Club Connections

Dunwoody Woman's Club

Serving the community since 1971

https://www.dunwoodywomansclub.com

February 2025

"A book is a gift you can open again and again"

Garrison Keillor

Outgoing President's Luncheon

Date: Thursday, February 20, 2025

Time: 11:30 am

Location: Capital Grille Dunwoody

Reservations Required

RSVP by February 17, 2024

It has been a long standing tradition to treat the outgoing President to lunch after the February General Meeting. We have a reservation at the Capital Grille and they have agreed to let us order from the menu and receive separate checks. If you are planning to attend, please email or call: 

Diane Norris

dianenorris@bellsouth.net

678-772-0109



Ways and Means

Terry Kemp tdkemp81@gmail.com

The Ways and Means Chair, Linda Mote, has begun her transition into her new role. As part of this transition, DWC has secured our first Home for the 2025 Home Tour. This home, located off of Windsor Parkway in Sandy Springs, has been rebuilt/redesigned during the past year, with a few remaining projects in their basement. The owner indicated booties will not be required while touring their home.

Thank you Faye Cashwell for the referral. We may have another lead of a Sandy Springs home off of Peachtree Dunwoody, which is very close to our first Home. Stay tuned for more information about the kick-off of the Home Tour Committee.

^Membership

Maria Barnhart mariavbarnhart@gmail.com

Spotlight Member of the Month

We are bringing back our monthly Member Spotlight. Be sure to click on the link at the top of the newsletter in the Highlights section to learn about our featured member!

Membership Dues

• Active Members, $85.00
• Associate Members $100.00
• Sustaining Members $110.00.

Thank you to all members who have paid membership dues for 2025. Dunwoody Woman’s Club dues for 2025 were due January 1st and will be considered past due February 1, 2025.

There are three convenient ways to pay your dues.

• Online on the DWC website, Dunwoodywomansclub.com
• Checks made out to DWC and mailed to Maria Barnhart, 5005 Wickford Way, Dunwoody, GA 30338
• Checks made out to DWC and brought to a club meeting and given to Maria Barnhart, Membership Chairman

Membership is the responsibility of all members. Invite friends, relatives or neighbors to a club program or meeting, the best endorsement is an invitation from you. In the coming months you will hear more about how you can volunteer as GFWC-Georgia is hosting the 2025 GFWC Convention, June 6-10, 2025 at the Omni Hotel in Atlanta. What a special opportunity to join DWC and be a part of this special event. Go to this link for ways to volunteer at convention.

GFWC Convention Volunteer Sign-up - If prompted for a password enter smile.



Dunwoody Woman's Club Evening Division

Rosemary Watts, wrosemary@hotmail.com

The DWC Evening Division had an informative meeting about Corner’s Outreach in January and toured their facilities at Crossroads Church.

Thursday, Feb 27 DWC Evening Division Meeting at 5:45pm. We'll be at Face Haven (2462 Jett Ferry Rd, Dunwoody, GA 30338) to learn about the importance of antioxidants to the skin and how they create a healthy skin barrier.  

See details and sign up here: Sign Up Genius 

Please bring donations to use as prizes at the March music bingo fundraiser.

Arts and Culture

Jo Ann Kostkan jokostkan@gmail.com

Members gathered for the Arts and Culture and Civic Engagement and Outreach joint Valentine Workshop on February 5. Over 200 Valentine cards were created, addressed and delivered to the following recipients: Dunwoody Police Department, Sandy Springs Fire Stations No. 1 and No. 5, and three Assisted Living facilities.

Wednesday, March 5, 9:30 am, Arts and Culture and Education are very excited to invite you to celebrate Read Across America month in March! We will carpool from St. Luke’s to Coralwood School in Decatur for a 10:30 am tour of this unique school and to donate books. We will also present our monetary donations from Arts and Education to the principal at this time. Coralwood School is the only public school in DeKalb County dedicated to serving children with and without special needs between the ages of 3 and 6 in an inclusive classroom environment.

Please bring a Dr. Seuss book to the February General Meeting to donate to Coralwood School. You may also bring a book that day if you plan to attend. Coralwood will be celebrating “Read Across Coralwood Day” on March 6, so our timing is perfect!



Civic Engagement and Outreach

Donna Knowlton dfknowlton@comcast.net

If January is the month of change, February is the month of lasting change.

January is for dreamers…… February is for doers. Marc Parent

Dates to Remember

February 2025

• Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month – We’ll be placing fact sheets and “Take the Pledge” sheets in the Dunwoody Library and the Sandy Springs Library.
• National Burn Awareness Week – February 2nd – 8th. The theme for 2025: “Burn Prevention Where You Live, Work and Play – Preventing Burns in the Home.” In the United States, one person sustains a burn every sixty seconds. In fact, every year, about 400,000 people receive medical treatment for burns. Though most burns occur at home, 10% happen in the workplace.

