December 2025

Dear Members of the AAUW Greater Naples Branch,

Happy New Year! We do hope that your holidays were joyful and that 2026 brings you good health, happiness and continued success in our shared work for the community.

In December, we had a successful Silent Auction along with our delightful Holiday

Luncheon. These funds will support the operation of our Branch. Also, in December, a Start Smart program was presented to returning seniors at the Immokalee Foundation.

We are proud of all that our Branch has already accomplished this season. Thanks to the dedication and hard work of our members, we have received several grants, including support from Suncoast Federal Credit Union Foundation and Arthrex Charitable Giving Program, as well as, one of only five AAUW National Community Action Grants awarded nationwide. These funds make it possible to support our scholarships, community projects and AAUW Florida’s Tech Trek Program. A heartfelt thank-you to everyone who helped make this happen!

As we enter our busiest season, we are excited to put these resources to work.

In the coming weeks, we will be seeking volunteers to help pack and deliver science kits for our STEAM Girls Count program, as well as, to distribute books for the Janet Martin Welch Reading Is Fun program. More details will be shared at our January 10, 2026, Branch Meeting.

Along with our many Special Interest Group activities, we have a full and engaging schedule ahead including, Branch meetings with inspiring speakers, Talks and Tours, our Women’s Health Program on February 24 and our Scholarship Luncheon at the end of March. There is so much to look forward! We hope to see many of you at our Branch meetings and participating in our upcoming programs and events.

Warm regards,

Lucy and Sylvia

Co-Presidents

NEXT BRANCH MEETING SATURDAY JANUARY 10

Dr. Thomas Felke will be the speaker at our January 10, 2026 meeting.

Dr. Felke's topic will be poverty in Florida and, in particular, how poverty affects the women of Florida. Dr. Felke is Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Social Work in the Marieb College of Health & Human Services at Florida Gulf Coast University. He also serves as the Executive Director of the Shady Rest Institute on Positive Aging at FGCU. He received the southwest Florida Social Work Educator of the Year award in 2016 and the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Social Workers in Florida in 2024.

The meeting will be held in the fellowship hall at Grace Lutheran Church, 860 Banyon Blvd, Naples.

The next three meetings of the Non-Fiction Book Club will be held on the back patio or garden gazebo at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 6340 Napa Woods Way at 2:00 p.m.

All of the books selected are available at the Collier County Public Library.

January 26. King of Kings: The Iranian Revolution - a Story of Hubris, Delusion and Catastrophic Miscalculation by Scott Anderson, 512 pages.

February 23. The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World by William Dalrymple, 432 pages.

March 23. Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History and How It Shattered a Nation by Anderson Ross Sorken, 444 pages.

If you desire further information, contact the Non-Fiction Book Club Coordinator Karen Clegg, 913-488-7707 (mobile); 239-331-7301 (home) or clegg115@gmail.com

The Great Decisions group will meet on Monday, January 5, from 2:00-3:30 p.m. at the North Collier Government Center’s community room, 2335 Orange Blossom Drive.

Our topic is American policy in the Middle East.

All are welcome to join our discussion!

If you are interested in learning more about the group, please contact Carol Light.

Reading Is Fun

Volunteers are needed for the book distribution on January 30 at Lavern Gaynor Elementary School.

If you want to participate in the excitement of children choosing a book to keep for

their very own, contact Judy Blackburn, our coordinator for the program. You can work either in the morning or afternoon. Judy’s mobile phone number is 732-801-7913.

TALK AND TOUR

The next Talk & Tour is at The Edison & Ford Winter Estates.

Please join us for a guided tour of the site, which

includes the historic homes, botanic gardens, a museum and laboratory.

We will meet at 2350 McGregor Blvd, Ft. Myers, on January 21 at 9:45 am

Cost is $38. Please sign up by sending an email to kfairmiller@gmail.com

Payment may be made to Kathy Miller or Carol Siwinski on the day of the tour.

Lunch to follow at Cristof’s on McGregor, 10231 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers, FL, 33919

C & C

An AAUW-CC (Cocktails and Conversation)

Tuesday, January 20, 2026  @ 4:00 PM

            Blue Sky Restaurant @ 5926 Premier Way Naples 34109

            Reservations preferred but not mandatory

            Susan Becker   smmsbecker@gmail.com