100 Good Women News & Updates

How many times can you ask for a ride before you use up all your favors from your best friend, neighbor, co-worker, or sister-in-law's cousin? It is hard to find a ride to an interview in the middle of the day.  Or to a school program.  Or to your kid's doctor.  And you can't keep getting rides to work day in and day out. It just doesn't work like that.  

Whomever thought of this gas card thing was pretty darn clever.  A gift card.  For gas.  What?!

We don't always know about or remember the circumstances out there that make things so hard.  A single mother who is taking care of several kids on a shoestring budget doesn't necessarily have the money for $3.50-a-gallon gas.  When she's down to her last $10 and the kids need milk, well... The decision has to be made.  Yeah, get your walking shoes on, kiddos.  We're going to log some miles this week.  

We (you) have helped some folks in our community.  Do you know the people that write us the note requesting help?  Maybe.  Maybe not. Even if you know them, you may not know that they are in need. You probably have no idea who the nameless and faceless person is who needed a tank of gas.  For this reason, we would like to introduce you to C.  

C is a mother, a student, an employee.  Her car was parked in her driveway and she was walking her kids to school, catching rides to work, and finding creative ways to get around.  She just didn't have gas money. When 100 Good Women gave her a gas gift card, she was able to drive to class, take her kids to school, and drive herself to work.  

She recently sent us a thank-you.  We at 100 Good Women have a soft spot for those thank-you notes.  It tells us the stories and brings that person to life.  We love hearing that what we did helped.  C is still working toward her degree, but is already planning on volunteering her time, items and money in the future.

Thank you for your gifts.  You matter to each person we have helped, are helping and will help.  Even though we want to help every single person in need and can't always do that, with your support we can do more and more all the time.  So thank you.  You are the reason we get to say yes.  

Every day is a blessing.  Every day is an opportunity.  Every day is the chance to do at least one kind thing, and sometimes that one thing changes someone’s world for the better.

We want to bring you the real stories of the people who have been impacted by 100 Good Women.  You are on our list. You get the requests.  Sometimes you are the one who gives a gift card or provides a ride or donates an appliance. But what happens when those things leave your hands?  Who is receiving your stove or getting the groceries?  How does this affect their lives?
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Meet Clara*.  Clara has young boys. She and her children have had a struggle, but she is pushing forward.  She has dealt with abuse and is living in a way that keeps her children and herself under her abuser’s radar.  She came to Lawrence some time ago, spending 11 months homeless before finding a place to live.   The boys are now home-schooled and her whole life is anonymous.

This year many of the social service agencies in Lawrence were struggling to fulfill all the Christmas requests, and some families were slipping through the cracks.  Clara didn’t want her children to wake up without Christmas. 

She agreed to share her story with the rest of the organization.

“I don’t remember exactly how I heard about 100 Good Women.  I think it was just a conversation I overheard. Something someone else was talking about.”

She reached out to 100 Good Women and requested some Christmas help.  Without it, she was sure she couldn’t provide gifts.  The day before Christmas Eve was when Clara received the news that she would be getting some gift cards.

Clara said, “For a minute I lost my breath.  Not only did [she] not forget about us, but [she] came through. I just couldn’t believe it.”

Do you remember what it was like when you were a child and saw your presents under the tree?  Do you remember the happiness and magic of Christmas?  Clara and her boys knew that feeling this year. They knew because 100 Good Women gave Clara gift cards.  Clara used those gift cards to buy presents for her children. Gifts that she got to choose for her boys. How amazing this concept is.  They couldn’t have had Christmas without 100 Good Women.  She asked.  We were able to say yes. 

“When people give...and you really, truly need help...I hope I can do that someday.” Clara said with sincerity.

A few weeks ago we received a thank-you from Clara. She explained her situation and thanked us for helping.  And she also told us thank you.
“I thank you so much for giving these boys a Christmas- may you all be blessed!”

We are so blessed.

When a mother comes to us, we want to say yes.  We ache to say yes to each and every parent and child who needs something that we have the ability to provide. 

And we did this year.  We can shout that!  We were able to help every family at Christmas this year! These families are just like Clara’s.  They are part of this community and are in need. And they all had faces that lit up with the glow of Christmas, and it came from you.

Do you know someone who is interested in being a member of 100 Good Women?  Send them to our website.  www.100goodwomen.org.  Share this blog with them.  Repost it on Facebook.  The more people we have, the stronger our ability to bring something good to each family who needs it.  

A big thank you to all who attended the Annual meeting.  Yummy food, great company, and the ideas flowed.  A special welcome to our new members!  

Join us at our annual meeting/pot luck this Sunday 1/27 at the Train Depot in North Lawrence (also visitor center).  We will begin at noon and end around 2PM.  Bring a dish.  We will have water, tea, the finest in paper ware/plastic ware and PIE!!  We will have a rundown of this past year's accomplishments and want to hear your ideas!  Hope to see you there!