Interesting Facts about our Membership |
|
|
|
- 26 of our members are non-Delaware County residents
- 75 are Delaware County Residents
- Our Individual Memberships grew by 47% from 2019 to 2020
- Our Group Memberships doubled from 2019 to 2020
|
|
|
|
2021 Membership Drive Underway |
|
The 2021 Membership drive ends on January 15, 2021. Thank you to all who have renewed or are joining us for the first time! Your donation and the impact we are collectively making are more important than ever as we continue to see unprecedented needs during this pandemic. Please see the link in the Key Dates section of our Newsletter to join or renew. |
|
Invite Your Friends to Our Next Information Session |
|
Project W's growth and success is largely due to our members referring other women as members. Thank you for spreading the word, and please forward this newsletter to anyone who might be interested.
The final information session for those interested in being part of Project W is Wednesday, January 6th as 7pm.
|
|
|
|
Only members may cast a vote for grantees, but everyone is welcome to add to the funds that will support Project W's 2021 grant recipients. If you would like to make a donation that will be added to the grant dollars awarded at the Annual Meeting, please email projectw@tcfhelps.org. Thank you!
|
|
Project W Fellowship Program |
|
The Fellowship program's application deadline is December 31, 2020. The program offers free annual memberships for women 21 - 35 years old who are residents of Delaware County. We welcome women from diverse perspectives and background to apply. Click here to learn more about our Fellowship Program.
|
|
Project W members will be bringing joy this Holiday Season to a family of five through the Second Time Around Parents program. STAP supports grandparents who are raising their grandchildren due to parental drug and alcohol or mental health problems. Thank you for your kindness and generosity.
|
|
Project W Members, I am excited to put on your radar our January event that will focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Ellan Bernstein, a founding member of Impact 100 Philadelphia and on the board of Philanos will be our guest speaker. She will share her experiences and insights as Impact 100 adapted to address and prioritize DEI in their grant processes and within their culture. We will also have some of our own Project W members who are on the TCF DEI Committee talk about some of their experiences. We have modifications to share on Project W’s grant process as it relates to DEI. We hope the shared experiences and discussion we have during this time will help us all learn and take action as members within Project W and as members within our communities.
The session will take place on Zoom on January 27th at 7pm. Link to register is listed on the Key Dates section.
-Erica Barbuto, Chair of the Women Connect series
|
|
This month we asked our mother/daughter and our family groups of members what inspired them to join Project W as a family? |
|
Steinke Ladies
What inspired me to become a founding member of Project W is simply that I like to help people. The idea of narrowing the focus to women and children and combining resources and efforts as a female only membership was intriguing. You never know what your kids are going to pick up from their parent’s values, habits, experiences or otherwise(!) and I guess at some point along the way my daughter, Lilly, decided she wanted to help people too. Because Lilly and I share this trait I wanted to introduce her to how adults work together to help organizations and people in a more formal setting and encouraged her to join Project W. Teenagers being teenagers, Lilly decided she would be more comfortable joining with a good friend and recruited Sophia Green who is also the daughter of a project W member (Dania Green) for a joint membership. Although Lilly’s involvement in Project W as a high school senior is not as committed as mine, she found value in the grant evaluation process and I was impressed to watch her critical mind at work as she read and rated the proposals. The leaders and members of Project W will continue to inspire me with their dedication, skills and abilities. I can only hope that as Lilly matures she will continue to identify ways to provide service to people who need help, whether it’s informally or formally. I know she has the desire and I’m grateful for Project W to provide us both the avenue.
|
|
D’Ambrosio/Perna Ladies
My husband Lou and I both grew up in South Philadelphia and have known each other since we were 15 years old. Both sides of our families have merged into one big family. We have been fortunate to have each other to rely on during difficult times. We know that we are very blessed and have always wanted to give back. Project W has given my daughter Alexa, my niece Rhiannon, my sister Christa and myself a chance to work together on something which helps others. It is great to see the cross-generational skills and perspectives in action. Alexa, who is 21 and a junior in college, stepped up to help by using her artistic skills to create the Project W logo. Rhiannon, who is 28 and a website developer, offered to help build the Project W application portal. My sister Christa, with years of experience in the food industry, volunteered to help plan and cater last year’s Project W Annual Meeting. It is fun working on these projects together and even better knowing it will help women and children in our community. We enjoy having a shared project and it always gives us something to talk about at family events!
