JUNIORS SPECIAL PROGRAM:

Transcription

1 : ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR WORLD THROUGH THE LIFE OF A CHILD Vst for updates and more nformaton. GFWC Junors Specal Program: Advocates for Chldren s desgned to encourage all General, Junor, and Junorette clubs to make a dfference n our world by becomng advocates for chldren. Clubs may choose to organze projects that beneft chldren n ther communty, state, or world. Clubwomen can become advocates by workng to: Ensure that chldren are protected from harmful stuatons Encourage healthy physcal and emotonal lfestyles Impact polcy to mprove chldren s lves Whle project deas are numerous, clubs are encouraged to educate themselves regardng current ssues facng our chldren: chld abuse, health ssues, poverty, cyberbullyng, teen datng volence, chld obesty, textng whle drvng, depresson and sucde, etc JUNIORS SPECIAL PROGRAM Deb Allen, Charman 550 Crestwood Drve Cookevlle, TN debgfwc@charter.net We have partnered wth lke-mnded organzatons that advocate on behalf of chldren everywhere. Refer to the Partnershp secton begnnng on page four for actvtes desgned especally for GFWC clubs. THE POWER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE: *PREPARE: Begnnng projects or evaluatng exstng projects requres preparaton before acton. Research the needs of chldren n your area, as these mght vary wdely. Meet wth communty and educaton leaders to obtan statstcs and data regardng chldren and ther famles. Ths should pnpont an area or ssue that needs acton. Fnd organzatons provdng servces to chldren. People who work wth chldren understand current ssues, and may suggest resources to help. Clubs may support, or help expand, a program that s currently makng a dfference n ther communty. Identfy and allow club members to follow ther passons to help ensure success. *ORGANIZE: After dentfyng a problem and soluton, decde whch acton to take: Meet wth the organzaton before gatherng tems to be donated. Are tems truly needed? Does the organzaton have the place to store tems? Do they have the manpower to dstrbute tems? If not, can club members serve to help meet ths need? Ask an organzaton what mpact they could have on chldren s lves f they had addtonal fundng. Determne f your club can help them obtan that fundng. Avod duplcatng programs. Fnd ways to support or enhance exstng programs. Assess ways to use club members strengths to meet the needs of an organzaton.

2 *WORK: Now s the tme to act! Consder these ssues when puttng a plan nto acton: How many people wll you need? If you don t have enough members, nvte potental members to your workday as a way to learn more about your club. Overestmate the tme t wll take to complete your project. Members rarely become upset when they fnsh a task early. Don t overwhelm members. Make sure partcpants can recognze when ther task s complete. *EVALUATE/EDUCATE: Put your experences to work. Let others know what you have learned and how they can help: Invte reporters for local newspapers, rado, or televson to showcase your project. Provde them wth your club name, and contact nformaton for follow-up questons. Wrte a letter to the edtor of your local newspaper thankng anyone who supported or helped wth your project. Decde f part of the project can be contnued, or f other acton needs to be taken. *REPORT: Now s the tme for your members to shne. Let others know what you have done to allow even more chldren to be touched by your POWER to make a dfference! Follow Dstrct, State, and GFWC gudelnes whle reportng. Don t hestate to ask for help. Identfy clubs and states by name when reportng to GFWC. Include GFWC n club team name and on all personal checks/donatons n order to be elgble for GFWC Partnershp awards. Be thorough. Report all projects dentfyng what acton was taken, total number of hours worked, and f possble, what results were produced. GFWC COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS GFWC Communty Servce Projects are projects that members ntate and partcpate n to serve ther communtes they do not nclude projects that relate to GFWC partners. These projects are specfcally related to the Junors Specal Program and may nvolve other members of the communty, other organzatons, or the ndvdual club or members. Drect any questons regardng projects that do not nvolve GFWC partners to the Junors Specal Program Charman or GFWC Programs Department at Programs@GFWC.org. TEEN MAZE The GFWC Bremen Junor Woman s Club (GA) hosted an nteractve event that allowed the teens to experence the potental mplcatons of postve and negatve choces. The teens advanced to 17 varous scenes and statons that were desgned to gve them a realstc vew and experence regardng the consequences of poor choces such as early/unsafe sex, drug/alcohol use, textng and drvng, falure n school, etc. CHILDREN IN CRISIS The GFWC Junor Woman s Club of Butler (PA) partnered wth several local agences that serve young adults transtonng from foster care to ndependent lvng. By brngng these groups together the club was able to provde sx two-hour sessons on ndependent lvng whch helped gve these young adults the confdence to be productve ctzens. The topcs at the sessons ncluded resume buldng, job searchng, ntervewng, relatonshps, socal meda, fnancal management, and cookng bascs. copyrght 2016 General Federaton of Women s Clubs 2

