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February 15, 2021
Focus on Programs
Happy Presidents Day!
Dianne Foerster, GFWC Florida President
Sunday, Monday, Happy Days…Tuesday, Wednesday, Happy Days…Thursday, Friday, Happy Days…Saturday, that’s the day, to spend the day with you! Welcome to the rollout of GFWC Florida Convention 2021....Happy Days! We will welcome back the good times of the 1950’s and early 1960’s while we celebrate our clubs' winning projects with awards and a compilation of top projects to share with our sister clubs. We will recognize special people who have gone above and beyond in their spirit of volunteerism for GFWC Florida. We all need to come together and have some fun which has been sorely missed during the pandemic isolation. It will be an incredibly busy weekend and I strongly encourage you to make your plans now to be part of the celebration!

On Friday night we will have a Pep Rally scheduled with our Pre-Convention Board of Directors Dinner and Meeting, which will be followed by a District Cheer Contest. Saturday will take us back to the malt shop for our luncheon. Saturday evening will feature our very special guest, GFWC International President Marian St. Clair. There will be several awards. followed by Junior Fun Night with a Sock Hop Theme. On Sunday, the Junior Brunch will continue the 50’s and 60’s theme with the classic Drive In Movie!

As you can see, there will be more than ample opportunity for “dress up” and I already know one very excited Corresponding Secretary who Is looking for saddle shoes and a poodle skirt! Much more detail will be made available, including sites where outfits can be purchased. I just wanted to share this information with you all now so that you can get excited and start making plans to attend.

Convention dates are Friday May 14 - Sunday May 16. The Call to Convention will be going out mid-March with registration, meals, and hotel information. GFWC Florida Convention will continue to be COVID-safe, as will the hotel. We will all be masked and we will social distance as required by the hotel and the CDC -- even if you have received both doses of the vaccine. I think it speaks to the State President’s Project quite well, don’t you?

Love, Respect, and Kindness for all!
Hugs,
Dianne
Margaret Brugman
GFWC Florida District 6 President's Project Chairman
District 6 includes all of the Space Coast, Brevard and south Volusia counties. All of the clubs are living the volunteer spirit as they give unselfishly to help their communities. Some examples of their efforts include:
  • Community Woman's Club - maintains a Little Free Library
  • GFWC Deltona Woman's Club - gives donations of handmade masks to an elementary school
  • GFWC Satellite Beach Woman's Club - supports Star Project, Knitting for Operation Gratitude, Diapers for Darlings and Wheels against Child Abuse
  • GFWC Grand Haven Woman's Club - supports Feeding Flagler and many food banks, and prepares and serves food to the homeless
  • Cocoa Beach Woman's Club - donates to food pantries through Children's Hunger Project and supports the Freedom Fighter organization working to end human trafficking
  • GFWC Viera Woman's Club - donates to Operation Smile and Space Coast Early Intervention Center

Thank you to all the clubs in District 6 for showing love, respect and kindness for all in support of our GFWC Florida President's Project!
GFWC Florida News and Reminders
Thanks to the generous donations of our clubs, GFWC Florida is proud to announce that applications are open for two $1,000 scholarships for women returning to work. Please help us spread the word! Qualified candidates are women who need assistance with funding their education in order to achieve their goal of becoming self-sufficient through gainful employment. The application and reference forms can be downloaded from the home page on gfwcflorida.org. Application and references must be submitted by April 1, 2021.

Upcoming Due Dates and Deadlines

  • Feb. 20 – LEADS application deadline - program is now available in -person or via Zoom
  • March 6 - GFWC Florida Webinar: Membership
  • Watch the Meet the Affiliates Video Here!
Easy links to GFWC Florida Social Media
GFWC Florida Club Programs

Cedar Key Woman’s Club held their annual arts and crafts show. 14 members submitted 57 entries in 36 categories The 33 first place winners and the group project will advance to the District 5 competition. Guests received an “I Love Art” favor with chocolate candies as a thank you for attending!

