Women United for Good

Society of South Coastal Georgia, Days for Girls International, Golden Isles Arts and Humanities, One Hundred Miles, House of Hope, and Second Harvest. They supply fleece throws to young children entering shelters at Safe Harbor and make sewing kits and washing kits that are shipped to Haiti on mission trips.

More specifically, the club has volunteer opportunities in sub-committees for Arts and Culture, Civic Engagement, Education and Libraries, Environment, and Health and Wellness. Examples of their activities include the following:

GFWC members believe that the study of Arts and Culture enriches the human experience. Art education improves problem solving and critical thinking skills, builds focus and perseverance, and nurtures creativity, confidence, and collaboration. The Arts and Culture Community Service Program has raised funds to contribute to the Brunswick High School and Glynn Academy bands and has selected local high school art students’ work to submit to our district and state art competitions. Members have also participated in local art shows and district and state art competitions. They also art supplies to Morningstar Children and Family Services and Memory Matters Glynn.

The Civic Engagement and Outreach Community Service Program reminds Club members that they are each part of a larger society and responsible for undertaking actions that will create a better quality of life and foster a sense of community – locally, regionally, nationally, and globally. The four “broad strokes” of this effort include: Citizenship, Crime Prevention, Safety and Disaster Preparedness, the Needy, Hungry, and Homeless; and Our Military Personnel and Veterans. Funds have been raised to contribute to Heifer International, MAP International, which has a facility located in Brunswick, and to Operation Smile. Members have also participated in Christmas at Sea, providing Christmas gifts for the International Seafarers. Contributions have been made to Coastal Honor Flight and Wreaths Across America. Members have attended the naturalization ceremony and presented new citizens with gift bags.

GFWC members promote education in both children and adults, aiming to help others while they also continue to learn. Projects in the Education Community Service Program are designed to foster schools, as well as other educational institutions and opportunities, and to promote literacy, libraries, and the love of a good book. Through these efforts, they encourage the growth of individuals and communities at home and around the world. They encourage members to support educational opportunities in our community and raise funds for nursing scholarships to the College of Coastal Georgia. A nursing scholarship is awarded each year to a nontraditional student attending the College of Coastal Georgia. They support the STAR (Student and Teacher Award and Recognition) Foundation by providing an annual luncheon to recognize and honor local STAR students and teachers. Members volunteer at local schools and the Marshes of Glynn Library. They contributed funds to the Turning the Page Campaign at the library as well.

The Environment Community Service Program encourages members to become stewards of the earth by working to preserve the world’s resources, protect wildlife and domesticated animals, live sustainably, and beautify our communities and enjoy nature. Members have volunteered at the Humane Society of South Coastal Georgia and the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. They sponsor holes at the golf tournament fundraisers held by Keep Golden Isles Beautiful and participate in KGIB recycling and cleanup events.

The Health and Wellness Community Service Program focuses on improving well-being by addressing three components: nutrition, disease prevention, and physical and emotional care. This community service program aims to explore various opportunities for awareness and advancement of each of these vital areas. They support local organizations that work to improve the lives of those in need and keep members informed of ways to improve their physical health and quality of life. The Club has sponsored monthly Bingo at Sears Manor Nursing Home as a club project for over thirty years. Members assist residences with bingo cards, serve snacks, hand out prizes, and call the bingo games. They also donate magazines, greeting cards, calendars and notepads. Members supported the Safe Harbor Blanket Project. Members supported The Well, a Brunswick day center for the homeless, by collecting individual sized toiletries, wash clothes, dental supplies and socks for the center; and donate to the Safe Harbor Blanket Project. Members supported their efforts by sponsoring a hole at Grace House 4th Annual Charity Golf Tournament fundraiser. Grace House is a faith-based charity and 14-bed sober living facility in Brunswick that helps women recover from addiction with the goal of becoming self-sufficient.

Members support and contribute to the Tallulah Falls School, a college preparatory school owned by the Georgia Federation of Women’s Clubs and dedicated to providing a quality education for deserving middle school and high school students. They participate in the 8th grade students’ annual visit to the Golden Isles. We sponsor a student and support them through correspondence and small gifts. They supply Tallulah’s Closet with clothing and handbags for students to attend their prom. They also participate in the Green Envelope project by sending cards of congratulations and encouragement to the graduating seniors.

