PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Hello from Yuma. The weather here has been so much better than home…. but I’m
missing you all and miss watching my daffodils blooming. No daffodils here!
I have been very happy with all the news from home. The Wine, Chocolate and
Bingo was a success. Our reports to the State are completed. Potential new members… and
the Peninsula District Conference planning is underway…and looking great with Barbara as the Chair.
Please set April 6th aside and come to the Peninsula District meeting. You can see and hear firsthand what other clubs are doing in their communities and maybe get some ideas on new
projects. We also have 2 of our own members being elected to the Peninsula District Board., Sandra Groves and Anna McKinney. Be there to wish them well…. And this meeting is when the Awards will
be presented, so come and see if our club wins some?

Thank you for continuing to do the fruit bagging without me. Pat Booth opened the door at the All Kids Win office. Kids need to eat even if I’m out gallivanting. Thank you for all of your support to
keep making our club better and better.

Sincerely, Linda Wolfe

On February 21, 2024, Luellen Charneski and Sandra Groves visited Mr. Stein’s Lincoln Elementary School classroom to talk about Women’s History, The Woman’s Club of Olympia and to answer the students’ questions. What they wanted to know most about…..their pen pals! The class would like to visit the
Club in April or May if they can schedule a visit so they can meet the people who are writing to them. They were very excited about this and your letters are appreciated!

VOLUNTEER CORNER

SHARE ABOUT INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN IN YOUR LIFE
It’s important to take the time to learn about female inventors, authors, and leaders. But, it’s also important to acknowledge the women in our own lives who have helped support, empower, and
encourage us along the way. During the month of March, we celebrate Women’s history. The program for
our March meeting will be an audience participation discussion giving you an opportunity to share about a woman who has had an impact on your life. This might be a caregiver or sibling, a teacher, mentor, friend, or partner. This is a great way to get to know your fellow members better while also celebrating the important role that women have played in our lives. You are not being put on the spot, but think about sharing women who have made history in your life!

SOCK COLLECTION – Carol Valley
We are now at 487 pair of socks. Only 213 pairs to go to our goal of 700! We are still getting a nice
variety of sizes and just as many socks for boys as girls.

NEW MEMBER TO BE INITIATED AT MARCH MEETING
Selina Winner will be initiated at the March meeting as she was not able to attend the February meeting.

Please attend to welcome her to the Club!

Sybil Goodkin from Connecticut will be transferring her membership to Olympia also. Welcome ladies!

COLLECTING RECYCLABLE PLASTIC
We are continuing to collect and package the plastic for our recycling project. We have 365 days to collect 1,000 pounds of plastic to earn a bench with our name on it.

SAVE YOUR PRESCRIPTION BOTTLES
Anna McKinney has notified us you can still collect your used prescription bottles until April. Bring them to the next couple of meetings and we will get them to Anna since she is preparing for knee surgery prior to the March meeting.

PEN PALS– Mary Siddell
Our pen pals have written to us. It is fun to read their letters and learn a little more about our pen
pals. Please have your letters to the students ready by the March 5 general meeting. If the letters are
ready sooner, place them in our kitchen mailbox and Mary will keep them until all letters are in. Thank
you to all who are participating in this fun project with students from Lincoln Elementary.

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WINE, CHOCOLATE AND BINGO!
Our first annual Wine, Chocolate and Bingo event was a success! There was a lot of chocolate, wine of
many varieties (even chocolate wine!), lots of fun, laughs and bingo. Everyone who attended remarked
at what a good time they had and hope we do it again next year! Besides that, we raised almost $700 for
our scholarship fund.

Thank you to the committee, Anna McKinney, Barbara Pugliese, Darcy Huffman and Sandra Groves. The house looked wonderfully decorated. Barbara and her husband made commemorative wine charms and Darcy donated and poured wines. We had special wine themed bingo cards and lots of chocolates provided by Anna. Great job, ladies! 1st Annual Wine Charm

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Spend an evening with Local Author Julie McDonald Zander Author, Historian, and Journalist

Celebrate Women’s History
March 21, 2024 – 7 to 9 p.m.

The Woman’s Club of Olympia
1002 Washington Street SE – Olympia

$10 per person

Listed as her most popular books are
 Washington Territory’s Grand Lady: The Story of Matilda (Glover) Koontz Jackson
 Centralia College: Its People and Their Stories
 Bucoda: The Little Town with a Million Memories
 Chehalis: A Can-Do Community

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CAPITOL TOUR
President, Linda Wolfe took part in a tour of the Capitol recently and snapped this picture outside the Reception Room on the 3rd floor. There is a lot of history in the Capitol Building.

HOUSE REPORT – Mary Siddell
We received word from Bargreen Ellingson that our payment was received, and they have ordered our
new kitchen dishwasher. Once it is here, they will install it and remove the old dishwasher. While Anna
McKinney is recovering from knee surgery, Sandra, Irene and Barbara will fill in for her, giving tours to
interested renters. Thank you for your help. It is vital in our rental process.