|
|
Eckenrode Ladies
As sisters, we’ve grown up always being taught to help others. Our family worked with the community closely, as we were always brought along. It’s been in our blood to serve our community. Both of us have been involved in several nonprofits helping others. Jen has worked with several organizations in Philadelphia teaching kids about art, social justice, and how to express their identity and ideas. Kim worked for TCF where she learned about all the different organizations that help her local community. When she went to college, she volunteered at a local women’s shelter where she was able to help women who were victims of domestic violence and sexual assault through difficult times. Both of us wanted to help our community more and Project W was a great way to do that and surround ourselves with strong women who had the same desires as us. We are both so grateful for the opportunity given.
|
|
Rodriguez/Cruz Ladies
Project W’s mission to help other women resonated with us and inspired us to join. We are from North Philadelphia and are familiar with a community that is less fortunate. We wanted to give back and help others. My mother is retired and resides in Northeast Philadelphia. I have lived in Havertown for over 18 years with my husband and 2 teenage children, Isabel (15) and Gabe (13). Project W's Covid-19 effort which raised over $28,000 back in April personified for me what amazing women can do when pulling resources and working towards the same goal/mission to help women in need. Women are proud, tenacious and strive for independence. We get things done!
|
|
Ebmeyer/Morsman Ladies
I joined Project W in its first year after a short conversation with Soly McLaughlin. While I quickly realized it was a great opportunity, I had no idea how much I would enjoy the smart, generous and thoughtful group of women that make up Project W. Nor did I realize how moved I would be by the impact we could make as a group. I invited my sister to an informational coffee that I hosted with Lauren Sustersic and Kim D'Ambrosio and Kristin joined on the spot!
|
|
Petrucelli Ladies
Joining Project W has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. My involvement with Project W has given me an enormous sense of purpose. Contributing to Project W’s mission and being part of an incredible team has provided me with a sense of belonging and calm in a year otherwise full of uncertainty and worry. I really wanted my daughter, Clara, to share in this wonderful experience. For her, Project W, through its grants, enables organizations with excellent ideas to carry out their work. She also feels that supporting local organizations allows us to better appreciate the impact of our grants. Clara sees how fulfilling this experience has been for me and looks forward to being part of Project W as well. I am excited about working on a joint project with my daughter and together helping to make a difference in women’s lives.
|
|
Hershey/LaTour Ladies
We were initially drawn to Project W because its foundation is women helping other women and recognize that we can have a greater impact on the lives of women in need when we pool our resources with other women. As long-time residents of Delaware County we also viewed Project W as the perfect opportunity to help our community. The ability to work together as a family was an added bonus!
|
|
Wishing you and yours a Joyous Holiday Season and
Healthy and Happy New Year!
|
|
|
January 6, 2021 - Membership information Click here to register.
January 15, 2021 - Deadline to renew or join Project W's 2021 grant year. Click here for more information.
January 27, 2021 - Women Connect: January’s topic is Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Click here to register for the session.
February 1, 2021 - Grant applications will be available for submission. The link to the portal will be posted on www.projw.org.
|
|
Project W was able to connect community members to the Breathing Room Foundation and Family and Community Service of Delaware County this holiday season. Groups of individuals looking to Sponsor a Family were matched with these two grantees who have long standing programs to bring joy to families during the holidays. |
|
Project W would like to thank the Von Seldeneck Gift Fund for their generous sponsorship gift.
|
|
This Holiday Shopping Season
Participate in the Amazon Smile Program and Help Raise Money for TCF and Project W
|
|
Project W is a program of The Community's Foundation. You can support Project W and TCF when you shop on Amazon through its Amazon Smile Program. Amazon Smile will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to TCF. To sign up click here: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/23-2354770
|
|
Be Part of the Project W Story |
|
Women can have a significant impact by pooling our resources and recognizing organizations that make a difference for women in Delaware County. In the process, YOU will be in the fellowship of other community-minded women and learn more about the many organizations that enrich and improve our daily lives.
Be Part of the Project W Story
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
