GWC Quarterly Meeting, “Where Care Meets Community”, at Greenwood Genetic Center, August 24, 2026

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Greenwood Genetic Center graciously opened its doors to GWC for the fourth time in our history as we celebrated our 2025 grant recipients at our third quarterly meeting, “Where Care Meets Community”, held in the JC Self Research Institute. Our talented GWC photographer, Catherine DiBenedetto, met members and guests at the door. Attendees were then directed to either the members’ sign-in table, where Kerry Tieman of the Membership Committee greeted them, or the guest table where Mary Ann Dula, Jan Puzar and Donna Foster of the Grants Review & Awards Committee welcomed guests and provided name tags.

All were treated to delicious refreshments prepared by our Social Committee. Cheese and crackers; egg, tuna, and chicken salad mini sandwiches; and turkey canapés on naan: fruit; and petit fours were accompanied by fruit punch, water, and wine. Members of the GWC Social Committee: Brenda Wulfekotte, Kelli Eberhardt, Jeanne White, Bobbie Fulton, Karen Smith and Marg Gunderson, served the evening’s refreshments.

At 6:00, everyone gathered in the spacious, tiered conference room where a slideshow highlighting a very active GWC winter, spring, and summer was displayed on the large screen, courtesy of Rachel Strayer. Vice-Chair Peggy Dewane-Pope set the stage by thanking our host, Greenwood Genetic Center (GGC), and welcoming our members and guests, noting that both GGC and GWC exemplify “Where Care Meets Community.” Peggy also highlighted what GWC’s 2025 grants, totaling $79,825, accomplished for our community in a single year. Peggy then introduced Cady Nell Keener, Executive Director of the Greenwood Genetic Center Foundation and Co-Chair of the GWC Membership Committee.

Cady Nell introduced Lori Bassett, GGC Director of Communications, who shared four case studies highlighting four distinct aspects of the services provided by Greenwood Genetic Center –  Access, Analysis, Answers, and Action. For over 50 years, GGC has worked to improve access to genomic services, utilizing state-of-the art technologies to help provide long-awaited diagnoses that lead patients to personalized treatment plans.

Angela Robinson Greer, a new GWC member who promptly joined the Grants Review & Awards Committee, introduced our Grants Video, which was expertly created by Tyra Murray and Whitney Nicholson-Allen and curated by Rachel Strayer. The link to this memorable video is available HERE and on the GWC web pages Home and Grants. The video was met with enthusiasm and thunderous applause! Jan Puzar, a member of the Grants Review & Awards Committee, recognized our 11 grant recipients from 2025. All nonprofit organizations that received a grant were represented, and their representatives gathered on stage to receive their Certificate of Recognition and pose for a group photograph.

Rachel Strayer, GWC Advisory Board Chair, thanked all six GWC standing committees, especially noting our hardworking Grants Review & Awards Committee. She introduced Greenwood Mayor Brandon Smith who commended GWC’s influence in our community, including making nearly $5,000,000 in grant awards to local nonprofit organizations over the past seven years. Rachel concluded her remarks by thanking our 2025 grant recipients for their compassion, dedication, and commitment to serving others and making Greenwood County a stronger, healthier, and more caring community. She noted  that GWC is honored to partner with nonprofits in their important work and grateful for the difference our grantees make every day.

GWC Offers Grant Writing 101, July 23, 2026

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Greenwood Women Care held its eight annual Grant Writing 101 workshop on Thursday, July 23. A record number of volunteers and staff from local nonprofits filled the Westside Baptist Church social hall to learn how best to apply for grants. Focus on writing tips, budgets, and outcome measures kept participants building their skills and knowledge. Greenwood Women Care members presenting these sessions and other comments were Jan Puzar, Kathy Emily, Peggy Dewane-Pope, Sandy Tresino, Donna Foster, and Margaret Conrad. Each portion of the workshop provided detailed information and interactive exercises on how to create the most factual and appealing grant application possible to attain funds to support their missions in our community.

