100 Women Who Care donating $10K to another worthy Halton Hills cause at fall meeting. Here’s how you can get involved

By Fatima Raza, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TheIFP.ca

A group of women in Halton Hills will make a significant donation to a local charity or not-for-profit organization at its final meeting of the year Thursday.

100 Women Who Care, a grassroots initiative, meets quarterly, with each woman donating $100 per session to raise almost $40,000 annually.

Since its start in 2018, the group has raised over $165,000 for local causes, from funding the Georgetown Bread Basket to helping the Georgetown Seniors Centre stay open during the pandemic and more, as listed on its website.

“All of the groups we donate to are local so we always know that our money is staying in our community,” organizer Lori Gysel said. “They may seem like small things, but they make a big difference in people’s lives.”

The group has previously donated to Halton Women’s Place, a shelter for women and children. The funds were used to create an outreach program in Halton Hills.

They have donated to North Halton Literacy, helping to run a program offering free real-world job training for newcomers. They also supported Light up the Hills, a winter light festival held every year in Dominion Gardens Park and Acton Arena Park.

The simple structure of the group — four one-hour meetings per year with a $100 donation at each meeting — makes it easy for members to commit.

“It’s big impact with a relatively small commitment,” explained organizer Liana McAlister, adding that members can even join in teams to split the cost, making it more accessible.

McAlister said she is proud of the growing diversity among members, who now range from ages 30 to over 70, with younger women increasingly joining.

“There’s a core group of locals heavily involved and as they age, the younger generation will have big shoes to fill,” McAlister said.

Ahead of each meeting, members can nominate an organization that is either a local Halton Hills charity or not-for-profit. If the organization serves a larger area, it must ensure donations are earmarked specifically for Halton Hills in some way.

The nominated organizations are then placed in a hat, and three are randomly selected at each meeting. The three members who nominated the chosen organizations make presentations on their charity or not-for-profit, explaining how the donation would be used.

Then, members vote to decide which organization will receive that quarter’s donation. Each member donates by cheque or online, with 100 per cent of the funds going directly to the chosen organization.

“Every quarter our donation amount grows,” McAlister said.

Sarah Burrows said she still remembers when she, Gysel and a few friends started the group in Halton Hills. The two had known each other since their children attended school together in the 1990s.

“We made a pact to only work on committees if they were fun,” Burrows said, noting that over the years they’ve shared many laughs and found the experience of raising funds deeply rewarding. She said she values the group’s mission of supporting Halton Hills residents, adding, “there’s no better way to feel connected to my community.”

Gysel was inspired by her friend’s involvement in the Guelph chapter of the 100 Women Who Care and founded the Halton Hills group with Burrows, Jill Farrington and Heather Coles.

“We had a lot of help from the Guelph group,” Burrows said, adding that team members took on different tasks to prepare for the first meeting in November 2018. The inaugural event attracted about 40 women, and by early 2020, the group was approaching $10,000 in quarterly donations.

The pandemic affected their numbers, as in-person meetings were suspended.

“We decided to go virtual — like the rest of the world — and we’re glad we did, because we raised over $50,000 during that time,” Burrows explained.

After nearly two years, the group resumed in-person meetings and now counts close to 100 women, some of whom have formed small teams to split the $100 donation.

“We can’t wait to celebrate the day we have 100 members, but there is no limit to our membership,” Burrows said. “The more the merrier!”

This month’s nominees include the Zach Sutherland and Kayla Firth Resiliency Foundation, Georgetown Bread Basket, Hillsview Active Living Centre — Acton, Community Living North Halton, Georgetown Hospital Foundation and Halton Hills Optimist Club.

“All of them are so worthy,” Gysel said. “I hope over time, they all will be selected.”

Those interested in joining the group can sign up online. Membership can be individual, or, for those who find the $100 donation per meeting a bit much, a team of two to four friends can join together and share the cost. Those forming a team are encouraged to email info@100womenhaltonhills.com to let the group know ahead of time.

Thursday’s meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Club at North Halton on Maple Avenue in Georgetown, with registration and networking, followed by a one-hour program from 7 to 8 p.m. It will conclude with a social gathering.