Dear WGC Donors and Friends,

We've had a great start to the year so far - thanks to all our donors, partners, and friends who have supported our efforts in so many ways.

And, we've got some great things planned the next few months. We are proud to be a funder of Girl Power! on March 10 - please plan to take your children or grandchildren, and help us spread the word! We are also proud to fund Journey Camp for Girls, which is now accepting applications for another amazing week of leadership and empowerment for rising 7th, 8th, and 9th grade girls. Applications are due April 30 - please help us spread the word! And, mark your calendars for our Pre-Party Toast on May 30th, in advance of the Community Foundation of Howard County's Spring Party - more information to come.

Finally, please make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - we post information consistently about our work, events, grants, and topics of interest to our donors, partners, and the community. 

I look forward to seeing many of you soon!

Sincerely,

Barb Van Winkle, WGC Chair
WGCChair@womensgivingcircle.org

Journey Camp 2019 is Accepting Applications!

Journey 2019 will be held July 14-July 20.

• Tuition for Journey is $995.
• Financial assistance is made available by the WGC.
• Journey applications and scholarship information can be found at mlw.org. Download the application here.
• Applications must be received by April 30 – don’t delay, Journey sold out last year!

Journey Camp for Girls, or “Journey” is a week-long camp for rising 7th, 8th, and 9th grade girls in Howard County, MD that is run by Maryland Leadership Workshops and conceived of and funded by the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County.

The idea behind Journey is to bring girls, in their formative years together to learn about leadership, empowerment, and community. At Journey each student identifies her own leadership skills, strengths, and challenges in a supportive and fun environment that fosters self-esteem and confidence.

A week at Journey includes:

• Workshops on topics such as empowerment and motivation, decision making, communication, self-awareness, goal setting, group dynamics, and conflict resolution.
• Group projects that challenge girls to apply new skills and exceed their own expectations.
• Team-building activities that strengthen interpersonal skills and build lasting memories.
• One-on-one mentoring with members of a dedicated and highly trained staff.

GIRL POWER – March 10, 2019!
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
11100 Johns Hopkins Rd, Laurel, MD 20723
No registration required

WGC is proud to be a funder of this amazing program again this year: JHU Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) hosts Girl Power, a STEM expo for middle and high school girls, with support from the Maryland Space Business Roundtable and Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County.

The event features hands-on activities, cool demonstrations, and take-home material for the girls to encourage an interest in STEM careers. Girls have the opportunity to talk to professional women in STEM careers such as aerospace, computer science, electrical engineering, geology, information technology, and space mission engineering.

Mark your calendars and help spread the word! 

GRANTS UPDATE:  WGC's Emergency Response Network

The WGC Emergency Response Network was created to provide an opportunity for WGC donors to help women in need. When our nonprofit partners are working with a woman with an immediate need, they submit a request to the WGC ERN.

We enhanced the ERN in the Summer of 2018. Since that time have sent 7 WGC ERN requests to our donor base, and have received donations totaling $5,500. 

Emergency Response Network Requests:

• Come from one of our pre-determined nonprofit partners.
• Are for immediate needs up to $1,000.
• Provide assistance to women and girls in Howard County.

Thank you for your support of women and girls in our community through the WGC's Emergency Response Network (ERN). We are making a bigger difference together than we might otherwise be able to alone - the reason for the success of our giving circle!

If you have any questions about the WGC or our Emergency Response Network, please email wgcchair@womensgivingcircle.org.

SAVE THE DATE!

WGC Pre-Party Toast
Thursday, May 30, 2019
4:00 - 5:00 pm
Art Gallery, Horowitz Center
Howard Community College

Please join us to toast our 2019 impact and plans, in advance of the Community Foundation of Howard County's Annual Spring Party.

Mark your calendars, and stay tuned for more information to come!

Many thanks to all donors who gave to the WGC last month! Alison Canning, Angie Dabbs, April Force-Pardoe, Arlene Sheff, Barbara Lawson, Barbara Peart, Beth Leaman, Brenda Martineau, Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz, Carol Beatty, Carrie Skinner, Cristine Fargo, Chaney Foundation, Debra Curtis-Petties, Della Carpenter, Diana Bailey, Diane Dixon, Dr. Irene Griff, Elizabeth Mahler, Ellen Giles, Ellen Kern, Francis Makino, Genie Wessel, Heidi Abdelhady, Jacqueline Melonas, Jennifer Bodensiek, Jillianne Crescenzi, Kelly O'Connor, Kelly Powers, Kerry Greer, Kimberly Prescott, Kimberly Zorn, Lee Draminski, Maureen Antill, Maureen Harris, Nilay Sheth , Paula Seabright, Paula Skedsvold, Phyllis Greenbaum, Rebecca Gibino, Senior Assist, LLC/Sheila Leaf, Stephanie Lyon, Stephanie Schultz, Suzanne Matheson, Teddey Hicks, Valerie Montague, Virginia Kirk

Want to get involved in the WGC? Here’s 5 ways you can participate:

• Make a Gift. Make a gift to the WGC today in honor of the amazing women in your life! Donate Here – no amount is too small!
• Attend an Event. From happy hours to educational events, we host a number of events that bring our donors together to network, socialize, and learn more about the good work of the WGC. Please join us!
• Connect With Us! Help us spread the word about the WGC through social media – like, comment on, and share our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter posts.
• Spread the Word. Forward our latest eNewsletter to your friends, family and networks and invite them to review our work and get involved.
• Host a Coffee or Happy Hour! If you like what you see, help us connect with your friends, family and networks. Invite a few friends or neighbors over for coffee or happy hour where they can learn a bit more about the WGC. Let us know and we’ll be there to help you plan a great gathering!