“Kick Off the Vote!”, at Harley Family Center, October 20, 2025
We’ve got our “Grants on the Ground”!
Having the opportunity to visit fellow members while seeing photo highlights from this year’s GWC activities, filled with various venues and the smiles of kind and generous folks, sure did start off our annual Kick Off the Vote meeting with promise on October 20, 2025. Our members-only meeting historically starts with a tongue-in-cheek song or poem—but first the Social Committee provided light appetizers and tasty beverages.
Mary Woodiwiss walked the group through the work the Grants Review & Awards Committee has done in the last few months so that we could commend and thank them. But when she invited others to join them in our next granting year, the whole group burst out laughing after hearing about how busy this committee is. The evening‘s fun began with both a song and dance! Members Charissa Gibson, Sabrina Miller, Tyra Murray, Laura Stowe, Helena Wardlaw, and Mary Woodiwiss performed a lively dance to “Grants on the Ground”, Mary’s modified, GWC-themed version of 803Fresh’s song “Boots on the Ground.” Their performance of the most popular line dance in the nation resulted in boisterous, encouraging laughter throughout the room.
Then, Grants Review & Awards Committee members invited each person to take a snippet of a 2025 grant proposal to determine which Greenwood area nonprofit it came from. Women scrambled among the numerous application posters analyzing services a grant would provide to locate the fact they held in hand. The exercise served as a warm-up to the voting where every member decides which nonprofit organizations will receive a portion of the nearly $80,000 we have to disburse this year. The challenge brought amusement and interest (and a wee bit of panic). Planners Debbie Coesens, Kathy Emily, Jan Puzar, and Peggy Dewane-Pope watched with glee as the game played out.
One of the tremendous advantages GWC has among collective giving groups nationwide is providing every member with a voice in what organizations are funded. Michelle Stallworth reviewed our voting process. She encouraged members to vote using the emailed link members received during the meeting and to rank all proposals to ensure a strong list of priorities for granting. Members were also provided with handouts entitled “FAQs About Nonprofit Funding” and “What Happens After We Vote.”
Debbie Coesens wrapped up our meeting by fielding questions about the voting process, prompting us to vote for GWC’s very own Uptown scarecrow, Ms. Carey Givings, and announcing important upcoming events. Throughout the evening, we were reminded that learning about our community, giving generously, and growing together with new and current friends and neighbors is a priority in making Greenwood better at every step. Thanks so much to all who helped make Kick Off the Vote! fabulous and fun!