Looking Ahead to Spring:

• March – Teaming up with our Leadership Program - General Meeting Speaker, Fred Reynaud, Major Gifts Manager, Georgia Division, Salvation Army
• April – Creating Pinwheel Garden in Brook Run Park for Child Abuse Prevention Month and Easter Basket Workshop for Children’s Restoration Network

Education and Libraries

Melissa Abbott melissahabbott@gmail.com

February is Love Your Library Month

Public libraries offer so much more than books. There are events, programs, classes, electronic resources such as databases with millions of articles, and much more. Additionally, some college libraries allow the public to use some of their resources.

Libraries have a lot to love and if you stop in at the Dunwoody library this month and donate any amount at the circulation desk, you will receive one of the Love Your Library hearts showcasing a word patrons shared to describe the library to add to their display.

Hightower School Kindergarten Reading Program

• Tuesday, February 18^th at 1:30 pm at the home of Diane Norris, (6209 Spalding Drive, Spalding Gate at Neely - gate code #1008), we will make bookmarks for each student.
• March 5, from 9:00 am to 10:00 am, we are invited to read at Hightower school as part of March is “Read Across America” month”.
• March 14 and March 21 from 9:00 am to 10:00 am, readers are needed. Please contact Diane at 678-772-0109 or dianenorris@bellsouth.net if you are available to read.

Environment

Kathy Hanna kak1941@aol.com

Nancy Baldwin nbaldwin@bellsouth.net

Debra Love debra1926@comcast.net

On January 27, Environment and Arts and Culture teamed up for joint presentations from Kate Borden, Recreation Manager, Dunwoody Parks and Recreation about our State and National Parks and Rosemary Watts, Director of Create Dunwoody about the current activities and future events planned for Dunwoody.

Environment Updates

Dekalb County is adding an addition to their animal shelter and we will schedule a visit when it is completed. The youth members at Pebble Tossers have been spending time at the shelter reading books to the dogs.

Environment has given three nature camp scholarships to underserved students in Dunwoody and Sandy Springs, and three grants for local Eagle Scout candidates.

Community Events

• Dunwoody Nature Center is always offering wonderful classes, go to dunwoodynature.org for more info. Birding classes are being offered at 8-10 am, $10 and free to DNC members..
• On the 2nd Saturdays of each month at 11:00 am, the Master Gardeners give a talk at the Barn in Brook Run. February 8th program on chrysanthemums.
• L.E.A.F. guide to all Dunwoody Parks and Recreation events is available at city sites and on line.
• Brook Run Farmers Market is every Saturday from 10-1 during the winter.
• Atlanta Botanical Gardens is hosting a Camellia Show Feb. 8 from 1:00-5:00pm and Fe. 9 from 10:00-5:00pm.

Health and Wellness

Diane Norris dianenorris@bellsouth.net

February is Heart Health Awareness month. Go Red for Women is celebrated on Friday, February 7th. Show your support by wearing red on the 7th and all month to raise awareness of heart disease. It is the tradition to wear red at our February General Meeting.

February 13th, 11:00 a.m., Fitness Together, 5482 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Suite 29A (in back of J Christopher’s). We will have a tour, demonstration, and easy workout with Zealea. There will be a drawing for a “New Year Lifestyle Transformation Jumpstart” that includes 3 private training sessions, 3D scan, fitness assessment, nutritional consultation and stretch session.

Afterward, we will go to lunch at Vintage Pizza and talk about plans for 2025. If you can’t make the event at Fitness Together, please join us for lunch to plan the H&W projects for the year.

Backpack Buddies

We will continue with the project of volunteering at the Backpack Buddies Distribution Center on Fridays. We are scheduled to volunteer on February 21, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Thanks to Martha Blondheim, Karen Turner, and Donna Knowlton for their help. The following dates are open for us: March 7, April 4 and 18, May 2 and 16.

Anchor Place

Health and Wellness will be supporting Anchor Place this year. Anchor Place is a respite day program that welcomes older adults living with mild to moderate memory issues and other cognitive challenges. They meet on Mondays and Thursdays and their clients enjoy a day of music, crafts, games, yoga, and lunch. Your H&W Chairman spent the day with clients in January and will report on her day of service at the General Meeting.



COLLECTIONS

ARTS & CULTURE AND EDUCATION

Coralwood School in Decatur: Please bring a Dr. Suess book to the February General Meeting.

EDUCATION and LIBRARIES

Retirement Homes: Collecting magazines at monthly meetings.