3 IDEAS Host a Colorng Contest : Jon the Colorng Book craze. Form colorng teams of club members and specal needs chldren. Use completed projects to host an art exhbt. Encourage asssted lvng resdents to complete a colorng page. Then, host a competton enlstng the help of colorng experts at your local elementary school. Allow them to judge the colorng pages and determne a wnner. Ask your colorng judges to make an award for the wnners. Blankets for Babes: Encourage members to brng baby blankets to conferences. Members can rent these blankets to use to stay warm when the conference meetng rooms are cold. Donate these gently used blankets and money rased to shelters or local polce after the conference s completed. CAPES FOR HEROES The program Capes for Heroes provdes capes for chldren wth dsabltes, lfe threatenng llnesses and kds that just need to be empowered. GFWC Dubln/San Ramon Women s Club (CA) had 12 members that made 67 capes. The capes gve deservng chldren an extra boost of strength and courage to make them feel lke the superheroes they are. Advocates for Chldren Juce Box Challenge: Challenge clubs to donate at least one juce box per member to ther local Chld Advocacy Centers (CAC). Juce boxes help CAC staff buld rapport wth chldren as they dscuss dffcult ssues. GFWC ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN WEEK To rase awareness for GFWC s chld advocacy efforts, GFWC has declared the fourth week n October as GFWC Advocates for Chldren Week. All GFWC General, Junor, and Junorette clubs are nvted to partcpate by plannng events related to the Junors Specal Program. Try a new project or a prevously successful one. It s up to you! Consder your club s nterests and communty needs. Contact your Governor/Mayor to request they proclam ths week as GFWC Advocates for Chldren Week for your state/cty. Sunday, October 23 - Saturday, October 29, 2016 Sunday, October 22 - Saturday, October 28, 2017 GFWC PARTNERSHIPS GFWC partners are the organzatons lsted wth whom GFWC has establshed a formal relatonshp and mutual understandng. Our partners offer unque and customzed servces: materals, speakers, kts, and/or addtonal nformaton specfcally desgned for GFWC clubs. They are aware of GFWC clubs specfc needs, our organzatonal structure, and have a sgned Memorandum of Understandng wth GFWC. GFWC partners wll assst n montorng the donatons generated by GFWC members. To ensure that donatons to GFWC partner organzatons at the ndvdual, club, dstrct, or state level are reflected toward GFWC s collectve mpact, make sure to wrte GFWC n the memo lne on your donaton check. Drect any questons regardng donatons to GFWC partners to Junors Specal Program Charman or GFWC Programs Department at Programs@GFWC.org. copyrght 2016 General Federaton of Women s Clubs 3

