STE. GENEVIEVE — The GFWC (General Federation of Women’s Clubs) Woman’s Club of Ste. Genevieve’s largest fundraiser of the year was held November 18th in support of its signature project, Missouri Girls Town.
Members worked for weeks organizing the annual auction. Forty-two women gathered in the Artisan event venue at Baetje Farms.
Members arrived laden with purchases from the Girls Town wish list and attractive items for the auction, which began just after lunch.
Auctioneer Sandy Stewart started the bidding for baked goods, gift baskets, and decorative items donated by members and friends.
Sandy kept the pace lively, the competition manageable, and the offerings entertaining. All the planning, organizing and hard work paid off. In-kind gifts for Girls Town totaled $400.
Gift cards totaled $45, and the auction brought in $2,989, making the grand total donation $3,434.
Missouri Girls Town was founded by the General Federation of Women’s Clubs of Missouri in 1953 to provide care and treatment for abused and neglected girls, and the Kingdom City facility has been the primary focus of funding efforts by our local chapter ever since.
The featured speaker was Deanna Barger, Director of Development for Missouri Girls Town. She thanked the Woman’s Club members for their continued generosity and spoke of the ongoing challenges in providing community-based care to young women who find themselves without a safe harbor.
Some of the stories are heartbreaking. Girls Town provides a safe space, a normalized environment with structure, rules and responsibilities. They also have recreational facilities, therapy sessions, and a school on campus. The goal of their programs is that girls transition out into the community with the skills necessary to build healthy relationships and a brighter future.
Significantly, the President of GFWC of Missouri, Sandie Neal, spoke to the group about the goals and direction of the State organization for the coming year.
The GFWC Woman’s Club of Ste. Genevieve has played an outstanding role at the State level, gaining recognition for its leadership, programs and outreach.
For more information on becoming part of the GFWC Woman’s Club of Ste. Genevieve, please contact Dorcas Grass by email at gfwcmostegen@gmail.com or by phone 573-883-6286.
The General Federation of Women’s Clubs is an international woman’s organization dedicated to community improvements by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service.