ENVIRONMENT

Animal Shelters: Collecting any and all pet supplies at monthly meetings.

Supplies needed include; adult animal food, blankets any size, dog or cat toys, animal treats, newspapers, paper towels, food and monetary donations. Please bring items to the General Meetings and we will deliver them to the shelters.

STANDING COMMITTEES

Leadership

Deborah Gault - dcgault@comcast.net

Coming in March, mark your calendars

Thursday, March 20, 2025, Leadership & Civic Engagement are hosting the Salvation Army Atlanta International Corps. Our speakers will be:

• Major Sandra Pawar, Corps Officer
• Fred Reynaud, Major Gifts Manager II, Georgia Division, Metropolitan Atlanta Area Command

We will welcome Major Sandra Pawar, and Fred Reynaud to discuss this focused ministry and the many programs the Atlanta International Corps. provides, specifically to the diverse populations of Doraville, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Norcross, Peachtree Corners and Dunwoody communities. Needs are great for recent immigrants, young families, and low-income neighbors experiencing shortages of food, health care, educational opportunities, and hardships understanding available services. The AIC is working hard to identify those needing help and reaching out to provide aid. Our speakers will discuss the programs AIC supports.

Stage Door Theatre

Sharon Clark - sharon-clark@comcast.net

Feb 1-16, 2025

Fri-Sat at 7:30pm

Sun at 2:30pm

Thu Feb 13 at 7:30pm

Tallulah Falls School

Linda Mote - lmmote@mindspring.com



The Tallulah Falls History book is to be released April 4 and was written by E. Lane Gresham, who serves as the Director of Communications and Media for Tallulah Falls School. Passionate about local history, Gresham brings her talent for storytelling to this project and the many roles she plays within the school community and beyond.

The rich history of Tallulah Falls School mirrors the story of northeast Georgia; from a rural, remote past to a bright, boundless future. The school, established in 1909 in response to the unmet educational needs of area children, has evolved through the decades, now meeting the needs of students both near and from countries around the world.

Today, the school serves more than 500 students in grades five through twelve, representing 22 countries. With a robust college-preparatory curriculum delivered with an equal focus on character development, students leave Tallulah Falls School well prepared for future success. The imprint of those who attended the school in the past is still visible today, with vintage structures alongside modern classroom buildings and

new athletic facilities.

Women in History

Suzanne Bentz - suzannesbentz@comcast.net

The Six Triple Eight

Over the past two years, I have been sorting and cataloging hundreds of letters sent by my mom and family members to my dad who served with the US Army in the European Theater during WWII. There are gaps in correspondence, with family members here in the States and in Scotland worried about dad, followed by a flurry of return letters. Now, thanks in part to Atlanta’s Tyler Perry Studios, I may know why those gaps occurred and how the issue was resolved. I also will be ever grateful to an all-black, all-female battalion, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, for clearing the backlog of letters to and from our soldiers. 

Released in select cinemas late last year and debuted on Netflix recently, “The Six Triple Eight” is a war drama based on reality. Because many of our soldiers fighting abroad had similar last names (7,500 were named Robert Smith) and moved about often as fighting shifted across Europe from battleground to battleground, mail to and from loved ones piled up quickly and in massive amounts. For two years soldiers awaited mail and packages from loved ones. “Morale was flagging and no one had been able to process the individual pieces of mail piled up in European warehouses from floor to ceiling.”

In the meantime, African-American organizations had been pressing our War Department to allow black women serving in the Army Corps the opportunity to also serve overseas. The War Department acquiesced in November 1944 and the 6888th Battalion, soon to be known as The Six Triple Eight, was created. Initially some 800 recruits and 31 officers, all African-American women “drawn from the WAC, the Army Service Forces, and the Army Air Forces” served in the Six Triple Eight. They trained at Fort Oglethorpe, then led by Major (later Lieutenant Colonel) Charity Edna Adams, sailed aboard the Ile de France to Glasgow, Scotland. There they headed by rail to Birmingham, England, where they set up shop in unheated, dimly lit, and rat infested warehouses where millions of letters and packages had been stored.

Give a woman a tough job and she’ll tackle it with discipline, creativity, and down and dirty determination. Despite horrible working conditions and unwarranted divisiveness at times from top brass, the women of the Six Triple Eight worked round the clock, created a new tracking system, and “processed an average of 65,000 pieces of mail per shift and cleared the six-month backlog of mail in three months.” Job done and they headed to Rouen, France, where another backlog of mail awaited and was reduced in record time. 

Newsletter

Kay Moe kgp12@att.net

Susan Crawford susanpc1@bellsouth.net

54 Years of Service in our Community 1971-2025