Pandemic Doesn’t Stop the Generosity of the Henry County Community
by: Jennifer Fox
For 7 years, the women of Henry County have pooled their resources and granted over $41,000 to 18 different nonprofit organizations through the Women’s Circle of Friends Pass-Through Fund. These dollars were made available with donations from community women who attend the Women’s Circle of Friends Women’s Grantmaking Gala in the Fall. However, with restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, what would have been the 8th annual gala was canceled. This did not stop the generous women with deep Henry County roots. When offered the chance to give—without the opportunity to gather for a fun evening—the ladies came through.
One such donor, Ann McGlothlin, has contributed and attended the Gala since its inception in 2013. The canceled Gala did not stop Ann from giving. “It really doesn’t have anything to do with the Gala,” Ann stated. “Sure, it is a fun evening, but it’s an honor to have the opportunity to come together with like-minded women who have charitable hearts to support the people of Henry County,” said Ann. “For me, it is the cause and knowing we are supporting people in our community.”
Ann, along with 72 other donors, made contributions in 2020. These donations were placed in the Women’s Circle of Friends Field of Interest Fund (different than the before mentioned Pass-Through Fund), which supports girls and women of Henry County. With over $7,000 being placed back into the Henry County community from the Fund, these donations positively impact the girls and women of our community.
Nonprofit organizations often struggle to cover expenses with grants because of limiting criteria. However, Nancy appreciates the grants provided through the Women’s Circle of Friends are available for her to use where the needs are greatest. “It was always nice to have some dollars that were not earmarked for any particular thing but to be able to use as needed.” Nancy adds, “I have been more than grateful for the support, and so are the many women you have served.”
The ICAP Women’s Clinic has received grant dollars from the Women’s Circle of Friends Field of Interest Fund and knows firsthand the tremendous impact. “The grant dollars that we have received from the Women’s Circle of Friends has enabled us to provide women’s health services such as pap tests, pregnancy tests, and routine cancer screening,” says Nancy Lewis, RN and Women’s Clinic Director. “We have been able to provide birth control services at little or no cost to those that were uninsured, and we have provided prenatal vitamins for those in their early pregnancy. Many times this money helped to fill in the gaps where we did not receive funding from other sources or the funding we had was not adequate.”