Highlights from our Minnesota clubs:
(I’m sure most of you saw this in GFWC News & Notes, but nice to see again.)
The Ladies Tourist Club (Minnesota), continues to support the American Red Cross by helping to organize and volunteer at blood drives every year. Club President Judy Loewe said even when COVID-19 restrictions caused various shutdowns throughout the country, the clubwomen did what they could to help.
“There’s always a need for blood,” Judy said. “We are here to help Red Cross get the blood to the people who need it.”
Judy explained the Ladies Tourist Club and a nearby church, Altona Hutterite Brethren, Inc., worked together to coordinate and assist at 12 blood drives in the past two years in Henderson, Minnesota.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Judy said there was a learning curve to understand how to keep everyone safe while they donated or volunteered. Safety protocols were put into place such as wearing face masks, taking everyone’s temperature, sanitizing hands regularly, maintaining distance, wiping down surfaces frequently, and keeping sandwiches and cookies in individual bags. These safety procedures remain in place in various ways in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus.
With a history of supporting the American Red Cross since 1979, Judy said she hopes the club and the community will continue to see the importance of donating blood to benefit those in need for years to come.

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GFWC Grand Rapids North Star Women’s Club Teen Dating Forum 2/17/22

Click on the link below to view the great video via YouTube and listen in to this club’s great forum.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVMO7NBUrtw Advocates For Family Peace YouTube
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GFWC Audacia Study Club kicked up their 2021 activities a notch with a theme of “Women, Wine and Wit.” With a good sense of humor along with friendship and kindness the women celebrated 58 years of Federation through participation in many community/club partnership activities. They kicked off the year with a tour of the local winery, of course, and a “roll call” of “if your cell phone only had one app…what would it be?”
Celebrating four news members the club held an orientation and shared the benefits of belonging to GFWC. The December club’s meeting was a Christmas Appetizer Party where they continued their theme and a “roll call” of “a gift I received but didn’t expect or the worst gift you ever received and enjoyed;” resulting in fabulous and funny stories. _______________________________________________________________________________

GFWC Starbuck, Minnesota
Teen Dating Violence (TDV) was taken on by our club as a project for our community. Contact was made with our school social worker to find out what we could do to bring a forum into our community as well as the school on this topic. She has already been doing a class for eighth graders on this each year so we partnered with her to enhance this. Contact was made with Someplace Safe/Crime Victim Advocate and Western Prairie Social Service for their support and permission to use them as resources.
For the eighth graders taking the TDV class with the social worker, we furnished a bracelet with the saying, “Love and Respect Yourself and Others” and a treat at the completion of their class with the same saying placed on it.
Our intentions were to be sure all the students grade 7-12 were aware of what TDV was, how to recognize it and what one could do, so we chose putting up large posters throughout the hallways with this information and listed resources for further help or information with recognition of February being TDV month. Flyers were put up in all the bathrooms with 4 different approaches and always with resources along with Instagram postings on the school’s account for each week in February.
To reach our community we submitted 2 news releases on this topic with one a week in our two county newspapers also with resources listed for further help or information. Flyers were placed in 40 community businesses, inserts for area churches and on the Starbuck closed circuit channel with TDV information and resources for further help.
We felt the signal for indicating persons needing help was so important for younger children to learn, so we gave flyers with this on them to the principals of this age group for them to use as they felt appropriate.
Picture accompanying shows some of the club members putting statement stickers on the treat for the eighth graders taking the class on TDV.
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Jan. 2022 Publicity for GFWC MN newsletter by Darlene Femrite, member, GFWC Potpourri Glenwood
Volunteerism is exemplified by the board members of the historical home in Glenwood, the Ann Bickle Heritage Home (ABHH). They are also members of the GFWC Potpourri Glenwood club (pictured) and work tirelessly! Back – Pat Lepper, Joann Boyle. Front – Sandra Josephs, Sharon Larson and Bonita Carlson. Preserving this gem comes from funds raised at ABHH’s annual November Christmas teas! These club/board members are the reason we contribute to ABBH’s board efforts by making cookies, helping serve or buying tickets.
The club’s end of the year luncheon serves several purposes. We are in the beautifully decorated home of a past exceptional volunteer and wear hats to remember Ann Bickle’s time. The book reviews enrich us and give us reading suggestions for the winter and thirdly, we distribute funds to organizations thus helping lives in our community. Pictured is our local advocate for victims of domestic abuse receiving a check and gift cards from President Sharon. We contributed to President Jennell’s 2021 request by donating money to Central Square’s (local art center) children’s summer art program.
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Silver Lake Women’s Club
Has been busy sewing, working on adult clothing protectors and quilts for Operation Smile.

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Pat Stevermer wanted to remind everyone of the CIP award. Here are all the details.
Community Impact Program Award – Spring 2022
The award period started January 1, 2020 and goes until December 31, 2021.
Some details about the contest:
Each entry can feature one to three local projects undertaken by a club, all accomplished during the Award Period.
Each entry should include one page of information on each project (maximum 500 words) to highlight:
• Project selection process
• Project goal(s) and Plan of Action, including timeline
• Engagement of members, including total hours
• Financial/funding details, including total contributed
• Collaborating partners or individuals
• Media coverage
• Measurable impact(s)
Each entry can contain one page of photographs for each project (maximum of 4 photographs per page)
Each entry can contain one page of publicity highlights for each project (maximum of 4 highlights per page).
Total entry cannot exceed ten pages: A Community Impact Program Award Cover Form plus three additional pages for each project (info page, photo page, publicity page).
The state awards are first place $50.00 and second place $35.00. On the national level, only one award of $2,500.00 will be given in each membership category.
Entries are due to this State Chairman by March 1, 2022. Checkout the GFWC Club Manual for 2020-2022 for more ideas as well as the cover sheet. If you need a copy of the forms, let me know.
Good luck to all clubs that consider this award and be sure to follow the new guidelines. Questions, contact:
Pat Stevermer, Chairman
stevermer@sleepyeyetel.net
720 3rd Ave SW
Sleepy Eye MN 56085
Cell 507-920-6513 (call or text or leave me a message and I will get back to you)