Our Funders Forum was comprised of speakers from Greenwood organizations that provide grants to nonprofit organizations. Each representative explained granting guidelines and priorities for the funding they offer. Participants were: Denise Holland with United Way of the Lakelands, Andria Wendell from Self Regional Healthcare, Melissa Hayden of Self Family Foundation, Mary Woodiwiss representing Greenwood County Community Foundation and Margaret Conrad of Greenwood Women Care.

Greenwood Women Care’s Grants Review and Awards Committee sponsors this workshop each summer at no cost to participants. This year, about two dozen staff and volunteers from 15 local nonprofits sharpened their skills to apply for support for children and youth programs, arts experiences, mental health and other health services, and environmental projects, among others.

GWC Quarterly Meeting, “A Place for You @ Our Farm”, at Our Farm, May 12, 2026

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GWC members and guests enjoyed an amazing night at A Place for Us @ Our Farm in Abbeville for our 2nd Quarterly Meeting, “A Place for You @ Our Farm; Good Things Grow Here!”

The farm is beautiful. There are greenhouses, a garden already exploding with color, horses running in the pasture, and lots of open spaces to explore or just sit and meditate.

It was a great opportunity for us to see the impact of the 2024 GWC grant which they used to host a Compassion Fatigue Retreat on the farm to nourish those who serve others in crisis situations.

If you made the drive, you know the 60-acre setting is magical. If you couldn’t attend, there will be plenty of chances to check it out in the future. They have a bold vision and lots of new elements coming to fruition daily, all with the goal of healing the trauma in children and adults.

In traditional GWC fashion, there was plenty of great food and drinks to go around while we mingled around the barn and patio. The view gave us many things to talk about.

Then we heard about the vision from Tammie Price and Rick Escoe.

Founder Tammie Price shared some stories of early success: the woman who came home after a short retreat and her husband wanted to know what happened because she seemed like a different woman. The attendee who kept paying for Tammie’s dinner, and when Tammie said it was unnecessary, the woman said, “if it wasn’t for you, I am not sure I would be around to eat this meal”.

Rick shared the 3–5-year vision of the farm build-out. They have ambitious plans all centered around using the farm to help others realize the power of nature, healing, and community. They are working with some local government agencies to create programs to help vets, those in drug recovery, and at-risk youth.

They have plans for a facility that will preserve food and then sell it in a future store. They will have cabins for guests and an art center for kids.

The farm has a self-sustaining philosophy for their future. While everything has been donated so far, their vision is to make this farm a destination.

Equine therapy is something already in motion. They have several horses and Joan Penning even gave the group a demonstration of the healing benefits of working with a horse. It was fascinating to watch two GWC members get a chance to interact with the horse. You’ll have to speak with Kerry Ignatovich and Rowan Pallis to see what they thought about the experience.

The night ended with a tour of the vegetable garden.

The book contributed to Greenwood County Library in Tammie’s honor, In the Night Garden by Carin Berger, was a fitting tribute to their mission.

Staff and volunteers at A Place for Us @ Our Farm are looking for other volunteers to join in their mission. Find out more at Welcome2ourfarm.com. Be sure to check them out if you love farm life but don’t have one.

Thanks to A Place for Us @ Our Farm staff and volunteers who welcomed us and to GWC members who helped pull off the event: Erica Ferry, Programs & Education and Membership committee member; Bobbie Fulton and  Karen Smith, Co-Chairs of the Social committee; Rachel Strayer, GWC Advisory Board Chair,  Peggy Dewane-Pope, GWC Vice-Chair; Lisa Wyn, Membership committee member; Charissa Gibson, Programs & Education committee member; and others.

