Learn how gender equity is a path to peace, join our Giving Tuesday Participation Challenge, and sweeten the holidays with a Nepalese yogurt.
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| Volume 3, Issue 12 | December 2015 |
| IN THIS ISSUE: |
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 December
Google Hangout
Listen to Sapana's story of what it's like to be a part of The Little Sisters Fund in this month's Google Hangout.
Available Here » |
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| Gender Equity: A Path to Peace |
| By Marsha Wallace | Dining for Women Co-Founder |
Recent terrorist attacks in Paris have resulted in shock and sadness among millions, making some question what, if anything, can be done to make a positive impact on the state of affairs that contributed to the violence. In others, it has generated a sense of urgency to do something, to make a difference.
This quote comes from a friend who posted her thoughts on Facebook: "So many things swirling in my mind this afternoon. Things about how enormous the problems and injustices in the world are, and how insignificant any one person's efforts seem in the face of such immense wrong." Another friend was so moved to take action that she decided to write a letter to a nonprofit she's involved with, suggesting the creation of a program to bring women of the U.S. together with women in developing countries as a way to foster deeper knowledge of others, to break down barriers that keep us from seeing one another's common humanity. Continue Reading » |
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| Giving Tuesday Participation Challenge |
Did you know that Tuesday, December 1st is Giving Tuesday, a global day dedicated to charitable giving?
As part of our 13th Month Campaign, DFW is having its first-ever Participation Challenge tied to Giving Tuesday. Our goal is to receive gifts from 1,000 individual donors during the 10-day period from Dec. 1st to 10th. Please join us in making our Participation Challenge a success!
LEARN MORE »
DONATE » |
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DFW's 4 Programs
Add Up to Big Impact |
| By Beth Ellen Holimon | Executive Director |
In my very first week at Dining for Women, I sat around a table with our Board of Directors while Barb Collins, Board Chair and Co-Founder, asked each of us to share our "Dining for Women Story". It was my first time meeting Anne Capestrain, but she told a story I will never forget. She shared how DFW had given her the opportunity to be a part of other women's lives and, in doing so, she was inspired and her life had been transformed. I have visited about 50 chapters this year and have heard similar stories across the country.
Continue Reading » |
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OUR DECEMBER FEATURED PROGRAM:
THE LITTLE SISTERS FUND |
The Little Sisters Fund provides financially disadvantaged and marginalized South Asian girls the opportunity to obtain an education in the face of adverse conditions such as extreme poverty, deprivation or social prejudices. By providing school scholarships and holistic support in health, mentoring and awareness raising, Little Sisters Fund aims to combat child trafficking for the sex trade, exploitive child labor, child marriage, and lack of education for girls in the Banke and Dang districts of Nepal.
DFW's grant of $40,000 over two years will directly support 100 girls and 50 teachers and indirectly impact more than 1,500 students and community members. Learn More » |
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| 3 Things You Need to Know about our Featured Program |
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In rural areas of Nepal, seven out of 10 girls drop out of school by the age of 16. Young girls who are not in school are susceptible to sex trafficking, child labor, and child marriage. There are 10,000 to 15,000 girls trafficked into the sex industry annually. |
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Little Sisters Fund has a year-on-year continuation rate of 98 per cent and a 98 per cent pass rate on the School Leaving Certificate, a national exam for all 10th graders. The national average for females taking this exam is about 40 per cent. |
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LSF encourages young women in Nepal to become generous givers themselves. Many of LSF's graduates "pay it forward" by helping fund the education of the next generation of Little Sisters. |
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| December Sustained Funding Program: Shining Hope |
Our sustained funding program this month is Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), which combats intergenerational cycles of poverty and gender inequality in the Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya. SHOFCO links tuition-free schools for girls to essential services through a holistic, community-driven approach.
Our sustained funding grant of $20,000 per year for three years (December 2015 – 2017) will be used to support the Mother and Child Health Incentives program which is aimed at counteracting high child illness and death rates by encouraging mothers to seek regular prenatal, postnatal, and child welfare services.
Learn More » |
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The Proven Platter
Nepalese Sweetened Yogurt
(Sikarni) |
| By Linda McElroy, DFW Recipe Curator and Chapter Leader of WA, Seattle-1 |
Our culinary travel this month of December finds us in the Himalayas, specifically Nepal. Originally, I had it in mind to come up with an interesting twist on the "momo", a Nepalese steamed dumpling with a meat or vegetable filling, wildly popular and sold on the streets. What about a sweet dumpling filling and call it dessert? My first attempt at this idea was a complete failure, but I still liked the idea and decided I'd work on this for the next time we visit Nepal in April 2016. So I've got time to get this right!
But since it's December, and I'm thinking you were never going to take the time to make dumplings anyway, how about a recipe that is easy to whip up, with ingredients that don't demand several trips to different stores and is delicious as well? I've got you covered!
View Recipe »
See All Recipes from Nepal » |
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| Bracelet from the Women's Freedom Collection. |
| Are You Still Searching for a Perfect Holiday Gift? |
Make your holiday shopping easier this year and help your favorite charity at the same time! DFW's online Marketplace offers many great gift ideas – some from past DFW programs such as BeadforLife, Anchal Project, and Maya Works. And DFW benefits with a percentage of every sale through our Marketplace page! Here are just a few ideas:
- An intricately hand-stitched scarf, bag or quilt made from vintage saris and eco-friendly fabrics – from DFW's past featured program, Anchal.