If you’re interested in becoming part of the Golden Isles’ oldest women’s civic organization or would like to learn more about GFWC Brunswick Woman’s Cub, visit bwcga.net.

The Junior Woman’s Club of Brunswick was organized by the Woman’s Club of Brunswick in the 1940s and the St. Simons Junior Woman’s Club in 1950. The Junior Women’s Association of the Golden Isles was formed as a not-for-profit association of women leaders in 2017. In 2019, the association became Junior League of the Golden Isles, an Affiliating Member of The Association of Junior Leagues International, a non-profit organization whose members have amassed an archive of irrefutable results and an indisputable reputation as thoughtful and influential change agents for the public good. They are now part of a network of over 140,000 women in 291 communities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Mexico. With roots dating back to 1901, The Junior League constitutes one of the largest, most effective volunteer organizations in the world. JLGI has approximately 100 active members and 120 sustaining members.

The Junior League is an organization founded on principals of women’s empowerment and promoting volunteerism, the development of women and improvement of the community through effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. JLGI supports the Back Pack Buddies program by sponsoring the food and weekly bag packing to provide weekend meals for students in need at Glynn County Schools. In partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeast Georgia and the Marshes of Glynn Library System through the Books in the Home - Early Elementary Literacy program, JLGI hosts frequent story times for Pre-K through Second Grade at the local clubs. At each story time, the children are gifted a book and other goodies to take home. JLGI has also created and stocks Confidence Closets at local partner organizations to provide teens in need with access to the hygiene, feminine and laundry products necessary to ensure they have the confidence to attend school and thrive. There are currently five Confidence Closets open. In 2021, the group established the Lemmon-Aid scholarship in memory of late member, Shannon Lemmon. The scholarship will be granted to Glynn County students, where Shannon was a dedicated high school teacher. For more information about the club and membership, visit jlgoldenisles.org.

The Brunswick (GA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated was duly chartered and officers installed in 1966 on Jekyll Island with twelve Charter members.

In compliance with the National Headquarters Chapter Establishment requirements, the local group was sponsored by the Savannah Chapter of The Links, Incorporated. Throughout its 57 years of existence, The Links’ program initiatives have been implemented to increase the awareness of cultural and educational opportunities within the communities. Locally, they currently have over 30 active members and continue to support organizations and community activities with monetary contributions, educational forums, and volunteer services opportunities.

The Links, Incorporated’s program facets include Services to Youth, The Arts, National Trends and Services, International Trends and Services, and Health and Human Services. The Brunswick (GA) Chapter Links, Incorporated is committed to leading the way as a champion of change, ensuring that youth are academically successful and engaged in healthy lifestyles. They implement transformational programs that are responsive to the academic, health, cultural, social awareness, career development, and mentoring needs of youth. The Services to Youth facet uses an integrated approach to prepare young people to succeed as healthy citizens in the global workforce and to promote healthy lifestyles within families and communities. The goal of The Arts facet is to produce and support programs to enrich the quality of life of our youth and communities through educational and engaging art experiences. Programming includes arts integration within the chapters and partnerships with like-minded organizations and sowing the seed of creativity deeper in the local community.

The National Trends and Services facet is tasked with eliminating disparities by reducing barriers to resources through advocacy, education, and service. Their mission is for members to be empowered to raise their voices and transform the communities in which they work. Programs include fighting alcohol and drug abuse, financial literacy, retirement tools, and women’s empowerment workshops. The International Trends and Services facet partners with Helping Hugs, Inc. each year to help facilitate their annual medical mission to Cotes de Fer, Haiti. They also carry out a yearly medical mission to Sunyani, Ghana where medical care and medications are provided to villagers who have little access to medical care. Locally the ITS facet is involved with a LIFE Program that introduces high school students to international business and foreign affairs while encouraging our community students to consider attending the local College of Coastal Georgia. As an incentive to students who participate in the

LIFE program and then attend CCGA, a student who meets this criterion is selected to travel and participate with the Links’ medical mission team to Sunyani, Ghana. The Health and Human Services facet was created in response to the chronic health disparities that persist in black communities and result in the decreased life expectancy of African Americans and other people of African ancestry. The goal of HHS is to promote and facilitate programs that support the maintenance of good health and the elimination of chronic health disparities in communities of color through education, health advocacy, and optimal utilization of health resources.