GWC Annual Celebration, “Give Where You Live”, at Greenwood Community Theatre, April 20, 2026

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The  Federal Building Courtyard in Uptown Greenwood was awash with the sounds of cool jazz, provided by a quartet of the Lander University Jazz Ensemble, and the sounds of laughter of dozens of members and guests at the 2026 Greenwood Women Care Annual Celebration. This year’s event was entitled “Give Where You Live,” a testament to GWC 2025 Grants totaling $79,825 to Greenwood nonprofits and $483,799 over seven years of granting awards.

Representatives from our Membership Committee, Cady Nell Keener, Nina Trent, Lisa Wyn, and Kerry Tieman, enthusiastically greeted all. The Social Committee provided a delicious repast of Mediterranean-style naan, turkey sliders, shrimp, tabouleh salad, and fresh fruit and cheese. Helena Wardlaw, owner of Charming Gourmet Sticks, made tasty chocolate-covered pretzel sticks and macarons. Prosecco, red and white wine, fruit punch, and water were served as well. Social Committee Co-Chairs Bobbie Fulton and Karen Smith, and committee members Summer Booker, Vickie Chandler, Kelli Eberhardt, Marg Gunderson, Carol Harley, Billie Havey, Christine Nowowiecki, Ginger Richman, Ginger Rogers, Denise Stone, Jeanne White, and Brenda Wulfkotte were on hand to serve this beautiful spread.

After the reception, we progressed to the Greenwood Community Theatre, with programs distributed by Margaret Conrad and Jan Puzar.

Peggy Dewane-Pope, GWC Vice-Chair, greeted us and highlighted the efforts of our six GWC standing committees in keeping GWC vibrant. She then suggested, “let’s shift from what we do… to why it matters. Let’s take a look at the impact of giving where you live.”

All enjoyed reliving the GWC events of the past year through a “Year in Review” slide show (prepared by Rachel Strayer) replete with inspiring quotes and images of all our 2025 events. Karen Smith and Bobbie Fulton then took the stage and awarded the first set of door prizes to members Brenda Feece and Rowan Pallis, delivered to recipients by Billie Havey and Kelli Eberhardt.

Our emcees for the evening, Helena Wardlaw and Laura Stowe, both serving on the GWC Advisory Board, advanced to the stage. They presented a lively look at options to address some serious challenges facing Greenwood County today, with information provided by LakelandsCounts.org, a trusted resource that tracks quality-of-life data. It has been GWC’s honor and privilege to step forward and assist with responding to these challenges with funding support.

The duo presented four different areas of concern, followed by a few ways, both humorous and serious, that these might be addressed. The first area, “A Healthier Greenwood,” explored challenges from infancy to geriatric care. GWC 2025 grantees New Morning and Community Initiatives’ La Clinica Gratis, along with Lions Vision Services, were highlighted in this section.

Teresa Goodman, Executive Director of Community Initiatives, spoke of how GWC’s grant impacted La Clinica Gratis and how their HOPE (Healthy Opportunities for Perinatal Equity) program serves uninsured and underinsured women in Greenwood County and the surrounding Lakelands. GWC grant funds were allocated toward providing a community health worker, medical provider, licensing, and patient education supplies.

The second challenge, “A Caring, Connected Greenwood Community,” centered on addiction, substance use, and housing instability. Chris Padgett, Founder and Executive Director of HUB Transition Centers, explained the mission of HUB to provide housing and support to individuals who are on the road to recovery and stability. Our GWC grant helped to cover intake fees, transportation costs, and household items.

Our third challenge focused on “Resilient Children and A Brighter Future for Greenwood,” highlighting 2025 grantees Connie Maxwell Children’s Ministries, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lakelands, Girls on the Run – Upstate SC, and Scouting America – Blue Ridge Council. Sabrina Miller, Executive Director of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lakelands, spoke to us concerning the Starz 24 Teen Center and our GWC grant, which contributed to the important function of transportation of students from school to the Teen Center, including bus maintenance and staffing support, along with insurance, tags, and first aid supplies.