4 MARCH OF DIMES Contacts: Meredth Goodwn Repk Drector, Strategc Volunteer Partnershps 1275 Mamaroneck Avenue Whte Plans, NY W: P: F: E: The March of Dmes needs You. Why? Our msson has never been more urgent. Premature brth s the #1 kller of babes n the Unted States, and those who survve may have lfelong dsabltes such as ntellectual dsabltes, cerebral palsy, vson or hearng loss, and other chronc condtons. The World Health Organzaton has declared premature brth the leadng cause of death for chldren under age fve around the world. Prematurty also exacts a heavy economc toll, wth U.S. employers payng more than $12 bllon n excess health care costs. The March of Dmes s leadng the charge wth our Prematurty Preventon Campagn. We re fundng research, brngng nformaton and comfort to famles, and helpng more moms have full-term pregnances. Thanks to your support of March of Dmes programs n communtes across the country, t s workng: 231,000 fewer babes were born prematurely over the last seven years. But we can and we must do much more. LEARN. GIVE. VOLUNTEER. Fall - Prematurty Awareness Help to LIGHT THE WORLD PURPLE, World Prematurty Day; November 17. Show your Purple Passon for Babes! Turn your Club House purple for preemes on November 17. Premature brth s brth that happens too soon, before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Babes born ths early are more lkely to de before ther frst brthday; those who survve are more lkely to be readmtted to the hosptal or to suffer lfelong health problems. Each year n the Unted States, about 1 n 10 babes s born prematurely. Each club can Go Purple wth these four easy steps durng November to rase awareness of the crss of preterm brth durng March of Dmes Prematurty Awareness Month: Menton March of Dmes Prematurty Awareness Month at a club meetng. Vst prematurty for current nformaton. Wear purple at meetng or actvty. Make t fun! Invte club member to share her March of Dmes msson story. Or contact your local March of Dmes offce to request a vst from an Ambassador Famly. Gve a bref presentaton on prematurty to rase awareness. Contact gcarmon@marchofdmes.org for your March of Dmes Prematurty Awareness Month and World Prematurty Day-Msson Engagement Gude/ Partner Opportunty Sprng - March for Babes Your support makes all the dfference for all babes. The funds you rase s gvng hope to nearly half a mllon babes born too soon each year! As a GFWC member, you are encouraged to use ths tmelne to lead your Club to success as you support babes, help moms and fund rase. Regster your Club to gan access to onlne tools to help reach your goals, ncludng customzable ndvdual and team fundrasng pages. Be sure to nclude GFWC and your Club n your team name. As a team, set your fundrasng goals (ndvdual and Club). Goals are the key to a successful campagn. It s a great way to motvate members and gve them a target to shoot for or exceed! A good ndvdual goal s $300 many surpass ths number. Get ready to march to help babes. Make t a famly outng to reach out and have an mpact and gve a fghtng chance for all babes to be born healthy. At March for Babes, more than 3 mllon people jon ther famly and frends n nearly 700 communtes across the naton, and we need hands-on servce to make t a success. Contact your local March of Dmes for more nformaton. Year Round - Volunteer copyrght 2016 General Federaton of Women s Clubs 4

5 Connect wth your local March of Dmes offce; they have volunteer needs from local market leaders, event commttees to communty programs helpng famles, your local March of Dmes staff may have a varety of volunteer opportuntes for you, your Club and ts members. To fnd your local March of Dmes offce address and contact vst Partners n Advocacy Make our voces heard on Captol Hll and n state houses across the country. Become an eadvocate, get nformed, and take acton to mprove the health of women, nfants and chldren. Sgn-up today at marchofdmes.org/advocacy and select Take Acton. Please call to make a donaton. When makng a donaton, reference GFWC and your club and state so t wll get coded properly. If you are wrtng a check, please nclude GFWC and reference your club n the memo lne. ST. JUDE CHILDREN S RESEARCH HOSPITAL Contacts: Nada Mtchem, Executve Drector Volunteer Development 501 St. Jude Place Memphs, TN W: P: E: Nada.Mtchem@stjude.org St. Jude Chldren s Research Hosptal s leadng the way the world understands, treats and defeats chldhood cancer and other deadly dseases. And famles never receve a bll from St. Jude. Treatment, travel, housng and food s all pad for because all a famly should worry about s helpng ther chld lve. St. Jude contnues the vson of ts founder, Danny Thomas, that no chld s dened treatment based on race, relgon, or a famly s ablty to pay. By sharng knowledge freely and exchangng deas openly, t nspres more collaboraton between doctors and researchers worldwde, and, as a result, more lfesavng treatments for chldren everywhere. Treatments nvented at St. Jude have helped push the overall chldhood cancer survval rate from 20 percent to 80 percent snce t opened 50 years ago. St. Jude s workng to drve the overall survval rate for chldhood cancer to 90 percent n the next decade. WAYS TO DONATE Call: Please call to make a donaton. When makng a donaton, reference GFWC and your club and state so t wll get coded properly. Mal: If you are wrtng a check, please nclude GFWC and reference your club n the memo lne. Please send t to the regonal offce near you; you can fnd the lst at Onlne: If you would lke to gve onlne, please vst to make your donaton. You may elect to send an honorarum to GFWC to ensure notfcaton of your gft. WAYS TO HELP Fall - September s Chldhood Cancer Awareness Month Ths year, parents of nearly 16,000 chldren n the U.S. wll hear the words: Your chld has cancer. One n fve of those chldren won t survve. September s Chldhood Cancer Awareness Month, and as a leader n the way the world understands, treats and defeats chldhood cancer and other lfe-threatenng dseases, St. Jude Chldren s Research Hosptal wll focus on rasng awareness and funds for ths very mportant ssue. Chldhood Cancer Awareness Month provdes St. Jude an opportunty to educate communtes and supporters about what they can do to help these kds fghtng for ther lves. Throughout the month of September supporters can jon our movement and help support the lttle warrors at St. Jude n ther bg fght aganst chldhood cancer. New for 2016, GFWC has a Natonal Team so your club can support St. Jude and GFWC by partcpatng n a Walk/Run near you. Not a Walk/Run n your home town? Create a Vrtual Walk team and jon efforts wth clubwomen around the country to help the kds of St. Jude. copyrght 2016 General Federaton of Women s Clubs 5

