HOST A POP UP
The next time you're thinking "I really really need a girls night!" why not host an in-home gathering for Womenaid? You'll get your girlfriend fix, and in the process, you'll help change lives. You'll be partying for a change!!
Pop Ups occur when someone who is moved by the work we do, hosts a gathering while helping Womenaid raise additional funds. Part of our mission is to bring people together – and we've been heartened to be a part of many gatherings where neighbors met neighbors for the first time.
Party for a Change
by Cheryl Van Allen
Silpada. Tupperware. Arbonne. Southern Living at Home. You recognize the names, or at least some of them. And more than likely, you've hosted a party at one point or another. You buy beverages, snacks and sweets to put out for your friends, and they come to hang out and shop. At the end of the night, you've had a GREAT night hanging out, and you end up with some free "stuff."
Womenaid. Now THIS is a different kind of home party. At the end of the night you've still had a super fun night of socializing with your friends, but instead of asking them to buy plastic bowls or painted pottery, you offer them the opportunity to support a wonderful cause and change the lives of people in need. At the end of the night, instead of being able to stock up on cupboard organizers or more jewelry, you go to bed with an amazing feeling of satisfaction in your heart, the satisfaction of knowing you helped those who temporarily can't help themselves. And the best part? You do all this while hanging out with your friends!!
Womenaid of Greater Portsmouth is a small organization that was started in 2005 and is run solely by a volunteer board, one of whom is my good friend and your Greenland neighbor, Kathy Ricci. This group of determined, committed women have changed the lives of hundreds of people in the Greater Portsmouth area, one small check at a time. Their mission is to bring together local women in an atmosphere of generosity and community to provide short-term financial assistance, which may not be available elsewhere. They are changing lives literally with checks as little as $50!! Maybe it's a single mom who needs money to repair her car to get back and forth to work. Maybe it's a family whose child has medical bills that put them over the edge. Maybe it's a neighbor of yours who seems happy and "business as usual" every day, but is too proud to ask for help in a crunch. Whomever these checks are cut for, these small amounts of money can make a significant difference.
Womenaid is funded in part by a few Board-initiated events each year, like their annual "Wine, Women and Song" event. But 70% of their funding comes from these small house gatherings. Recently, I had the opportunity to have one of these small in-home gatherings for Womenaid of Greater Portsmouth, and I was blown away, both by the work the organization does, and by the reception the concept met with my friends. We had a huge turnout and it was an absolute blast!! We ate, we drank, we socialized - and we raised over $2,100. And the next day? One of the women that was there got a work donation the next day that ended up putting our total at over $2,600!!
The day after the party, when Kathy told me how much money was raised, I was so grateful. I was grateful for the generosity of my girlfriends. I was grateful for the fun time we had while helping others. I was grateful for Kathy and her Board for filling needs that are going unmet. It felt so good, in so many ways.
So - the next time you're thinking "I really really need a girls night!!," why not host an in-home gathering for Womenaid? You'll get your girlfriend fix, and in the process, you'll help change lives. You'll be partying for a change!! You can get more information about Womenaid on the web at www.womenaidportsmouth.org.
Party for a Change
by Cheryl Van Allen
Silpada. Tupperware. Arbonne. Southern Living at Home. You recognize the names, or at least some of them. And more than likely, you've hosted a party at one point or another. You buy beverages, snacks and sweets to put out for your friends, and they come to hang out and shop. At the end of the night, you've had a GREAT night hanging out, and you end up with some free "stuff."
Womenaid. Now THIS is a different kind of home party. At the end of the night you've still had a super fun night of socializing with your friends, but instead of asking them to buy plastic bowls or painted pottery, you offer them the opportunity to support a wonderful cause and change the lives of people in need. At the end of the night, instead of being able to stock up on cupboard organizers or more jewelry, you go to bed with an amazing feeling of satisfaction in your heart, the satisfaction of knowing you helped those who temporarily can't help themselves. And the best part? You do all this while hanging out with your friends!!
Womenaid of Greater Portsmouth is a small organization that was started in 2005 and is run solely by a volunteer board, one of whom is my good friend and your Greenland neighbor, Kathy Ricci. This group of determined, committed women have changed the lives of hundreds of people in the Greater Portsmouth area, one small check at a time. Their mission is to bring together local women in an atmosphere of generosity and community to provide short-term financial assistance, which may not be available elsewhere. They are changing lives literally with checks as little as $50!! Maybe it's a single mom who needs money to repair her car to get back and forth to work. Maybe it's a family whose child has medical bills that put them over the edge. Maybe it's a neighbor of yours who seems happy and "business as usual" every day, but is too proud to ask for help in a crunch. Whomever these checks are cut for, these small amounts of money can make a significant difference.
Womenaid is funded in part by a few Board-initiated events each year, like their annual "Wine, Women and Song" event. But 70% of their funding comes from these small house gatherings. Recently, I had the opportunity to have one of these small in-home gatherings for Womenaid of Greater Portsmouth, and I was blown away, both by the work the organization does, and by the reception the concept met with my friends. We had a huge turnout and it was an absolute blast!! We ate, we drank, we socialized - and we raised over $2,100. And the next day? One of the women that was there got a work donation the next day that ended up putting our total at over $2,600!!
The day after the party, when Kathy told me how much money was raised, I was so grateful. I was grateful for the generosity of my girlfriends. I was grateful for the fun time we had while helping others. I was grateful for Kathy and her Board for filling needs that are going unmet. It felt so good, in so many ways.
So - the next time you're thinking "I really really need a girls night!!," why not host an in-home gathering for Womenaid? You'll get your girlfriend fix, and in the process, you'll help change lives. You'll be partying for a change!! You can get more information about Womenaid on the web at www.womenaidportsmouth.org.