Our fourth challenge explored “Creative Opportunities and Inclusive Access for Greenwood,” highlighting even more 2025 grant recipients: Greenwood Community Theatre, Greenwood Performing Arts, and Lakelands Region YMCA. Ryan Hewitt, Artistic and Technical Director of Greenwood Community Theatre, spoke of their appreciation of the GWC grant for assistance with the production costs of The Penguin Project, which offers the opportunity for youth with disabilities to experience participation in a full-scale musical.

Mamie Nicholson and Donna Foster were the lucky recipients of our second round of door prizes.

What followed was a boot-stomping rendition of “Grants on the Ground,” a version of the popular song “Boots on the Ground” with lyrics revised especially for GWC by Mary Woodiwiss. Debbie Coesens introduced this segment of our program. Mary led 13 GWC friends through several rehearsals to be ready to take the stage with boots and clappy hands to present this rousing dance: Whitney Nicholson-Allen, Tara Smith, Laura Stowe, Helena Wardlaw, Santasha Highley, Ricque Greer, JulieAnn Mottern, Tyra Murray, Kit Adkins, Barbara Warner, Marilyn Murphy, and Charissa Gibson. Meanwhile, eight members armed with placards revealed, digit by digit, GWC’s total funding to our community to date: $483,799! They were: Erica Ferry, Denise Mock, Cady Nell Keener, Rowan Pallis, Michelle Stallworth, Debra Moton, Donna Foster, and Suzy Holloway.

GWC Chair Rachel Strayer closed our celebratory evening with words of gratitude to the “Arts Center of Greenwood and Greenwood Community Theatre for allowing us to gather in such beautiful spaces once again “, Ryan Hewitt, for “everything you’ve done to help bring tonight’s program to life”, and to the anonymous Advisory Board members who covered the cost of the Lander Jazz Ensemble’s performance and the door prizes. Rachel concluded with, “It makes my heart happy to see so many of you here in celebration of this organization and the impact it has on our community. I only wish more women knew about us and took advantage of the opportunity to be part of this. We all know our membership doesn’t just impact the nonprofits we support. It impacts each of us, too. Each of you matters. Each of you play a role. Each of you is part of the reason this work is possible. What we’re building together matters. And it only works because you’re a part of it.”

GWC New Members Drop-In, March 17, 2026

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GWC is always delighted to include new members in our circle of giving and connection! This winter, 14 new members have already joined GWC, and we hope to welcome even more in the coming months.

On March 17, our Membership Committee hosted a New Members Drop-In at the home of Mary Woodiwiss. Our New Members events provide a smaller gathering for women who have recently joined GWC to meet each other outside our larger quarterly meetings and socials.

What a festive spread of savory and sweet treats, some especially prepared to commemorate St. Patrick’s Day! On offer were: corned beef wraps, pimiento cheese mini-shells, fruit cups, chicken salad pinwheels, Irish soda bread, brownie bites, salted rosemary shortbread, shamrock pretzels, mint chocolate chip cookies, and refreshing punch, wines, and coffee. There was plenty of time to relax and enjoy conversations around the serving table, beverage counters, and living room.

Rachel Strayer, GWC Chair, and Helena Wardlaw, Advisory Board member, led introductions around the circle and spoke about our six standing committees and their committees’ activities within GWC.

GWC welcomes these new 2026 members (as of early March): Dianna Akin, Rose Amemasor, Rachel Blair, Kaye Cook,  Ricque Greer, Stephanie Lathren, JulieAnn Mottern, Judye Reed, Hope Scurry, Abbie Sladick, Korey Springman, Kerry Tieman, Sandy Tresino, and Joy Williams.

Special thanks to Mary Woodiwiss for hosting us in her welcoming home, Membership Committee members for providing tasty food and drink, and our newest members for sharing the evening in the friendly company of GWC women!