6 Rally frends, famly and communty members and regster for St. Jude Walk/Run to End Chldhood Cancer. Vst to fnd an event near you; Volunteer at a St. Jude Walk/Run to End Chldhood Cancer event near you by vstng and clck on volunteer ; Menton Chldhood Cancer Awareness Month at your club meetng. Vst for current nformaton; and Jon us on socal and use the Hashtag #ShowYourGold to show your support. **Note: and #ShowYourGold wll be avalable for use each year begnnng August and contnung through September. Sprng Through our St. Jude dnners, golf tournaments and galas program, we are able to offer over 100 events across the country as a way for GFWC membershp to engage wth St. Jude. These events rase sgnfcant funds for St. Jude and allow us to contnue our lfe-savng msson of fndng cures and savng chldren. There are a varety of opportuntes avalable: Pre-Event Support Commttee Leadershp Roles These roles drve our Sponsorshp, Table and Tcket Sales, Aucton Recrutment, Restaurant Recrutment, PR & Marketng, and Recrutng of Volunteers. Commttee development s vtal to the success of our events. Offce Help Our Lead staff need help wth malngs, follow-up calls, computer data entry, goode bags, favors, and event set-up and teardown Day-of Event Support Event Guests Events are open for you and your frends to purchase a Sponsorshp or Tcket Volunteer durng our events, volunteers are needed to assst as Greeters, Regstraton Check-In, Aucton and Aucton Solctaton for Bds, Spotters for Lve Aucton & Gve to Lve, and Aucton Check-Out. (All volunteers are traned on ther specfc role.) Year Round To share nformaton at club meetngs or to learn more, please vst or waystogve or You may also vst to fnd great actvty deas for your club to connect to the St. Jude msson. We are contnually workng to develop partnershps wth organzatons whose mssons and scope of work are germane to GFWC. Look for updates from the Junors Specal Program Charman n News & Notes, GFWC Clubwoman Magazne, and onlne at AWARDS GFWC recognzes State Federatons for outstandng projects and clubs for creatve projects n mplementng effectve Junors Specal Program: Advocates for Chldren projects and partnershp projects, as follows: Certfcate to one State Federaton n each membershp category $50 award to one club n the naton for project creatvty Award wnners wll be determned by entres nto the Awards Program. Each State Federaton may submt one State Award Entry Cover Sheet and one Club Creatvty Award Entry Cover Sheet for the Junors Specal Program Communty Servce Program projects. Clubs do not submt entres drectly to GFWC. GFWC partners wll recognze State Federatons and clubs for ther efforts. Contact the GFWC Programs Department for nformaton. Refer to the Awards secton of the Club Manual for more nformaton, ncludng the Award Entry Cover Sheet gudelnes. copyrght 2016 General Federaton of Women s Clubs 6