READ THIS PRESS RELEASE…WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP?
INAUGURAL GENERAL FEDERATION OF WOMEN’S CLUBS (GFWC)
NATIONAL DAY OF SERVICE HELPS RELIEVE FOOD INSECURITY &

HUNGER ACROSS THE 50 STATES

Washington, DC, January 24, 2024 — The inaugural General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC)
National Day of Service (NDS) proved impactful in raising food resources for communities across the
country. The 2023 campaign spotlighted the food insecurity and hunger crisis. The results received from
the “NDS Impact Report” submitted by approximately 700 of the 980 GFWC Regions, State Federations,
Districts, and clubs indicate GFWC clubwomen collected 145,506 pounds of nonperishable food,
recorded more than 20,000 volunteer hours, collected $138,415 in monetary donations, and contributed
to the preparation of 121,386 meals.

“The GFWC National Day of Service’s purpose is to spotlight a community problem and mobilize our
volunteers across the 50 states and the District of Columbia to aid relief efforts,” said Debra Strahanoski,
GFWC International President. “This year’s campaign focused on food insecurity and hunger. According
to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 34 million people in the United States suffer from food insecurity,
100 percent of U.S. counties are impacted, and 9 million children do not know when they’ll eat next. I am
proud of GFWC club members for their dedication to helping others in need. We exist to make a positive
contribution to our local communities.”

The GFWC NDS is an annual public awareness campaign for members to create Community Service
Projects in their communities to help others. Please mark your calendar for the 2024 GFWC NDS on
Saturday, September 28. This year’s campaign will once again spotlight food insecurity and hunger.

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Woman’s Club of Olympia General Membership Meeting

February 6, 2024

Meeting opened at 12:05 pm by Vice-President Katrina Wynkoop Simmons. Pledge of allegiance recited
and collect read by members and guests.

14 members in attendance and two guests: Sybil Goodkin who moved here from Connecticut where she
is a member and Robin Lee, who is part of the Women’s Network.

Minutes approved as printed in the Newsletter.
Lunch provided by the Tea Committee Mary Siddell, Anna Quintana and Dani Lewis
Treasurer’s Report: Anna McKinney Balances as of January 31, 2024 CD $38,946.44; House
$37,815.92; Building $37,944.07; Club $40,533.20. The full report was sent via email.
House: We will purchase a new dishwasher for about $7,000 and will purchase the service contract. We
will need to pay for new and replacement parts. (A member donated the dishwasher.)
The pen pal letters are here and our replies should be returned by the next meeting.
We need help offering House tours. Sandra, Barbara and Irene have volunteered.
Arts and Culture: Dani sent valentine cards to all club members. Thanks Dani!

Newsletter: Please send articles and information to Sandra Groves for inclusion in the newsletter.
Fundraising: Chocolate, Wine and Bingo on February 9th and next month we will host a book signing.
Membership: A new member will be initiated in March. Sybil Goodkin can transfer her membership from
Connecticut.

Little Red School House sock project: Carol Valley We had 387 pairs and more came in today.
Evening Group: Linda Malanchuk-Finnan The March speaker with be from the Coalition Against
Trafficking and will focus on survivors and pulling all helping groups together.
Program: The members participated in an exercise to brainstorm the kinds of programs they would like
to see the WCO bring.
Old Business: Nominating Committee is attempting to fill positions. Members are asked to come
forward if they have any interest.
New Business: Robin Lee gave a presentation on ActivePure air purifier. For more information go to the
website: vollara.activepure.com
Raffle: Collection $48, the winner took home $24.
Adhourn: 1:23pm

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SCHOLARSHIP REPORT – Darcy Huffman
The scholarship committee reports that they received 16 applications for our four scholarships, of which 8 applications were complete. Of those 8, the committee selected four winners and alternates. The first place winner will go to a Yelm High School Student; the second place to a Tumwater student; and third and fourth places go to Rainier students. The first alternate is a high school student from Olympia High School. (The names are being withheld at this time in order to contact each of them.) The winners will
be honored at our June meeting. NEEDED FOR APRIL 6 PENINSULA DISTRICT MEETING
GARDEN THEME BASKET ITEMS NEEDED

Our club is hosting the Peninsula District Spring Conference at The Abigail Stuart House on April 6th. We are putting together a raffle basket with a garden theme. If you have anything to include in the
basket, please bring your items to the March meeting. The Club is also responsible for providing breakfast breads or muffins at the meeting.
A signup sheet will make the rounds at the March meeting if you are willing to help bake some quick bread or breakfast snacks.
REPORTING:
Mary Siddell has submitted all the reported hours, prepared reports and submitted them to
the District and the State GFWC organizations. Well done! Your hours contribute to making our community a better place for all.

COMMITTEE RECRUITMENT TIME

Every time we have an administration turnover, we strive to fill all the Committees with volunteer members. This year will be no exception.
We are planning to hold a Committee “Job Fair” at our April meeting. Tables for each committee will be set up and you will be able to visit each table to see what the Committees do for the Club. Signing up
for a Committee is part of being a member of WCO and we would like to see more participation. Some Committees only need one Chairperson, some Committees can use 3, 4 or more to do the work.
(Especially fundraising!). It’s fun to serve on a Committee so be ready to pick one on which to serve.

