Full Circle News
investing...informing...inspiring
September 2023
Message from LeadershipWelcome to September!We’re happy to welcome you back from summer with our Grants Showcase on September 20 at 5:30 pm. Please sign up while there is still room so you can join us to celebrate the accomplishments of our 2022 grantees and be introduced to our 2023 awardees. Also, we invite you to listen to a recent podcast AAWGT did with Eye on Annapolis (see below). Lots of good information about this organization we are so proud of. Sincerely, Susan Cook, President Grantee Spotlight:
We Care and Friends We Care and Friends’ mission is to support the building blocks that create strong families and communities in areas affected by drugs, poverty, and crime in Maryland. Founded by Larry Griffin over three decades ago, the organization provides food, clothing, and assistance to those in need. Through the assistance of Calvary United Church, they are able to provide lunches to individuals in local communities. We Care and Friends also sponsors speaker forums where communities get to vocalize their needs, including transportation and funds to send those who are addicted to drugs and alcohol to treatment facilities outside Maryland to get support and help. Read more/lessWith the grant provided by Anne Arundel Women Giving Together, they were able to assist those who may not have gotten the help needed to keep lights on, stay in their residence, and pay for child care to secure and maintain a job. It is the goal of We Care and Friends to partner with other nonprofits to assist and be assisted to respond appropriately to the growing needs of the communities served. AAWGT Member Highlight:Meet Cassandra MooreCassandra Moore joined AAWGT in July 2016, having been invited to one of its events by long-time member Judy Coughlin. Cassandra is the director of enrollment and admissions at Anne Arundel Community College (AACC). During her long career, she has gained experience at every level of college admissions. “I joined and will continue to participate because AAWGT’s mission is in line with my family-based core value of service. I love AAWGT’s mission of women pooling their resources to make a greater impact on improving the lives of women, children, and families, and importantly, doing so in this county. I wanted to learn more about needs in this county and what organizations were stepping up to the plate to meet those needs.” Cassandra noted that this information is helpful in how she and her colleagues at AACC engage with prospective students and families in each community. She mentioned that her “spirit animal” is the octopus, “because admissions professionals’ tentacles touch so many aspects of the student experience.” In terms of AAWGT activities, Cassandra focuses on two areas: the Grants Committee, where she’s participated as a reviewer for many years, and the Education Committee, of which she’s currently assistant chair. “I like the fact that AAWGT members are always asking how we can do better for our members and community, and are not resting on our laurels.” Read more/less“Born and raised in Arkansas, I describe myself as a Southerner with agricultural roots, from a family of farmers, teachers, preachers, and librarians. My parents were educators who loved intelligent people who were great conversationalists. They prized being informed and viewed education as the pathway to opportunity. One of their favorite sayings was, “looks will fade, but dumb is forever.” Cassandra and her brother felt nurtured and fully supported by them throughout their lives. “They never diminished our dreams.” Cassandra married a military officer who is now retired and teaching in Anne Arundel County public schools. She is the proud mother of two young adults. Her son works as a pricing specialist at MRC Global and her daughter is an educator, recently named Howard County Public School’s Teacher of the Year. Cassandra loves reading, traveling, visiting museums and independent bookstores (of which she’s a strong supporter), movies, the theater, and spending time with family. Her “guilty pleasure” is candles and her favorite book is Isabella Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration. “It really is a depiction of my family’s history.” | Grants Showcase
AAWGT Featured in Eye On Annapolis Local Business Spotlight Click here to listen.
Don’t forget to register for the 2023 Philanos conference in Baltimore on November 5-7. It provides a wonderful opportunity to meet and share ideas with women philanthropists from across the country. AAWGT is a co-host of this year’s conference and there will be two days of stimulating sessions on collective power and leadership; communications and technology; governance and finance; and membership and grantmaking. Conference information: https://philanos.org/PowerUP!-Conference. Our Sponsors Help Support AAWGT’s Work Sponsors assist our all-volunteer organization by underwriting our cost of doing business: website and grant platform fees, event and program costs and an annual management fee. This support frees up dollars that can be put toward grants supporting our county’s women and families in need. Do you know a company or organization that may be interested? The benefits of AAWGT sponsorship include:
Becoming a sponsor is easy — just fill out the form that creates a year-long sponsorship. Sponsorships range from $1,000 to $5,000 and are 100% tax-deductible. To learn more about AAWGT, please go to www.givingtogether.org. Our sponsors support AAWGT’s work in the community and promote their business at the same time! A Warm Welcome to Our Newest Members: Deborah Bradford, Leopoldine Farrington, Linda Hanifin Bonner, Melanie Kincaid, Christy Martin, Erin Pelletier, and Khylah Settle |
Anne Arundel Women Giving Together | giving@givingtogether.org
AAWGT is a component fund of the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel CountyAAWGT is a member of Philanos: Accelerating Philanthropy through Women’s Collective Giving
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