Donating to local charities and organizations is an important part of lakecity culture, especially for those who make up Williams Lake’s chapter of the 100 Women Who Care.
Tammy Watson founded 100 Women Who Care back in January of 2018 in Williams Lake, a grassroots organization without a bank account or a fixed address. Watson said her group operates as a facilitator for directing donations into the local community and was inspired by a similar group that was started in Michigan in 2006 and has since inspired 1,000s of others across the world.
“I’ve found I personally can donate to all of these non-profits on my own, but I feel as a group we can have a bigger impact,” Watson said.
In essence, 100 Women Who Care allows a group of community-minded individuals to gather together once every quarter, or about four times a year, and listen to presentations by local charities about what they do for the community. Then the attendees vote for whichever cause they like the most and all in attendance will donate to the organization as one.
Watson said as a busy mother of three who works, this event gives her the chance to decide where best to send her money and feels it does the same for many of the other ladies who attend each time. For the non-profits, whether they’re chosen or not, she feels its a really good opportunity for them to highlight what they do and possibly attract some new volunteers.
“I think it’s a win-win for everyone,” Watson said.
Everyone in attendance is asked to donate a $50 minimum but Watson said everyone is welcome to donate more if they choose to. Each time they donate Watson said 100 per cent goes to charity as they have no costs to cover running the organization.
Currently, Watson said around 25 women come out to each meeting but she said they’re always looking for and ready to welcome more into the fold. Their next meeting is on Wednesday, March 4 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at CJ’s Southwestern Grill.
Any organization looking to advertise itself is encouraged to reach out to Watson to schedule a presentation time during one of their meetings. At their next meeting, the Scout Island Nature Centre and the Gavin Lake Forest Education Society will be presenting.
“I always aim for $1,000. More would be better but $1,000 is a good start,” Watson said.
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