The General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) Blue Ridge District elected and installed officers for the 2018-2020 administration at the spring meeting on March 10 at the Vinton War Memorial.
The GFWC Woman’s Club of Vinton hosted this meeting of club delegates from the clubs in the Blue Ridge District including Bedford, Bent Mountain, Botetourt, Blacksburg, Floyd, Roanoke City, Roanoke County, and Vinton.
The officers, installed by Kathryn Sowers, are: President Carolyn Fellers (Bedford), 1st Vice President Amber Holdren (Vinton), 2nd Vice President Carol Guilliams-Mills (Roanoke), Secretary Lois Creasy (Vinton), and Treasurer Deirdre McGrath (Floyd).
Sowers is Past District, GFWC Virginia and Southeastern Region President and currently Budget and Finance Chairman for the Blue Ridge District and GFWC Virginia and General Federation of Women’s Clubs Photography Contests Chairman as well as Treasurer for the GFWC Woman’s Club of Vinton.
The speaker for the day was Rebekah Broughton, Communication Coordinator for
Street Ransom. The GFWC made a $500 donation to Street Ransom to help with
the opening of the home in Roanoke for female victims (ages 11-17) of human
trafficking in the Roanoke area.
The GFWC raised money at this meeting for Feeding America Southwest Virginia and the sweatshirt fund for rape victims. The Blue Ridge District provides sweatshirts and pants to Carilion and Lewis-Gale Hospitals for rape victims.
“Before this project began over 20 years ago, victims had to be sent home in scrubs or anything else the hospital personnel could find,” said Sowers.\
Attendees also brought canned food that was donated to the Community Presbyterian Center.
The Vinton club won the following 2018 District awards: 1st Place in Education, Leadership, Legislation and Public Policy, Membership, Women’s History and Resource Center, and GFWC State Project Dare to Dream of No Hunger; second place in Arts, Home Life, Health, and Communications and Public Relations; and the second year monetary Wine Education Award of $50.
The GFWC members will be planting their annual Pinwheel Garden at the Vinton Municipal Building on April 3 at 5:30 p.m. in observance of Child Abuse Awareness Prevention Month. Pinwheels are the national symbol for child abuse prevention.
The Vinton Police Department is co-sponsoring this project once again. Police officers, Town Council members, and town staff will assist the club members with the planting, followed by a presentation at Town Council that evening.
