA Residential Treatment Unit a helping hand
Annie Nelson, President
Annie Nelson and Adrienne Polis from the GFWC Laramie Women’s Club worked with Trish Peoples and Flo Beville, both veterans and members of GFWC Women’s Civic League of Cheyenne to improve the recreation area of the VA hospital Residential Treatment Unit in Cheyenne.
The upgrade to the recreation area included the improvement of two horseshoe pits as well as a beautification project. The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) provided the resources for the 2 horseshoe pits, which included landscape timber, soil fabric, and sand to fill the pits.
The VFW also bought nine large and medium planters, and two additional planters were donated. The GFWC Laramie Women’s Club provided the soil, compost, and flowers to fill the planters. Wolfe’s Greenhouse gave a generous discount on resources for the project which allowed us to do more with fixed funds. In the afternoon 5 gentlemen from the unit helped with weeding and construction to make the whole project a great success.
The four ladies from GFWC Laramie Women’s Club and GFWC Women’s Civic League of Cheyenne were thrilled to see the results from the team effort at the end of the day. All felt honored to work with the veterans to beautify this recreational space.
The VFW has also agreed to provide sod for the area. If anyone is available on the 21st of July at 9:30, there is a need for volunteers to place the sod. If you can help, please call Cindy at 307-778-7317.
We hope the patients at the VA will enjoy and receive great benefit from the area.
Photo 1 is Adrienne Polis and Annie Nelson hard at work beautifying the VA residential treatment area.
Photo 2 is Annie Nelson filling the flower pots. Photo 3 shows two of the residents putting the final touches on a horseshoe pit.
GFWC Rock Springs Woman’s Club – Marcia Volner, President
Woman’s Club of Rock Springs has been busy with several summer activities. We just started our second year at the Farmers Market selling crafts, baked goods and raffling baskets. It is a great way to connect with the community and let them know what we do.
International Day is an event held each year in Rock Springs at a large downtown park. We have had a booth there for several years selling items, doing a 50/50 raffle and, of course, visiting with the community.
Our literature group has continued to meet once a month over the summer. This is a great way for club members to stay connected and catch up.
Some of us have started walking on a track next to our community college. We meet three mornings a week. One member has taken some beautiful pictures of animal and plant life along the way.
We also had a very successful yard sale in June. Hmmm, I guess we haven’t really taken much time off this summer, but we have a great group of ladies ready to try things to help our community and improve our health.
Hoping our other friends in federation are enjoying their summer too.
GFWC X-JWC – Trish Peoples, President
GFWC X-JWC had a picnic in June at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens. The members were able to tour this magnificent facility. During the picnic, we took up a collection to purchase a bicycle to raffle off for the Unaccompanied Students Initiative (USI). Club members donated enough to
purchase two bicycles, which USI raffled off during Cheyenne’s Superday festivities. GFWC X-JWC’s efforts helped USI earn more than $5,000 on Superday.
What’s Happening Next?
Summer Picnic
Who: Everyone!
When: August 4, 11:30
Where: Lewis Park on 8th Street in Wheatland
Cost: $7
RSVP by July 28 to Louise Richardson 303-995-1236
Western States Conference
Who: Everyone!
When: September 14-16, 2018
Where: Las Vegas, Nevada
Fall Workshop
Save the date for October 6th. In addition to a great deal of information about GFWC, there will be lunch from McAllisters and workshop bags for all attendees.
Notes from the Board
Writing Chair, Mary Huff
It’s that time of year to get the writing juices flowing! I know countless of you have a lot to share about family, children, pets, but most of all life! Your life experiences are what many would love to read about & learn from. I hope this year we will be superabundant with entries from all over.
“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” ― Sylvia Plath, The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath
