Full Circle News
investing...informing...inspiring
May-June 2022
In This Issue: Leadership Letter | Upcoming Events | Grantee Spotlight - Anne Arundel County Food Bank | Education Session: Innocence Project | Grantee Spotlight - Charting Careers | New Members
Five Ways You Know You are an AAWGT Member 1. You've read "Poverty Amidst Plenty" 2. You have used "team leader 2" in a sentence 3. You know what RESG and PGEC are 4. You are familiar with the tagline "Invest, Inform, Inspire" 5. You are a philanthropist Of the five, considering yourself a philanthropist is, of course, the most important. People often think of a philanthropist as someone who gives away a lot of money. That's certainly one definition. But an important part of being a philanthropist is seeking to promote the welfare of others. So there you go: we are all philanthropists. But the other ways that you know you are an AAWGT member point to the work that we do. You'll understand "Poverty Amidst Plenty," especially if you have worked on the Grants Committee. We use that publication from the Community Foundation to provide important data on the needs in our community. "Team leader 2" also applies to the Grants Committee. Our Grants Committee reviewers are divided into teams that evaluate each grant application. Our valuable team leaders guide groups of reviewers and then present their team's findings to the other team leaders, plus our committee chair and assistant chairs. You'll also know that RESG stands for our Racial Equity Study Group and that PGEC stands for Post Grants Evaluation Committee. Through our study group, members take a deep dive into an examination of racial equity and its effects on our most vulnerable citizens. And Post Grants members are the liaisons with our grantees, keeping us up to date on their work and the progress of the program funded by the AAWGT grant. And finally, AAWGT members embrace the tagline, "Invest, Inform, Inspire." We invest in the community via our grants, we inform via our education sessions, and we inspire others through our generosity of time, talent and treasure — all exemplified by our unique vocabulary and the ways you know you are an AAWGT member. Warmly, Maryann Gosnell, President
On June 8, AAWGT presented a panel discussion for members and the community on wrongful incarceration and the Innocence Project’s work to free wrongfully convicted individuals and improve the criminal justice system. The virtual presentation was moderated by Carl Snowden, a longtime civil rights activist, founder of Carl Snowden and Associates, and the Convener of the Caucus of African American Leaders in Anne Arundel County. Panelists included:
Watch the full webinar here. Read the full event summary here. Charting Careers was thrilled and grateful to receive an AAWGT grant for $20,000 to provide long-term, wrap-around support for over 50 young people and their families who face systemic inequities and have been disproportionately, negatively impacted by the pandemic. Charting Careers believes all young people deserve to thrive and determine their own futures. They work to guide youth toward their full potential through the removal of barriers and the power of mentoring, family partnership and enriching life experiences.
The AAWGT grant supports their student-centered model by covering direct service costs associated with key staff members, including their mentor coordinator and director of college and career readiness. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, they have been able to provide high-quality, in-person, after-school programming to 30+ elementary and middle school students, including tutoring, mental health support, skill development, outside play and much more. They have also been able to offer weekly in-person sessions for 18 students at Annapolis High School, where students are connecting with their staff, planning college visits and the upcoming career networking event, and receiving individualized advising as they determine their plans for the future. Currently, 24 students are matched with one-to-one mentors who connect with them weekly and who take them on outings aligned with their interests and joys. Charting Career's elementary students are making gains with their reading skills and confidence. 100 percent of their students are setting and achieving goals, such as improving their grades, securing their first internship and improving their mental health by connecting with a counselor. Their five high school graduates are all in college and have scholarships provided by Charting Careers. They check in with their youth regularly and provide continued mentoring and opportunities. One of their graduates is playing basketball and on the honor roll at Elmira College, another is thriving at Towson University and three are attending AACC. One of the three at AACC has just started an internship with Charting Careers. They are so grateful for AAWGT’s partnership and look forward to sharing a full report of their results at the fall AAWGT Grant Showcase. |
July TBD: Movie: "Walking While Black" Racial Equity Study Group: All members are invited to join this group. Just send an email to RESG or register through our website so that you will get a link to the monthly Zoom meetings, held the second Tuesday of the month from 4-5 p.m. Members are welcome to just listen in or participate. Now rounding out our fourth year with over 70 members, we address topics both historic and current, bring in speakers and listen to each other, all just to learn for ourselves or figure out new ways our giving circle can expand what we do through grants, education programs and outreach. No homework, no obligation. Just come and see what our ever-growing group has to say! Grantee Showcase: Tuesday, September 13, at Temple Beth Shalom, in Arnold, MD. Members and non-members are invited to our annual showcase, featuring table-top displays from the year's newest grantees, and presentations by our 2021 grantees on how they used the AAWGT grant to benefit women and children in our county. Keep an eye on your inbox this summer for information on how to register.
Delivery day for the $40,000 worth of diapers! AAWGT grant funds combined with other donations to allow the Anne Arundel County Food Bank to purchase 20 pallets of diapers that were distributed to families throughout the county. Nate Starkweather, store manager from the Crofton Wegmans store delivers diapers to to the AACFB warehouse in Crownsville, Md. The Anne Arundel County Food Bank, Inc. (AACFB) is a countywide food bank committed to ensuring that all county residents experiencing hardship have access to food and basic necessities. The AACFB distributes free, nutritious food and other recources to over 110 community providers located across our county. The grant support from AAWGT helped them to deepen the commitment to their most central purpose: ensuring that under-resourced Anne Arundel County residents have access to nutritious food and basic necessities required to thrive. In June 2021, the AAWGT grant of $8,496 was combined with other donations to purchase a total of $40,000 in diapers. This helped to lay the foundation to expand the baby pantry program. The Anne Arundel County Food Bank, Inc. (AACFB) is a countywide food bank committed to ensuring that all county residents experiencing hardship have access to food and basic necessities. The AACFB distributes free, nutritious food and other recources to over 110 community providers located across our county. The grant support from AAWGT helped them to deepen the commitment to their most central purpose: ensuring that under-resourced Anne Arundel County residents have access to nutritious food and basic necessities required to thrive. In June 2021, the AAWGT grant of $8,496 was combined with other donations to purchase a total of $40,000 in diapers. This helped to lay the foundation to expand the baby pantry program. The Anne Arundel County Food Bank, Inc. (AACFB) is a countywide food bank committed to ensuring that all county residents experiencing hardship have access to food and basic necessities. The AACFB distributes free, nutritious food and other recources to over 110 community providers located across our county. The grant support from AAWGT helped them to deepen the commitment to their most central purpose: ensuring that under-resourced Anne Arundel County residents have access to nutritious food and basic necessities required to thrive. In June 2021, the AAWGT grant of $8,496 was combined with other donations to purchase a total of $40,000 in diapers. This helped to lay the foundation to expand the baby pantry program. "I've seen families in desperate need coming into our baby pantry," remarked Pastor LeNae Kirwan from the Life of Victory, one of the AACFB member agencies. She told the story of a person named Jack who had been coming to their baby pantry on a regular basis. "Jack's family had unexpectedly welcomed twins, and he came to get formula when he couldn't afford it in their family budget. He was always so appreciative of our help." A Warm Welcome to our Newest Members!Our giving circle continues to grow with new members joining each month. Please join us in welcoming the 17 women who joined since April:
Not a Member Yet?Please email us at membership@givingtogether.org if you’d like to be added to the invite list for our next prospective member event, which we will continue to host by Zoom until it’s safe to meet in person again.
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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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