GWC Quarterly Meeting, “Partnerships Helping Students Succeed”, at Emerald High School, February 17, 2026

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GWC’s first quarterly meeting, “Partnerships Helping Students Succeed” featuring Greenwood Promise, was appropriately held at Emerald High School. Cady Nell Keener, Cindy Leary, Erica Ferry, Mary Woodiwiss, and Lisa Wyn of the Membership Committee warmly greeted members and guests. Approximately 15 guests were in attendance, and a total of around 60 women are now better informed about the great work Greenwood Promise facilitates at both Piedmont Technical College and Lander University for our local students.

Everyone enjoyed a delicious buffet of pasta salad, stuffed croissants with pimiento cheese and chicken salad, fresh fruit, brownies, and fruit punch elegantly served by Karen Smith, Bobbie Fulton, and Kelli Eberhardt of the Social Committee. Kelly Buckshorn of the Communications Committee circled through the group snapping photos to memorialize another of our gatherings. After a fun 45-minute social in the sunshine-filled lobby of the gymnasium, all proceeded to a comfortable classroom and settled in for an engaging program.

GWC Chair Rachel Strayer delivered opening remarks welcoming members and guests and thanking Emerald High School for hosting us and the Programs & Education Committee for coordinating the evening. She invited everyone to reflect on their own experiences along their educational journeys. Rachel noted that while each path may have looked different, they likely led to the same realization that strengthening opportunities for student success is something every community should support.

Membership Committee Co-Chairs Cady Nell Keener and Cindy Leary followed by sharing a brilliant new initiative of their committee: a mentorship program pairing new members with GWC veterans. This mentor/mentee connection is designed to provide a smooth way for new members to ask questions and feel comfortable as they become more acquainted with GWC and the many ways to get involved.

The evening’s program was introduced by Programs & Education Committee member Mamie Nicholson, who welcomed Carrie Hofmann, President and CEO of Greenwood Promise. Mamie highlighted Carrie’s extensive background working in television newsrooms around the country prior to joining Greenwood Promise, noting she has won numerous awards recognizing her ethics, expertise, and service.

The Greenwood Promise supports Greenwood County high school graduates to pursue post-secondary education without financial burden. Carrie opened by sharing a graph comparing college success rates in Greenwood County with those of neighboring counties, clearly showing the growing impact of the Promise initiative. She also presented a brief video highlighting the program’s mission and its efforts to expand educational and career pathways for local students.

She shared that Greenwood Promise aims to build a highly skilled workforce, improve quality of life, and strengthen the local economy by fostering community engagement in education. Carrie noted that 75% of Greenwood Promise graduates stay in Greenwood. The program’s vision centers on supporting students from Kindergarten to Career throughout their academic journey. Administered through Greenwood County School District, the initiative is part of a broader effort to make higher education more accessible and debt-free for local students.

Following this overview, attendees heard from Trae Cary, Career Coordinator for Greenwood Promise at Piedmont Technical College. Trae noted that many Promise students are first-generation college students who may need additional guidance. High school students have typically relied on their school’s front desk for support and assistance. Since higher education doesn’t offer that same structure, his role is to provide a virtual “front desk” for Greenwood Promise students while he connects them to internships, apprenticeships, and local employment to help bridge the gap between education and career placement.

Presenting next was Casey Cline, Director of Workforce & Career Development at Lander University. Casey spoke about the many ways her department supports students including offering mock interviews, career fairs, the Professional Clothes Closet, and career coaches who assist with resumes, cover letters, internships, mentorships, headshots, and job searches.

Carrie wrapped up by sharing additional statistics showing that Greenwood Promise is not only supporting student success but also helping strengthen our community by building a skilled workforce. She then answered questions from attendees.

Charissa Gibson of the Programs & Education Committee presented Carrie, Trae, and Casey with All The Books by Haley Rocco, a hardcover book which will be donated to the children’s collection of the Greenwood County Library in their honor.

GWC Vice Chair Peggy Dewane-Pope closed the evening by highlighting one of GWC’s “superpowers”: the ability to gather as acquaintances and leave as friends. She went on to note how lovely it is to realize that we have far more in common than we sometimes recognize, as evidenced by the evening’s shared commitment to supporting education for local students. Peggy then thanked our speakers, Emerald High School, and GWC’s Social and Membership Committees.

