Page 11 - WL-Spring-Magazine-2019

It’s About HELPING OTHERS
Stronger Together
Chapter 839, Grand Rapids, Michigan
T hey say it takes a village to raise a
child. In the case of the Woman’s
Life chapters of West Michigan, the
village is helping all its members to grow
and to give back to their communities.
Through a series of events called Seasons of Growth,
members have been gathering to share their successes
and pool their efforts to support nonprofits and charities. not even clean water. There was a woman who asked,
In December, chapters raised funds for the Samuel
Omogo Foundation, a group which seeks to provide
clean water for as many Nigerian women, men, and
children as possible. Each Season features a cause cho-
sen by one of the chapters. This one was selected by
Chapter 839, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Charlotte Touchette, Woman’s Life chapter develop-
ment specialist and vice president of Chapter 839, says
the event raised $5,500 – including $500 in matching
funds from Woman’s Life – which was enough to help
Omogo to dig a well for a village in need.
“Father Peter Omogo had such a powerful story to
tell,” Touchette says. “He talked about the children he
There is so much energy in these
events. We call it our unstoppable
synergy. This is something the
chapters want. They want to get
together, to help each other, and
to help the community together.
Charlotte Touchette
had met, children who have to walk miles into the vil-
lage every morning to get water – most of the time it’s
‘Did you ever have to pray for your water?’”
Learning about new opportunities to give back and
new ways to successfully carry out such endeavors is
very important to chapter members.
“They love to network,” Touchette says. “They love to
get together and hear what other people, other chapters
are working on. And it gives them a stage to share and
educate each other.
“There is so much energy in these events,” she says.
“We call it our unstoppable synergy. This is something
the chapters want. They want to get together, to help
each other, and to help the community together.”
Touchette says the events are successful and popular.
In March, the theme will be Spring Into Woman’s Life.
One of the speakers is a member who is a local coach
and the chapter members will be raising money for a
local nonprofit run by a Woman’s Life member.
“We have numerous members in our area who have
started nonprofits, so we are going to try to focus this
year’s Seasons of Growth events on helping them,”
Touchette says. “It is really great to be able to support
them like this. We’re really reaching into the efforts of
our core members and the amazing work they are
doing in the community.”
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