We hope you can join us for these upcoming events.

AAUW-Big Rapids members will be attendance at the Your Vote Matters rally in Mitchell Creek Park from 5:30-8:00 p.m. on Friday, October 28.This event is hosted by Women's March-Big Rapids. More info can be found on the Facebook event page.

By Evan-Amos - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17055080

What’s Being Served: There will be a S'more bar for a fun dessert experience - people can bring savory nibbles. There will be bottled water and various hot beverages available (à la Keurig).

Thanks to Kristen Salomonson for organizing the November meeting!

Holiday Dinner 

Use Book Sale Planning

The annual holiday dinner and celebration of our scholarship recipients will be Tuesday, December 6, at Pere Marquette Bistro, 102 E Upton Avenue, Reed City. Come at 5:30 p.m. for socializing; dinner will be served at 6:00 p.m. Menu details will be forthcoming. Please save the date!

We will hold our initial planning meeting for the 2023 Used Book Sale at Millie Gillies' home, 717 Rose Avenue, Big Rapids, on Saturday, January 7, at 10:00 a.m. The annual book sale is our signature fundraising event. The 2023 sale will be held April 14-15.

In this very first mini-newsletter for AAUW-Big Rapids members, we are spotlighting our newest members. In future updates, we will feature our current leadership team and other members. Stay tuned!

Dr. Deirdre Fagan attended our book sale as an author! She is a widow, wife, mother of two, and associate professor and coordinator of creative writing at Ferris State University. Deirdre enjoys travel, cooking, reading (of course!) and the performing arts. Fagan most recently authored the 2022 Living Now Award winning memoir, Find a Place for Me: Embracing Love and Life in the Face of Death (Nov. 1, 2022), She is a native New Yorker, (living in 5 states before Paris, Michigan!) and she has taught university courses for over 20 years. After attending our Cocktails & Convos she joined AAUW “to support women and their rights and to make a better world for all.” Meet her at deirdrefagan.com

Debbie Wilson Newman and her husband moved to Canadian Lakes from the Houston area a little over 2 years ago to be near their 2 grandsons. They have a son who lives in Utah and a daughter who lives in Big Rapids. With a degree in Elementary and Early Childhood Education, she taught first grade in South Carolina and 4K in Phoenix. She likes to sew, quilt, draw and try various other crafts, and to get her hands dirty doing various home improvement projects. Debbie joined AAUW after volunteering to help with the recent book sale and discovering that some of the women there have the same beliefs. Her aim in life is to make this world a better place for everyone. 

Julie Alexander holds a BS in psychology and a MA in Professional Counseling from Central Michigan University. She currently works at Ferris State University as the Director of Accessibility and Disability Services. She is active with Ferris Women's Network, the Ferris Museum of Sexist Objects, and the Mecosta County Democratic Party. Julie enjoys dancing and has a cat named Storm who is mouthy but adorable. “I joined AAUW because I am passionate about gender equality and I believe AAUW is a strong force for policies that I believe in. I want to support organizations that are fighting for positive change.”

My name is Valerie Kirchhoff. I am a seasonal resident in the Big Rapids area, spending winters in Florida. I am a mother to an adult daughter, and grandmother to two young boys. I enjoy traveling, reading, and learning craft projects. After 25 years in the accounting field, I transitioned into the area of financial services. This is when I discovered my passion for working with women, advocating for women’s financial literacy and independence. I joined AAUW because the mission aligns well with my values, as well as my work. “I am passionate about supporting gender equity for women, and understanding specific challenges that women of today face.”

Kim Angell was introduced to AAUW at the Rally for our Rights. She graduated from University of Alabama majoring in accounting. Currently Kim is retired from Columbus State Community College (Columbus, Ohio) as a testing assistant. Now living in Canadian Lakes, she is a volunteer tutor at Angels in Action. Has 3 children and she will have 3 grandchildren in December, sadly still in Ohio. She is an avid non-fiction reader, enjoys making small barn quilts and loves disc golf with her daughter, son in law and husband. “I look forward to promoting women, especially in education.”

We will introduce Nancy Spedowski, our other new member, and start introducing our board members next time! 

New member information submitted by Deb Kennedy & Sarah Lucas, Membership co-VPs

AAUW-Big Rapids | AAUWBigRapids@gmail.com