GWC Winter Social, “An Evergreen Evening”, at Grange Hall, January 27, 2026

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This year’s Winter Social, “An Evergreen Evening: Growing together to keep our community strong all year long”,  took place on Tuesday, January 27th, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm at Grange Hall.

The evening began with Karen Smith and Bobbie Fulton, Co-Chairs of the Social Committee, welcoming almost 40 members and guests. They thanked fellow Social Committee members for their help organizing the event, including coordinating the delicious food, wine, and punch that everyone enjoyed. They also encouraged anyone interested in getting involved with the Social Committee to ask questions and learn more, sharing that new committee members are always welcome.

The setting at Grange Hall added to the relaxed and inviting atmosphere of the night. While simple in nature, the space was cozy, warm, and an ideal venue for gathering, conversation, and connection. For many in attendance, it was their first opportunity to experience this lesser-known piece of Greenwood history.

After socializing with old and new friends and enjoying refreshments, attendees participated in a fun “Winter Favorites” game. Several small groups answered questions about 1) favorite winter comfort foods, 2) a favorite recent book, TV show, or movie, 3) something they were glad they said yes to recently, and 4) something they are looking forward to in 2026. Answers were then shared with the full group. It was fun to hear so many different ideas, plans, goals, and hopes for the new year!

It was also enjoyable to see many attendees embrace the Evergreen Evening theme by incorporating shades of green into their wardrobe choices. From subtle touches to bolder accents, the theme added a playful and festive element to the evening.

Chair of the GWC Advisory Board, Rachel Strayer, wound down the evening by thanking everyone who ventured out on a cold night to spend time together. She shared that many great programs are planned for the year ahead, with the next gathering scheduled for February 17th at Emerald High School titled “Partnerships Helping Students Succeed.”

As always, it was such a good evening to be inspired to continue the dedicated work of GWC so that we can all make a difference in so many lives in our community.

GWC Announces our 2025 Grant Awards!, November 2025

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Greenwood Women Care is pleased to announce our 2025 GWC Grant Awards! Our collective funds received through annual membership and other designated contributions enabled GWC to disburse $79,825 in total in grant funding for eleven nonprofits serving residents of Greenwood County. In our seven years of offering GWC Grants, we have made 73 grants totaling  $483,799!

GWC 2025 Grants were awarded to:

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lakelands   $10,000
Rising STARZ program for at-risk middle school students

Connie Maxwell Children’s Ministries   $8,000
Advanced trauma therapy for children and families

Greenwood Community Theatre   $10,000
The Penguin Project musical performance opportunity for children and youth with disabilities

Girls on the Run – Upstate SC   $10,000
Program integrating running with life skills for underserved girls ages 6-14

Lions Vision Services   $7,500
Eye health services for uninsured or under-insured Greenwood residents

Community Initiatives   $7,500
La Clinica Gratis maternal-health program

Blue Ridge Council – Scouting America   $7,500
After-school program/day camp for at-risk youth to participate in Scouts

HUB Transition Centers   $7,500
Transitional housing for recovery from addiction and homelessness

New Morning   $2,750
Counseling and access to contraceptive methods for low-income & uninsured women

Lakelands Region Y   $5,275
Restoration of outdoor camp facility damaged by Hurricane Helene

Greenwood Performing Arts   $3,800
Structured music & art activities for seniors with cognitive impairments

Please see the article about our grant awards featured in the Index Journal here.

Grant recipients were determined by ranked voting by our Members from October 20-22. Our Grants Review & Awards Committee gathered information obtained from the platform used for our online ballots. Using raw scores, weighted averages, and percentile rankings based on the total amount available to grant, the Committee evaluated the data and determined the number of projects to be funded and the amount of each grant.

