Women Who Care awards $45,300 in grants at Annual Meeting

Local organizations were presented with their grant awards by Women Who Care committee members

Photo:  The members of Women Who Care awarded $45,300 in grants to 13 local organizations at their 2023 annual business meeting held at the Johnsonburg Firehall. Grant recipients were presented with checks by members of the Women Who Care Steering Committee.

Front:  Leslie Bauer, Elk Co. Humane Society; Women Who Care Steering Committee Members, June Sorg, Kris Kronenwetter, Barb Duffy, Diane Colgan, and Paula Micale; Elizabeth Mader, Faithful Quilters.

Middle: Harriet Stahli and Gloria Molella from Helping Hands Food Pantry; Kathy Ford, Neighbors Feeding Neighbors; Chi Catalone, PSU Suicide Prevention; Laura Funaki, Friends of Twin Lakes.

Back: Elizabeth Erich, Humane Society; Sean Rockmore, Cen-Clear; Joe Jacob, Boys & Girls Club of St. Marys; Nick Burdick, St. Marys Ambulance Association; Bob Asti and Bill Kraus, Crystal Fire Department.

Grant recipients missing from photo were Special Olympics, Alcohol & Drug Abuse Services and Tri-county Rails to Trails.

Women Who Care awards $45,300 in grants at Annual Meeting

Women Who Care (WWC) awarded $45,300 in grants to local nonprofit organizations after 190 members of WWC cast their votes for their favorite projects at the Annual Meeting in October. Women Who Care brings women from diverse backgrounds together to combine their philanthropic leadership and strengthen the Elk County community through the power of collective giving.

The 2023 annual meeting was held at the Johnsonburg Firehall. Attendees enjoyed a delicious dinner, grant presentations and voting, entertainment by the Allegheny Harmonizers, the awarding of grants, and a delightful social evening with members and guests.

The Women Who Care organization holds a donor advised fund at the Elk County Community Foundation. Since its inception in 2009, the WWC fund has awarded over $391,000 in grants to enhance local nonprofit programs. The fund was established and is perpetuated by a group of community-minded women who continue to work together to address and support issues that are important to women. WWC membership now numbers 281 amazing women who generously donate each year to the fund. The financial impact of the combined donations of so many women has made a huge difference in our communities. In addition to the grants given by Women Who Care, another goal of WWC is to educate the membership on the type of financial needs encountered by our nonprofit organizations as they work to provide their services to families in our communities.

WWC offers the opportunity for every woman to become a member and participate in charitable giving in their community. Members each donate a very affordable $100 or more annually. All donations are pooled together each year to determine the amount available for granting that year. WWC extends an invitation to all area women to join their organization.

For more details about Women Who Care membership please contact the Elk County Community Foundation at 814-834-2125 or by email at eccf@elkcountyfoundation.org.

The Elk County Community Foundation and the McKean County Community Foundation are affiliates of the Community Foundation of the Northern Alleghenies.