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Women Who Care |
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Leveraging Our Resources to Invest in Youth “Deciding to change a part of the world through a philanthropic gift is an act of leadership and courage. Whether to solve a problem facing our neighborhoods or to preserve a valued part of our community, women are adding charitable dollars to their traditional gifts of hands and hearts.” - Jeanine Norris “Women in Philanthropy: The power to effect change” April 22, 1998. This year, the women in our community are joining together in the spirit of philanthropy to form a women’s giving society at HEP entitled Women Who Care. This giving program allows likeminded women to come together and pool their charitable gifts to sustain vital after school youth enrichment services at HEP. Did you know that the average age of a homeless person is nine years old? In fact, more than 2,250 families with children are homeless on any given night in our community, and these families represent the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. At HEP, we believe that our homeless children need to be nurtured and protected in order to flourish. Realizing that we needed to reach out to this vulnerable population, the “Keep Encouraging Youth” or KEY to Succeed Program was launched by the HEP in 2000 and expanded in 2005 with a generous three-year grant from the Eckerd Family Foundation, which included a program specialist who evaluated the goals and outcomes of the program. The findings indicated that the program was successful, viable and thereby important to maintain. Community awareness, involvement and support are vital for this program to continue its success. Inspired by the proverb, “great oaks from little acorns grow,” we have developed the Women Who Care Society, an annual giving society. The Women Who Care Society will continue the successful KEY to Succeed Program by providing: • A safe and supportive place for after school tutoring and homework assistance • Early childhood and teen counseling • Early prevention programs for drug, alcohol and tobacco • Enrichment through the arts and community service projects • A sense of belonging and accountability Your contribution of $500 or more automatically enrolls you as a Charter Member with special recognition on our Donor Wall at the Education Center, the HEP Wings Newsletter, website and our Women Who Care Membership Directory. As a member, you will also have the opportunity to attend an annual meeting to evaluate the program’s activities for the year. For more information about Women Who Care, please contact Libby Stone at 727-442-9041 ext. 115.  |
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