Special thanks to the Grants Review & Awards Committee for all your efforts to: create a grant writing workshop, publicize this granting opportunity to local nonprofits, process applications, present information on grant requests to Members to help us make informed voting decisions, explain our voting process, determine awards based on our votes, deliver our 2025 GWC Grants checks to the recipients, and manage all the other aspects of this core activity of GWC!

Congratulations to our 2025 GWC Grant recipients! We are grateful for all your excellent efforts to improve the quality of our shared life in Greenwood County!

GWC Quarterly Meeting, “Strength in Every Step: The Power of Movement and Community” at Greenwood YMCA, November 17, 2025

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Who knew eating healthily and exercising could be so much fun? GWC’s fourth Quarterly Meeting of 2025 was hosted by the Lakelands Region YMCA and focused on their Rock Steady Boxing program. Rock Steady Boxing is designed to benefit those diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a chronic, progressive neurological disorder that primarily affects movement due to the loss of dopamine-producing cells in the brain. GWC was thrilled to award a 2021 grant to the Lakelands Region YMCA for this program.

Nutritious and delicious snacks preceded our “workout.” Fruit smoothies, kombucha, and water provided much needed hydration while crunchy salad, cheeses and crackers were chased down by apple cider doughnut holes, Aussie Bites, and mini-chocolate chip cookies! Tasty fortification, for sure!

Our program began with GWC Vice Chair, Peggy Dewane-Pope, sharing a heartfelt and insightful narrative about her brother-in-law, who was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a form of Parkinson’s. As a result of his boxing classes, “he learned to manage his fear and find more physical balance, strength, and agility along with camaraderie and new friendships. As Lewy body dementia stole from him, boxing rewarded him and enabled him to live his best life.”

Peggy then introduced Programs & Education Committee member Helena Wardlaw to usher in our speakers. Helena had the pleasure of introducing our hosts from Y, Jan Rushton, GWC member and Greenwood Y Director of Health and Wellness, and Sunni Carwile, Greenwood Y Wellness Coordinator.

Jan began by thanking GWC for their $5,000 grant in 2021 which assisted in purchasing the special equipment needed for the Rock Steady Boxing program. She also informed us that our local YMCA serves a membership of 6,000! The offerings include various physical fitness and health and wellness classes suited for nearly every ability and stage of life. Jan continued to educate us on Rock Steady Boxing, including its beginnings and global growth. Sunni Carwile divided us into four groups and introduced us to our “trainers” and off we went!

The four stations consisted of a boxing dummy (dubbed “Parker”) where we learned to jab, cross, and throw a hook. The second station consisted of several speed bags; definitely not as easy as they make it look on TV! The third station was comprised of assorted opportunities including a “whack-a-mole” style challenge which was, of course, a lot of fun! The fourth station was dedicated to balance and presented a challenge to many of us!

Sabrina Miller presented a book titled The Truth about Dragons, authored by Julie Leung and illustrated by Hanna Cha, to be donated to the Greenwood Public Library Children’s Collection in honor of Jan and Sunni. This tale reminds us that strength can look different depending on the world we’re moving through.

Rachel Strayer, GWC Chair, closed our meeting by reflecting on various forms of strength, whether physical resilience, sharpened focus, renewed confidence, or the courage to keep moving when life looks different than we expected. She expressed appreciation to Jan, Sunni, and the other trainers for providing such a fun and thought-provoking program and to the YMCA for so graciously hosting us. On the brink of Thanksgiving, Rachel expressed gratitude to all our members and especially to our six standing committees and Advisory Board.

All left with a smile on their faces and appreciation for the internal and external strength we all possess and looking forward to being together again for our 2026 Winter Social. “An Evergreen Evening: Growing together to keep our community strong all year long” will be held on Tuesday, January 27, from 5:30 – 7:00pm at Grange Hall at 303 Grange Rd., Greenwood.

“Kick Off the Vote!”, at Harley Family Center, October 20, 2025

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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 Lauren Boyd, 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!