100+ Women Who Care

The meeting was held in the community centre, where the bright, modern interior was a welcome sanctuary from the drizzly evening. At ten minutes to registration time, Pine bustled about in a businesslike manner, setting up a slideshow, chairs, and prizes in rapid succession.

“Tonight is about local women making an impact,” she said.

100+ Women Who Care is part of an umbrella organization, the “100 Who Care Alliance,” founded in 2006 by Karen Dunigan, a former mayor and business leader from Michigan. Dunigan came up with the idea of using the number 100 to emphasize the power of individuals working together to impact the lives of many. If 100 individuals were to donate $100 each in a single night, then $10,000 could easily be raised. Although Dunigan passed away in 2014, her brainchild lives on through 164 chapters throughout Canada.

These chapters organize four meetings per year so that members can gather to nominate and vote for local charities they feel are deserving of financial aid. Members of the public who are interested in registering as new members can also attend.

The four short taglines underneath the “100+ Women Who Care NIAGARA” sign read: “100+ Women, 1 Hour, 10 Thousand Dollars, Local Impact.” According to Pine, the big draw to join 100+ Women Who Care was the chance to support the community — since the beneficiaries are all local, members can see where their donations are making the most impact. The donation process was designed to be streamlined and convenient. Members could send cheques online and donate regardless of physical attendance. The meetings are limited to one hour, again to maximize convenience and to maintain engagement.

Although Pine’s specific chapter focused on women only, especially “women who care about local community causes and who are committed to community service,” the umbrella organization has chapters for women, men, businesses, and even kids.

The one man in attendance last week, Tony Zammit, a volunteer for a soup kitchen called Niagara Outreach, said that after the charity received $12,000 in 2018 through 100+ Women Who Care, they were able to make 10,000 more meals, for a total of 53,000. He expressed interest in forming a 100+ Men Who Care chapter, in the hopes of bringing in more donations.

The big draw of the night was the chance to nominate a charity to receive the evening’s donations. Eligible charities have to be local, non-profit, and able to provide receipts. Nominees also have to give a presentation at the meeting. Although members can donate even if they do not attend meetings, one does have to attend meetings in order to both nominate and cast a vote.

As more women arrived, a line formed at the welcome table to register and sign in. The table held an assortment of items: stations where one could nominate a local charity to receive that night’s donations, a basket in which attendees could drop off toiletry item donations, and cards advertising the times, dates and locations of future meetings. There was a balanced mix of newcomers and seasoned attendees.

“There’s much more benefit to attending,” said Kelly Vlaar, who was on her third meeting, “because you can hear firsthand [about the charities] and ask questions. Your vote counts.”

Neshanthi Sloan, who joined the organization last year, had not attended every meeting. However, she said that she always felt included, since regardless of attendance she was always able to donate online and receive updates. This feeling of inclusion reinforced Pine’s sentiments regarding the inclusivity of the event.

“We have raised over $350,000 since we started,” she said. “It doesn’t matter your profession, whether professional or stay at home moms, whoever. Any women, anyone can join. For me, it is about the feeling of the impact that we have as a group. One person, 100 bucks. Okay. But 100-plus women? I was at one meeting and they raised $19,000 in one night!”

“What started with one person is now touching thousands of women,” said Mary Gasbarrino, who had a short presentation to thank those attending. Her daughter, Elise, is an ovarian cancer survivor and the founder of Pink Pearl of Canada, the recipient of a $6,000 cheque that night as a result of the previous meeting’s vote.

The two charities nominated last week were Tomorrow’s Voices, and Youth For Christ (YFC)/Youth Unlimited.

Tomorrow’s Voices is a non-profit children’s choir based in St. Catharines that was established in 2017. The choir has some 30 children and is “barrier-free” and audition- free. Their representative, Kelly Vlaar, explained that “kids should be heard,” so that they develop “a confidence and belief that they didn’t experience before and empower them to learn in a safe environment.”

Rose Price, of YFC/Youth Unlimited, described the organization as a “youth centre” that offered “numerous programs— tutoring, girls group, prenatal classes, young moms group, guys group, and drop in. All of the programs are free.”

Her presentation focused on the prenatal classes and the young moms group, which were open to any teen and up to age 25. Youths could take classes in a “non-judgmental, friendly atmosphere...where they can feel comfortable, cared for, and full of worth.”

There was an air of anticipation and excitement as the presentations concluded and it was time to vote. Applause erupted as it was announced that YFC/Youth Unlimited was the winner. There were nods around the room and more applause as Price emphasized this particular saying that she said informed her support work: “They don’t care how much we know, until we show them how much we care...that is how we start building relationships together.”

Indeed, the meeting seemed fruitful in that regard, with many attendees getting to know one another. As they were leaving, several were overheard discussing their desire to attend meetings in the future.

“It’s the best feel-good hour you’ll ever come to,” said Pine.

The next 100+ Women Who Care meeting will be held on May 27, 7:30 PM, at the community centre.