It wasn91裸聊视频檛 the usual quarterly meeting for Vernon91裸聊视频檚 100 Women Who Care (WWC).
The group which has 150-plus members regularly meet four times a year to raise funds, donated by the membership, to local non-profits and charities. They have three charities come and speak to them 91裸聊视频� charities nominated by the membership 91裸聊视频� and after the presentations, members vote on which charity to give the collected funds to directly.
In the seven years they91裸聊视频檝e been doing this, Vernon 100 Women Who Care has raised and donated more than $260,000 for local charities.
But on Tuesday, Aug. 22, at the Kalview Cafe at Okanagan College in Coldstream, it was a different meeting.
Given everything that has happened in the Okanagan and Shuswap since mid-August in relation to wildfires, the women wanted to do something else.
91裸聊视频淲e had to figure out how to help all of those people affected by the fires,91裸聊视频� said Judy Rose in a poignant video posted to social media. Rose is joined on the WWC organizing committee by Angelika Jaegar, Jamee Moffat and Noelle Crombie.
91裸聊视频淲e were pleased to see 50 members come out to the (Kalview) cafe and have a special, organizing, real, vulnerable, willing, open conversation on what we can do.91裸聊视频�
Vernon businesswomen Lisa Gallie from Big Sun and Allison Ludditt of The Room Collection, who spearheaded the donation drive and opened a donation centre on Kalamalka Lake Road, talked to the Women Who Care about what they were doing for the evacuees and firefighters.
Richelle Kendall joined in 91裸聊视频� her mother is a member of the Vernon Elks Lodge, which was also taking donations for the victims 91裸聊视频� and Kendall got a hold of Michelle Collins, whose husband is a firefighter with the BX Swan Lake Fire Rescue Department.
91裸聊视频淲e, the 100WWC committee, were a conduit between what happened organicially with Big Sun, The Room Collection and Richelle Kendall,91裸聊视频� said Rose. 91裸聊视频淭hey got involved on the Saturday (Aug. 19), we met Tuesday night with 50 of our members, raised more than $9,100 Tuesday night (with a private donation of $4,500), and put out a call to our membership, via email, to donate $100 or more by Friday.
91裸聊视频淏annisters gave $5,000 and our membership flushed out the rest for about $21,000, which if you remove the $9,500 of private donations, leaves an approximate $12,000 raised by our membership alone. In four days. Serious magic.91裸聊视频�
Kendall was a key element, said Rose, in the actual delivery of goods to the front lines, working 12+ hours a day using a van donated by Vernon Hyundai to get snacks and electrolytes to the firefighters.
Moffatt and Crombie 91裸聊视频渟hopped 91裸聊视频榯il they dropped,91裸聊视频� said Rose, anywhere in town they could find supplies for the evacuees and the fighters.
Meanwhile, the women who set up the delivery centre on Kal Lake Road have announced via social media that they have stopped taking donations.
91裸聊视频淲ith full hearts and an almost empty donation centre, we are wrapping up our operations,91裸聊视频� wrote the women. 91裸聊视频淲e hope to move the remainder of the donations to the Shuswap evacuees and firefighters.
91裸聊视频淪o we are unable to accept further drop-offs at Kal Lake Road. Thank you Vernon (and beyond). You blew our hearts and minds with your generosity and care. #awaterfallofkindness (the hashtag the group was using).91裸聊视频�
Vernon 100 Women Who Care will have its next regular meeting in November, returning to its format of having local charities speak.
If you want to know anything about the group, or to join, email 100womenvernon@gmail.com.
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
Like us on and follow us on .
