Women Helping Women Dec 2018

grocery bags

The generosity of our membership is amazing! At the November meeting you all opened your hearts and wallets and donated enough money to purchase all the shoes and clothing desired by the single moms for their children. Three children had their wish for a favorite toy fulfilled. Amazon Prime delivered them to our home in two days. All clothes and shoes were purchased at Walmart who honored out 501(c)(3) status and didn’t charge state sales tax.

On November 29,2018 I delivered the gift bags to the Salvation Army who will give them to the three families in time for Christmas. A $100.00 check will also be presented to the Englewood Helping Hands to purchase necessities for the food bank.

Thank you BPWEV members for another successful Women Helping Women project and your generosity.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah and Blessed Holidays to all of you.

December 2018 President's Message - The Benefits of Giving

The benefits of giving are not just for those who receive, but those who give have better health, are happier and extend this feeling to their community surrounding them. Giving can be in the form of gifts, but also includes donating to charities or volunteering your time because it makes you feel happy. Scientists believe endorphins are released in the brain resulting in feelings of happiness.

Giving can also improve your physical health and extend your longevity because it relieves stress and lowers blood pressure, suggesting a direct physiological benefit to the giver. Giving elicits feelings of gratitude whether your are the giver or the receiver. You will exercise more, be more optimistic and generally feel better about yourself.

Hats Off Workshop Wrap Up

Speakers at Hats Off to Women Workshop l to r: Esther Bird, Committee chairman; Dorothy Korszen; Mk Mueller; Cyndi Fredricks; Kairee Haley; Kathleen Houseweart
Speakers at Hats Off to Women Workshop l to r: Esther Bird, Committee chairman; Dorothy Korszen; Mk Mueller; Cyndi Fredricks; Kairee Haley; Kathleen Houseweart

Committee Chair, Esther Bird and speaker Mark Rizzo
Committee Chair, Esther Bird and speaker Mark Rizzo

On December 8th BPWEV held the HATS OFF TO WOMEN WORKSHOP at the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce.  The event was very successful and I send a HUGE thank you to our six wonderful speakers:

Communicating with Confidence - Dorothy Korszen
Preventing Scams and Identity Theft - Mark Rizzo
Normal Memory & Aging - Kathleen Houseweart
Dealing with Challenging People - MK Mueller
Self Defense for Women - Kairee Haley
Promoting Equal Rights, Equal Pay and Equal Opportunity - Cyndi Fredricks

Our sponsors were very supportive and appreciated:

Platinum - Gold Rush BBQ, Mason Knows Mortgages, and Anonymous.
Gold sponsors - Farr Law Firm, Centennial Bank, and Morina Chmielak, Professional Travel Services.
Silver sponsors - Brookdale Senior Living and Celestial Massage and Wellness Center.

A special thank you to Natalie Bloom, Debbie Straw, Alyssa Case, Jennifer Fagenbaum, and my last minute recruit, Cyndi Fredricks. And, several other members volunteered at the event to help, and I want to recognize and express my appreciation for their help.

We worked very hard to make this a successful event. Everyone who attended had a good time, learned a great deal, and felt recharged and motivated by the valuable information they obtained from the presentations.

November Speaker and Picture

kathy castellano holding plaqueLongtime Business and Professional Women of Englewood (BPWEV) member, Kathy Castellano, spoke from her heart as she educated the members and guests about a disease commonly called “Wobbly Feet Syndrome”. Her grandson, Connor, was diagnosed with Ataxia Telangiectasia at about age 3. Since that time the Dzembo and Castellano families have worked endlessly to help fund research for this rare disease. Many fundraisers, supported by local communities, have helped fund encouraging research at several universities. Clinical trials were approved and Conner, 12 years old now, was selected as one of the patients.

BPWEV is a 501(c)(3) Tax Deductible Non-profit Corporation, Florida Solicitation License #CH30762. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. Division of Consumer Services may be reached at 1-800-HELP-FLA or www.FloridaConsumerHelp.com.