AAWGT: Making a difference in our community! |
Full Circle News:
The Power of One ... Multiplied by Many
In This Issue: Education Session | 2017 Grantee Spotlight: A Family for Aziah | 2017 Grantee Spotlight: Encouraging Girl Power | Leadership Letter | Women and Leadership Event Focuses on Voting Rights
The Giving Circle is now in its 12th year, and our more than 200 members voted on May 9th to decide which non-profits will receive the 2018 grants totaling more than $100,000. (We'll be sending an announcement out soon.) That is collaborative giving. Once again we will be fulfilling our mission to support initiatives that improve the quality of life for women and families in our county. All together, we have awarded more than 80 grants!
Betsy Chotin, President
Sue Pitchford, Vice-President and President-Elect
International
Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for
continued change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by
ordinary women who have played a role in the history of their countries
and communities. This year’s March 8 AAWGT event, “Women on the March,”
came on the heels of unprecedented national and global movement for
women’s rights.
Every March we hold a
Women & Leadership event with inspiring women speaking about how
they lead change. The most effective, lasting change happens through
local efforts, but hearing from someone leading that change nationally
makes us realize that we’re part of a larger movement to make the world a
better place for women and their families.
This
year the focus was voting rights. Main speaker Angela Dodson, author of
“Remember the Ladies: Celebrating Those Who Fought for Freedom at the
Ballot Box,” discussed her book about the women’s suffrage movement in
the U.S. and women’s political gains up to the present. Ashley Oleson,
Administrative Director for the League of Women Voters of Maryland,
talked about the League’s work, emphasizing that women’s most important
right is to vote. And Carol Richards, a longtime journalist now teaching
at George Washington University, moderated the discussion. Topics
discussed were the effect of gerrymandering on steering elections toward
specific parties, how the “MeToo” movement is creating momentum among
women voters, and specific advocacy that AAWGT members might engage in.
An
overall takeaway from the program, attended by more than 100, was that
we’ve made progress but there’s still work to be done to get us to the
full potential of equality.