The Links has been a positive force in our community for more than a half-century and these dynamic ladies are nowhere near finished! For more information about The Brunswick (GA) Chapter Links, Incorporated, and membership opportunities, visit brunswickgalinks.org.

Now in its fourth year, the Coastal Georgia chapter of 100 Women Who Care has grown to more than 325 members. This group is not a civic club or service organization in the traditional sense, but their charitable giving is remarkable! If you are a woman with limited time to commit to social activities, but want to help non-profit organizations in our community, this group may be just the right fit for you.

With groups existing around the country, the first chapter of 100 Women Who Care was organized in November 2006 in Jackson,

Michigan as an efficient and quick way to raise money for local charities. At their first one-hour meeting, the group of over 100 women each wrote a check for $100 directly to The Center for Family Health, their chosen local charity, raising $12,800 to buy 300 new baby cribs. Motivated by the unique opportunity to make a significant impact in the lives of those in need in our community, five Golden Isles women formed the local chapter. The simple idea that when people join together in a group, they can accomplish more and have a greater impact than a single individual would. Having just completed their third year of giving, our local chapter of 100WWC has more than tripled in size and they have donated more than $300,000 to Glynn County charities. If you include matching grants, this total exceeds $350,000!

Members gather four times per year for a one-hour meeting and select a local charity to be awarded $30,000+. Members of 100WWC may nominate any Glynn County 501(c) (3) via email beginning two weeks prior to the meeting. The top three nominations will have the opportunity to present their charity to members in attendance at the meeting. After the three presentations, the members present will vote on which charity to support. If a member is unable to attend the meeting, they may send their $100 check (payee blank) with another member along with a proxy vote. Each member writes a $100 tax-deductible check directly to the winning charity and checks sent with proxy vote will be completed with the name of the winning charity. If you have the ability to spend four hours a year and donate $400/year, 100 Women Who Care invite you to join them to make a difference in our community. For more information and membership details, visit 100womenwhocaressi.com.

Last year, a Golden Isles chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated became one of the newest chapters in the national organization that was founded in 1938. This group consists of mother members who reside in Camden, Glynn, and McIntosh Counties and uniquely and strategically strengthens children to be the next generation of leaders through leadership development, volunteer service, philanthropic giving, and civic duty. Learn more at jackandjillinc.org.

Also of note are the Pirates of the Spanish Main and the St. Simons Cotillion. These groups provide the opportunity for our daughters to engage in service projects and give back to the community as youth. Founded in 1931 by Howard Coffin, Pirates of the Spanish Main is an all-girls community service organization with a mission to promote the Golden Isles, aid the community, and welcome dignitaries. They have a traditional

Rush process for membership. For more information and to see their service projects and events, visit piratesofthespanishmain. org. The St. Simons Cotillion is a social club with a stated mission to further a congenial acquaintance and friendship of the membership, which is accomplished by providing two or more social functions each year and assisting with holding a debutante ball every other year. These activities provide members with the opportunity to socialize, enjoy fellowship and celebrate friendship and the seasons. The time-honored tradition of the naming of a Cotillion Debutante Club and their formal presentation at a black-tie event was established in 1988.

As mentioned previously, local garden clubs like Cassina Garden Club, Magnolia Garden Club, and Live Oaks Garden Club, and women’s groups that exist in our churches provide more excellent opportunities for women to gather, socialize, and find ways to give back in the community. You’ll also find lineage societies with chapters in Glynn County that include the National Society Colonial Dames of the 17th Century, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, National Society Southern Dames of America, United Daughters of the Confederacy, and United States Daughters of 1812. More information about these groups can be found at coastalgagensociety.org.

Phenomenal women – we celebrate them. May we know them. May we raise them. May we be them!