We wanted to share a letter from one of the founding members of Women of Impact of Greater Battle Creek. Donna Lartigue sent this to the group following the March meeting. We think it is a great progress report and history for the group. Enjoy!
As I shared with members last night, Women of Impact’s total membership for 2012 was 65 members. Our total giving for 2012 was $21,800!!!! We had approximately 7 members who have left the area or who felt they could no longer participate, bringing our total to 58 members. However, we had 11 women join Women of Impact last night, which brings our total membership to 69 women!! This is awesome!
As I reflect about the creation of Women of Impact, I remember when the thought of creating a giving circle was just that, a thought – an idea. I remember feeling DEEPLY compelled to take on the project. Why? Because I felt the need to give back and wanted to make Battle Creek a better place to live for everyone. I moved to Battle Creek 10 years ago with my husband, Carlton and son, Ethan to accept a Program Director position with the WK Kellogg Foundation. I had the privilege to serve on its Hometown programming team and manage a grant portfolio that supported the needs of Battle Creek. During the 7 years I worked at WKKF, I came to learn about how special the people in Battle Creek are and how my family and I have come to call Battle Creek our home. I also learned and saw first- hand the impact of the health, educational, economic and racial disparities that exist in our community and the impact these disparities have on the overall financial health, sustainability and well-being of our community.
I am so thankful to my friends who answered my invitation to explore the creation of a giving circle – Stephanie Stewart, Chris Kwak, Kathy Sue Dunn, Grace Cowens, Teresa Durham, Denise Brooks-Williams, Patricia Adams, Katie Moskalik, Mishca Smith, Lynn Van Pelt, and Paula Ware. It is because of the hard work of these incredible women that Women of Impact was born.
I am equally grateful to the many women who have joined Women of Impact. It is my deepest hope that this journey will allow us to continue to explore a range of experiences and perspectives in Battle Creek. It is also my hope, that as a diverse group of women, we come together, to celebrate our commonalities and appreciate our differences.
We can do so much more together than we can as individuals. As we continue to grow, the importance and power of our giving will also grow and our leveraged giving will continue to create greater impact.
Many thanks to you all,
Donna
The Children’s Defense Fund’s Freedom School™ is a six-week summer educational program for school-age children. Staffed by college-age interns, the CDF Freedom Schools program provides a supportive learning environment for children—who are referred to in the program as “scholars”—with a curriculum that emphasizes reading, writing, mentoring, leadership, and conflict resolution.