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PARTNERING WITH RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS
In our ongoing efforts to partner with other nonprofit organizations and combine resources, the Random
Acts of Kindness is one group we would like to help. The group picks a charity for each month and
members collect items for that organization. If any members of The Woman’s Club of Olympia would
like to help, please check the following calendar and bring your donated items to our regular meeting or
contact Sandra Groves to arrange a time to receive them. Any and all donations are helpful as we spread our kindness to others.

March – Concern for Animals Collecting dry and canned food, litter, bedding, toys, general
supplies and gift cards to pet stores. Also paper and plastic bags.
April – All Kids Win. Collected items will be announced in March.
May – Thurston County Food Bank Children’s (12 and under) Birthday Bags Collecting small new
toys that fit into a 13 x 5 bag.
June – Rochester Organization of Families (ROOF) Collecting soup, tuna, spam peanut butter,
cereal, jam/jelly, macaroni and cheese, oatmeal, cooking oil, chili, Rice a Roni, juice, canned beans,
canned fruit, spaghetti sauce, pasta, and other non-perishable food.
July – Thurston County Food Bank – The Other Bank Collecting dish soap, laundry soap, diapers
(sizes 5, and 6), diaper wipes, razors and shave cream, deodorant, liquid soap, tissues, shampoo,
toothpaste, toothbrushes, toilet paper and feminine hygiene products.
August – All Kids Win Book Sale Collecting books to donate to for annual book sale for fundraising.
September – (1) Lacey Veterans Services Hub. Collected items will be announced in August.
(2) Thurston Col Food Bank – Newborns Collecting baby bottles, pacifiers, unscented
Baby wash
October – Safeplace. Collected items will be announced in September.

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WHAT IS THE WOMAN’S CLUB OF OLYMPIA

HISTORY: The Woman’s Club of Olympia was founded in 1883 by Abbie Howard Hunt Stuart and eight other progressive women, six years before Washington became a state, to improve the lives of women and to serve the community. They fought for the right for women to vote, fought illiteracy and poverty, and provided aid for children and needy families before there were public assistance programs. The Woman’s Clubhouse was built in 1908 and later named for Abbie Stuart. We are a non-profit, non-denominational, non-partisan volunteer service organization. Learn more at www.womansclubofolympia.org.
CLUB GOALS: The Woman’s Club of Olympia is a member of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC), GFWC Washington State and the Peninsula District of 9 fellow clubs, volunteer community organizations that support the arts, preserve natural resources, promote education, encourage healthy lifestyles, stress civic involvement, and work toward world peace and understanding. Our current projects include:
 Fundraising and partnering to support other community non-profit organizations sharing our goals;
 College scholarships for Thurston County high school seniors based on academic success and financial need;
 All Kids Win providing food for disadvantaged high school and middle school students; and
 Preservation of the historic Abigail Stuart House, and rental of the house for community programs and
organizations.
MEETINGS: Our daytime meetings are at noon on the first Tuesday of each month, September through June.
Our evening group meets at 7:00 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month. All meetings are held at the
Abigail Stuart House at 1002 Washington Street SE, Olympia.
TO BECOME A MEMBER: Attend two meetings or Club functions, fill out an application and return it with a
$10.00 application fee. After the Board approves the application you pay $40.00 annual membership dues and will be initiated at the next meeting.
MEMBERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES: Woman’s Club members are expected to contribute actively by serving on at least one committee or project throughout the year. A Board Member will talk with you about your interests and availability. Also, each member who attends the daytime meetings is expected to serve on a committee to host a tea or luncheon for at least one meeting per year.
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS: You have the opportunity to meet, work, and grow with other women who are
interested in self and community improvement. You are part of a historical local, state and national organization making a difference in the world.
Contact womansclubolympia@gmail.com for an application.

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REPORTING FORM / VOLUNTEER HOURS: Name
ARTS & CULTURE: Hours_______ Monies_______ In Kind____________
Description:

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT: Hours_______ Monies_______ In Kind____________
Description:

ENVIRONMENT: Hours_______ Monies_______ In Kind____________
Description:

EDUCATION & LIBRARIES: Hours_______ Monies_______ In Kind____________
Description:

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: Hours_______ Monies_______ In Kind____________
Description:

ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN: Hours_______ Monies_______ In Kind____________
Description:

HEALTH AND WELLNESS: Hours_______ Monies_______ In Kind____________
Description:

COMMUNICATION & PR: Hours_______ Monies_______ In Kind____________
Description:

LEADERSHIP: Hours_______ Monies_______ In Kind____________
Description:

LEGISLATION & PUBLIC POLICY: Hours_______ Monies_______ In Kind____________
Description:

WOMEN’S HISTORY: Hours_______ Monies_______ In Kind____________