- Betsy Teutsch's inspiring and informative book, 100 Under $100: One Hundred Tools for Empowering Global Women.
- Fair trade, handcrafted jewelry from the Women's Peace Collection. Check out the Freedom Collection, made by survivors of sex trafficking.
- Educational toys that support children's cognitive development as well as the empowerment of refugee women in the West Bank – from Child's Cup Full.
Check out all the great products and organizations that are part of our online Marketplace and happy shopping! Be sure to use the links on our website in order to benefit DFW.
Bookmark this link and use it to make all your amazon.com purchases. DFW receives anywhere from 5-10 percent of your purchase price when you buy through this link. Please note this is not the same as Amazon Smile, which returns a smaller donation to DFW. |
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Courtesy of Getty Images for CNN |
| BlinkNow |
BlinkNow Founder Maggie Doyne has been named the 2015 CNN Hero of the Year. BlinkNow is a past DFW featured program grantee (March 2014). A decade ago Maggie's backpacking trip to Nepal transformed into a long-term commitment to the women and children of Nepal. Spending $5,000 in savings from her babysitting days, Maggie bought land and worked with the community to build a school, a women's center and the Kopila Valley Children's Home. The BlinkNow Foundation supports these efforts. The awards show, CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute, will be broadcast at 8pm ET on December 6 on CNN. Congratulations to Maggie for a well-deserved honor!
Watch the reaction of the children at Kopila Valley. |
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| Shining Hope for Communities |
| The Co-Founders of Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), past DFW featured program grantee and DFW's sustained funding program this month, have released a new book. Find Me Unafraid, by Kennedy Odede and Jessica Posner, tells the uncommon love story of two uncommon people whose collaboration sparked a successful movement to transform the lives of vulnerable girls and the urban poor. This book is already receiving rave reviews from many DFW members! It can be purchased at major book outlets including Barnes & Noble and Amazon. |
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| Alissa Johnson Steps Down as Regional Leader |
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Alissa Johnson |
After more than three years as an exemplary Regional Leader, Alissa Johnson is stepping down. As product manager at Adobe, Alissa has recently taken on new and increased responsibilities that involve considerable travel, making it difficult for her to continue as Regional Leader.
"My time as a Regional Leader has been incredibly fulfilling, and it has been a real honor to serve DFW and the many wonderful volunteers I have worked with," said Alissa. "I will continue to be a strong supporter of DFW."
Alissa has been a Chapter Leader since 2011 and will continue to co-lead the WA, Seattle-2 chapter with Anne Henry and Joan Benner.
"Alissa has contributed so much at the chapter, regional, and national levels of DFW," said Beth Ellen Holimon, Executive Director. "We thank her for her dedication and passion and wish her all the best in her new job."
Memory Blodgett continues as Northwest Regional Leader and is currently reorganizing and recruiting additional volunteer leaders in the region.
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| Milestones |
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| The Portland SW 3 (Westside) chapter celebrated its 5th anniversary with a champagne toast. Founding Chapter Leaders are Stephanie Sussman, Karen McCune, and Elaine Winans. The chapter has 27 active members and has raised $19,500 in its 5 years! |
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| Welcome to the TN, Loudon-1 chapter, which had its first meeting in October. Chapter Leaders are Dee Lilley and Lori Rorstad. |
Correction
In the last issue of The Dish, there were several errors in the article about DFW's new Board members. Cynthia Radford is serving as a full, three-year director, not as a member-at-large. Susan Negrin is serving a two-year, member-at-large, stakeholder term, not a one-year term as reported.
We apologize for these errors.
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| Until recently, there were no DFW chapters in Vermont. Thanks to Co-Leaders Minta Trivette and Cecelia Watkins, that has changed. Welcome to the Burlington, VT chapter which had its first meeting in October! |
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Happy 8th anniversary to our OH, Cincinnati-2 chapter which is led by Karen Whitney!
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| The Vienna-Fairfax chapter welcomed a special guest at its November meeting to discuss Hope Through Health in Togo: a former Peace Corps volunteer who served in Togo. The group also enjoyed a wonderful Togolese meal. |
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| Congratulations to the GA, Marietta-1 chapter on its 5th anniversary. The chapter is led by Sue Scollo and Terri Abraham. |
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| Chapter Anniversaries This Month |
2 Years
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OH, Austintown - 1
led by Carol Hitchcock & Dottie Johntony |
CA, Arcata - 1
led by Melinda Pedersen & Kim Bonine |
4 Years
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AZ, Phoenix - 7
led by Carol Blonder |
WA, Seattle - 3
led by Abbie Schindler |
OH, Akron - 1
led by Sally Phillips |
WA, Gig Harbor – 2
led by Christy Chambers |
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5 Years
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CA, San Jose – 6
led by Laurie Flesher |
MI, Plainwell – 1
led by Nora O'Connor Wade |
NY, Oneonta – 1
led by Eve Rabbiner |
6 Years
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GA, Roswell – 1
led by Mary Crawley |
IL, Palatine – 1
led by Stacy Reiss |
OH, Sylvania - 2
led by Kim Whetstone |
7 Years
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SC, Columbia - 2
led by Susan Hendricks & Janie Kerzan |
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