I joined Central Oregon’s 100 Women Who Care chapter during Covid. Despite–or because–of being closeted at home, I needed a sense that I was making a difference.
The first 100 Women Who Care group was founded in 2006 by Jackson, Michigan’s former mayor, Karen Dunigan. Her concept was simple. During quarterly meetings, 100 community-minded women would learn about three local nonprofits, vote on one to support, and each woman would donate $100 to the winning charity.
Talk about power in numbers! At the time, that meant that every three months, a local charitable organization would wind up with $10,000–money that can make a significant difference to the people they serve. Eighteen years later, more than nine hundred 100 [Women, Men, Kids, Teens] Who Care chapters exist around the world.
The 100 Women Who Care Central Oregon chapter I joined has over 100 women, so the impact is even greater. Think Wild, a local wildlife hospital and conservation center, was able to purchase a van with the more than $13,000 they received after the third quarter’s 100+ Women Who Care Central Oregon meeting.
Although I’ve dutifully donated my $100 every quarter, due to a combination of work, travel, and inertia, I didn’t attend a meeting until a couple of months ago when I nominated Destination Rehab, a nonprofit that provides neurologic physical therapy in the great outdoors to people dealing with or recovering from everything from strokes, Parkinson’s, and MS to brain and spinal cord injuries.
Three charities were chosen at random from a hat (or was it a bowl?). While my nomination did not get selected, the three nonprofits I learned about were equally inspiring:
Bicycle Re-source of Bend, started in a garage by a couple of guys who love fixing up bikes, connects bicycles with people who need wheels. Founded in 2010, they annually donate more than 500 bikes (along with helmets and more) to adults and kids.
Oregon Adaptive Sports (OAS) is now entering its 28th year of running adaptive skiing programs at Hoodoo, Mt Bachelor, and Mt. Ashland. They also offer adaptive summer programs ranging from golf, cycling, mountain biking, and hiking throughout Central Oregon. Each year, they provide 2,000 high-quality outdoor experiences to more than 400 unique individuals.
Finally, a local community organization called The Glen Gives told the group about how during the last 20 years, they’ve raised over $1.7 million and aided more than 2,100 families experiencing short-term, financial difficulties ranging from needing tires or emergency dentistry to not being able to afford their rent or mortgage payment. “Our goal is to help these families achieve self-sufficiency and increased family stability,” said the representatives of the organization, which was chosen as last quarter’s donation recipient.
Needless to say, I came away from hearing about ordinary individuals making an extraordinary difference in the community feeling inspired and pretty damn happy about that $100 check I write every three months. I shared the experience the next day with one of my writing coach clients, financial planner and founder of Trove Private Wealth™, Ron Ware, who is writing a book that could also make a monster difference in the lives of people across the country. And I thought, “How lucky am I?”
