By Maria Ortolani, WCF Publicity Chair
The Women’s Club of Farmingdale (WCF) Co-Presidents Cheryl Parisi and Lorraine Stanton, together with club treasurer Lynn Connolly, have spearheaded a new philanthropic undertaking. Monthly Ambassador Lunches are being held locally as mini-fundraisers for a program entitled “Speak Up for the Poor.”
Speak Up runs a girls education program, which sponsors girls in poverty to stay in school and on the path to success. They help transform the way the world thinks about poor girls and ensure that girls in poverty are free to live up to their fullest potential. Their long-term goal is to help thousands of girls in poverty finish their education, get professional training and then return to serve their community and country as servants to the poor; from girls in poverty to themselves being advocates for the poor. They serve more than 1,300 girls in 30 villages helping them stay in school, stay out of child marriage and fund more than 20 girls removed from brothels in Bangladesh. Hundreds more receive some academic support or remain on their waiting list. In total, nearly 1,500 girls and their families are served by this program. The September and October ambassador fundraisers were chaired by Connolly and Edie Allen, respectively, at the Nutty Irishman. These mini-fundraiser lunches will continue throughout the club year. For more information, go to www.speakupforthepoor.com.
Parisi and Stanton have also rekindled a wonderful holiday tradition in Project Night Night. Nestled inside new tote bags are books, stuffed animals and blankets. Members fill the totes with these items and then deliver them to a local children’s homeless shelter in time for the holiday season. During their time of upheaval, these gifts provide a concrete and predicable source of security and exposure to high quality literacy materials, reducing trauma and advancing the cognitive and emotional well-being of homeless children. For more information, go to www.projectnightnight.com.
Ways and Means Committee members held the club’s 2019 major fundraiser, Chico’s Fashion Show, on Nov. 9 at the Farmingdale Public Library. A delicious lunch buffet, catered by the Nutty Irishman, was enjoyed by all as members modeled fashions from Chico’s. Monies raised are part of the club’s end-of-year philanthropy, including monetary awards to local Farmingdale high school seniors and local charities.
Supporting a new program is member Barbara Hoerner, who is endorsing “Cinderella’s Closet.” Members will donate gently-used cocktail dresses, gowns and prom dresses to the Coast Guard Spouse’s Club of Staten Island. The president of the Spouse’s Club said that there are numerous occasions for the wives to attend functions, and it becomes cost prohibitive to purchase a new dress/gown each time. She also mentioned that they have teenagers who need homecoming and prom dresses every year.
In addition, Hoerner will be collecting items for our brave men and women in the armed forces. Items such as cookies, gum, mints, candy, granola bars, protein bars, powdered drink mixes, trail mix, nuts, beef jerky, peanut butter, jelly and all other nonperishable items are accepted. In addition to these snacks, assorted toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner, soap, body wash, body lotion, bandaids, neosporin, tylenol, motrin, feminine products, toothbrushes, hair brushes, tooth paste, dental floss, moist wipes, chapstick, razors, etc. are needed. Collected items will be sorted and boxed by members and sent to our servicemen and women serving all over the world.
Thank you to the Village of Farmingdale Beautification Committee, including volunteers from the community and the WCF, who helped with the fall plantings and holiday decorations creating a festive and joyful atmosphere throughout the village.
