By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
HALDIMAND—With five years of service under their belts, the local 100 Women Who Care group has contributed almost $100,000 to over 15 area charities.
The local branch is the brainchild of co-founders Julie Richardson and Andrea Personnic.
The two women grew up in Haldimand County, but only met when a mutual work friend introduced them following their return to the area after graduating university.
“We both shared a passion for community-building and wanted to give back to our local community,” said Personnic.
The group launched with 32 attendees in June 2016. Personnic added, “We are continuing to grow and are making a push to reach our goals of 100 members.”
The group meets four times a year, with each member committing to either a $50 or $100 donation per meeting.
Any member can nominate up to three local charities they would like to donate to, with three charities chosen at random each quarter.
Once chosen, the charitable group will have five minutes to make a presentation to the assembled group, followed by a five-minute Q&A period.
Members vote for the charity of their choice, and then the full donation from all members is granted to that charity.
The other two charities are not left out in the cold, however, as Richardson and Personnic’s two donations are given to the remaining charities, ensuring that each presenter walks away with a donation.
New members are required to sign a commitment form, ensuring their participation for a year of meetings with a total financial commitment of either $200 or $400, depending on their pledges per meeting.
“Although we work with many amazing organizations, our largest donation thus far has been $6,100 which was given to the Road to Recovery Program,” said Personnic, noting that the program has brought much-needed treatment options to the county for those with addictions.
Other local organizations who have received support from 100 Women Who Care Haldimand include the Young Caregivers Association, Hobbitstee Wildlife Refuge, Community Support Centre of Haldimand & Norfolk, Zachary’s Paws for Healing, the United Way Stuff the Bus program, True Experience, Haldimand Norfolk Adult Learning Centre, the Child Nutrition Network, Whispering Hearts Horse Rescue, and Haldimand & Norfolk Women’s Services.
The group is proud of the fact that they were able to successfully donate over $20,000 to local charitable groups throughout the COVID pandemic.
“The structure of our group follows the structure of other 100 Women Who Care chapters around the world,” said Personnic. “There are no other requirements from our members, however many of our supporters go above and beyond and promote 100 Women to their friends, through their social media, and they share information with other organizations they are connected to.”
The first 100 Women Who Care group was formed in 2006 in Jackson, Michigan. Toronto was Canada’s first chapter in 2012.
The two local co-founders touched on why groups like this are important in places like Haldimand: “Not surprisingly, the majority of Canadian nonprofits are set up in urban areas, allowing them to reach out to large numbers of the population. Nevertheless, people living in rural areas have many of the same needs as city dwellers, but accessibility to services, supports, funding, and resources is usually quite limited. It is important for rural communities to have a strong and productive non-profit sector that delivers important programs and services for both enjoyment and quality of life, as well as meeting the needs and challenges of the people living there.”
According to the pair, oftentimes they receive requests from charities looking to fund programs they can’t make progress on through normal funding channels, and that some organizations reach out for help with basic needs that don’t often get funded, such as food for rescue animals at Hobbitstee Wildlife Refuge or transportation costs at the Young Caregivers Association.
“We are just on the cusp of reaching 100 current members and a new cumulative donation milestone,” said Personnic.
The next group meeting will take place on Tuesday, November 2 at the Caledonia Lions Hall at 7 p.m. Any new members who decide to attend will be entered in a draw to win a gift basket filled with local treats.
For more information, find them on social media or visit
100womenwhocare
haldimand.weebly.com.
