A simple concept with a big impact.
Gather
We get together for celebratory meetups twice a year.
LEARN
We learn about local non-profits, their needs, and the great work they do.
VOTE
We decide together which organization should receive our collective donation.
GIVE
We donate $100 each to the selected organization.
OUR MISSION
We are a charitable group of compassionate women dedicated to doing good by bringing our resources and non-profits together, and leveraging our power to impact our communities.
Each member contributes $100 twice a year to local non-profits selected by the group.
All non-profits and organizations chosen must use our contributed funds in the Island County area. The goal is to keep it local and have an impact that we can see in our community!
To date, we have raised $82,000 for non-profits in Island County!
OCTOBER 2023 RECIPIENT
COUPEVILLE FARM TO SCHOOL
Thank you so much for sending in your donations for Coupeville Farm to School. Together, we raised $13,230 for this awesome non-profit, our largest donation yet! Coupeville Farm to School's garden program currently serves about 497 students (K-5). With your generous donation, they can work towards expanding this program to serve all 900 students in the district, including middle and high school students. This would provide after school programming through Big Brothers Big Sisters and kickstart a composting initiative that would feed the sustainability class's composting beds, the school farm, and the school gardens.
Pictures below from when we presented the check. At the time, we had only received $12,800 but a few more donations rolled in after. They will provide an update in a couple months, so we'll share that out with the group as soon as we get it. Thank you again for your support!!
LATEST NEWS
DONATION UPDATE FROM KIDS FIRST!
"We wanted to share some of the benefits we have experienced from the wonderful donation we received from 100+ Women Whidbey. At that time, our board was fairly small, and we had basic programs to meet the needs of foster children. Receiving your donation really jump started Kids First to realize, we could do more for foster children. There was quite a surge of excitement for the board as we put our heads together to figure out what new programs we could develop to touch the lives of foster children. New programs that were developed are:
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Wheels for Kids: Kids First wants to support healthy activities for children. So, each foster child is eligible for a brand new bike.
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Celebrating You: Kids First wants to help celebrate foster children’s birthdays. So, each child is eligible for a birthday gift and book for their birthday.
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Activity Boxes: We’d like foster children to have games and toys that provide an alternative to screen time. Activity Boxes provide each foster child with activities that are specifically tailored to their interests.
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Comfort Packs: The time when a child first goes into foster care can be particularly difficult. So, we provide each child with a backpack full of fun and comforting items at the time when they first go into care.
In addition, we have been able to strengthen some of our existing programs. For instance, we have always provided foster children with a Christmas stocking, but this last Christmas we were also able to provide Christmas presents upon request to all of our caregivers. At a time when many families were struggling financially, feedback indicated this expansion was quite timely. We already had Adventures in Reading, a program to provide books to foster children. So, Activity Boxes partnered with Adventures in Reading so that activity books are a part of all Activity Boxes. Last year was a record year for Kids First getting books out to foster children.
While we have used the donation provided by 100+ Women Whidbey, Kids First continues to benefit from that most generous donation. We continue to look for more and better ways to meet the needs of foster children. We just recently launched a new program called Bright Beginnings to target the needs of children from birth to 2 years of age. We noticed that currently there is a higher number of younger children going into care. The needs of these young children are unique, and caregivers are sometimes not as prepared to meet their needs. Bright Beginnings was developed to help meet that need. We also have a retreat for the board coming up later this month, and part of the days activities will involve dreaming to come up with new programs to help our foster children flourish.
100+ Women of Whidbey has had a significant and lasting impact on Kids First. We are grateful for your generous donation that was such a positive game changer for Kids First! On behalf of our board we extend a huge thank you to 100+ Women of Whidbey!"
Kathy McLean & Gwendine Norton
Co-Presidents, Kids First - Island County