Did you ever consider adopting a raptor? Or did you even know you can?  Members of GFWC Clearwater Community Woman's Club toured a Raptor Sanctuary at a local nature park. The sanctuary offers educational tours for parties and clubs, and gears educational programs toward co-existing with wildlife responsibly and safely.

Papers and cords and computers, oh my! The Miami Woman’s Club Board spent a long Saturday brainstorming and organizing their Community Service Projects to make sure that everything got reported for 2020. Seeing all the hours and dollars in black and white was an inspiration for them to continue their motto of “Not for ourselves alone”, as well as their annual vow to find a better way to do their reports next year!
GFWC Santa Rosa Woman's Club raised money for the GFWC Florida President's Project by offering opportunities to win this 16 x 20 photo on canvas donated by an artist-photographer. Proceeds will go to a local food pantry that serves three Panhandle counties with five foster homes, an emergency shelter and eight apartments for young people who age out of the foster care system.

The ladies of GFWC North Pinellas Woman's Club used their crafty talents to make 100 Valentine candy boxes for a senior center. After the boxes were cut and assembled, they were filled with sweet treats and delivered to seniors in time for Valentine's Day! 

GFWC Four Corners Junior Woman's Club had a week-long online fundraising auction, "A Passion for Purses". Since COVID restrictions prohibited the club from holding their major fundraising event, a annual fashion show and luncheon, the ladies decided to try another method of financing their charitable giving for the Four Corners area of Central Florida. 
GFWC Palm Beach Gardens Woman's Club members filled 25 Valentine gift bags with personal items and Valentine treats for the moms at a domestic violence shelter. This shelter maintains apartments for women and children, assists women in securing employment, obtains legal services, and provides emotional support for survivors of abuse. They gave a Valentine party for the children. Thanks to the clubwomen's generous donations, they were also able to give gift bags to the moms.
GFWC Woman’s Club of Lake Wales is dedicated to educating the public about ongoing issues faced by the elder population, made worse by isolation created during the pandemic. They held a seminar to promote mental health awareness and the effects of isolation and depression in older people. The seminar was based on a video created by the club entitled, "It's Time to Talk". The club adopted this project due to problems that have become evident in members and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Village Improvement Association Federated Woman's Club of Green Cove Springs celebrated "Wear Red" for Women's Heart Health Month. Two women health professionals discussed strategies for good health practices. 


GFWC Greater West Palm Beach Women's Club members and a future member helped out at their local food bank by packing 400 boxes of fresh peppers and 20 boxes of bread. Club members also gave donations of food to help their food-insecure neighbors.
In celebration of Black History Month, GFWC Tampa Woman’s Club hosted a free movie day at their club house. The Great Debaters was featured, starring Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker.  A short discussion followed the movie to foster greater awareness and understanding of Black History Month.
GFWC Lakeshore Woman's Club members attended an interfaith memorial service to honor four military chaplains who sacrificed their own lives to save the lives of their fellow service members during WWII, after a German submarine U-223 torpedoed the Dorchester off the coast of Newfoundland. In 1988, Congress established February 3rd as an annual "Four Chaplains Day."
Please submit brief articles & photos to clubwomaneditor@gfwcflorida.org
each week by Wednesday. Indicate area of focus in subject line of your email. If your article or event is not in the newsletter, it could be scheduled for a future week!

If you would like this newsletter delivered to your email inbox, visit the home page on
gfwcflorida.org. Scroll to the bottom of the page and complete the newsletter sign-up form.

The Junior Newsletter sign-up form is also located at the bottom of the home page
Membership Montage - the process or technique of selecting, editing, and piecing together various activities of GFWC Florida to form a cohesive whole. Every Monday we will feature a different area of focus with aligning articles, stories, club activities and photos. Please submit your stories for each area of focus!
1st Monday - Membership
2nd Monday - Leadership
3rd Monday - Programs
4th Monday - Communications and Public Relations
5th Monday - (if there is one) - Special Edition