GFWC/Ohio
Federation of Women's Clubs
GFWC
Junior Special Project Advocates for Children
Chairman: Julie Vugrinovich
District Chairmen:
Northeast
Peggy Boyd
Southeast Cheryl Taylor
Project
Goal & Objectives – Encourage GFWC Ohio members and
clubs to work collaboratively in their communities to educate, advocate, and
engage in projects concerning the well being of children via health, social,
and safety programs, as well as to work with GFWC Partner Organizations across
the country to protect children from harmful situations, encourage healthy
lifestyles, support and provide best practices for emergency care, and prevent
substance abuse and youth suicide.
Call To
Action – How to Educate Yourself, Inform Others, and Create Change
Educate
Yourself about skin
cancer, the most common cancer that has reached epidemic levels, and know how
you can help decrease the occurrence of it. Learn more about Child Health Day
in the
Inform
Others and raise awareness of the need for dedicated pediatric
bags on ambulances in your community. Inform your community about the
importance of foster parenting and what it involves, and the need for quality,
professional foster parents. Educate and inform your community on how it can
participate and help reduce hunger, especially for children, where there is an
increase in the population of those who do not know whether they will have food
for their next meal.
Create
Change and volunteer at early childhood
centers by reading to children or assisting teachers. Support and encourage
family and adult involvement in children’s education. Start or support an
existing Junior Club. Visit www.GFWC.org/GFWCMembers.
Provide needed equipment and funding for training of local pre-hospital
emergency service personnel. Participate in community injury prevention
programs and support ongoing prevention activities. Advocate on topics
affecting children as supported by organizations such as Special Olympics,
Emergency Medical Services for Children, Foster Parenting, the Skin Cancer
Foundation, and other GFWC Partners. Encourage your club and members to
recognize, celebrate and hold a program/project/event for any of the important
dates and commemorations listed below:
January
National Birth Defects Prevention Month June 12
World Day Against Child Labor
February 3
National Girls & Women’s Sports Day August 12 International Youth Day
February 4 World
Cancer Day
September Hunger Action
Month
March 23-25 National
Youth Violence Prevention Week
October Child Health
Month
April
Child Abuse Prevention Month October 4 Child Health Day
May 15-23
National
May 18
National EMSC Day November Child Safety & Protection
May
National Foster Parent Month November 20 Universal Children’s Day
May
Skin Cancer Awareness Month
Target
Programs & Projects For GFWC Ohio Juniorette, Junior and General Clubs
1.) Emergency Medical
Services For Children ~ www.ChildrensNational.org/EMSC
~ Join forces in your community to help reduce child/youth disability and death
due to severe illness or injury. EMSC seeks to ensure that state of the art
emergency medical care is available for all sick children and that pediatric
services are provided and well integrated into an emergency medical services
system.
-
Coordinate and Sponsor a Local EMSC
Day Project or Activity during May
-
Provide Much Needed
Equipment/Pediatric Bags/Funding for Training of Your
-
Provide a Program/Speaker to Your
Membership – Invite a State EMSC Coordinator or Family Advisory Network Member
/Parent
-
Encourage a Club Member to Join the
State Advisory Committee
-
Disseminate Safety Curriculum and
Emergency Guidelines for Schools, Clubs, and Childcare and Assist with the
Development of Emergency Care Plans for Children
-
Adopt your Local Ambulance Service,
Fire Department, Rescue Squad, or Other Emergency Care Department by
Participating in The Blue Bear Brigade
2.) National Foster Parent
Association ~ www.NFPAOnline.org
~ Take a look at this wonderful non-profit organization committed to supporting
foster parents in achieving safety, permanence, and well being for children and
youth in their care. Together the NFPA and GFWC are working on Walk Me Home…To The Place I
-
Start Up and Coordinate a Walk Me
Home Event and Collaborate with the NFPA in Your Community to Benefit Foster
Care Locally
-
Assist Local/State Associations in
Recruiting Quality, Caring Families to Become Foster Parents
-
Back Packs for School – Prepare
Back Packs Filled with School Supplies so Children Transitioning in Foster Care
Can Develop Good Study Habits.
-
Invite a Foster Care Association to
Your Club Meeting to Explain the Foster Care System and What Roles Foster Parents
Play in Keeping Children Safe
-
Tell Your Neighbors and Friends
About Foster Care and Provide Information on How They Can Become Foster Parents
-
Recognize, Celebrate, and Support
National Foster Parent Month in May
3.) Special Olympics ~ www.SpecialOlympics.org ~ Partner
with your local Special Olympics and become a team player to support
this global non-profit organization targeting nearly 200 million people around
the world who have intellectual disabilities.
Athletes compete in over 33,000 events per year in 170 countries and use
the power of sports to change attitudes and communities.
-
Sponsor a Local Special Olympics
Athlete by Supporting and Raising Money to send them to a Competition
-
Provide a Program/Speaker to Your
Membership – Invite a Rep From the Special Olympics for Unified Sports Eventsâ
-
Members Can Participate in Local
Fundraising Events for Special Olympics, like
The
Polar Plunge
-
Help Coordinate a “Meet and Greet”
Event with Local Special Olympics Athletes
And
Coaches. Throw “Send Off” Parties and Hold “Re-Medaling” Events to Present
Medals to Winners.
-
Work with Project UNIFY Schools
(young women with/without intellectual
Disabilities), Juniorette Groups/Programs, or
REPORTING - Report your overall work in ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN annually on
the OFWC White Pages and on the Junior Scorecard.
IN
ADDITION - All Clubs must submit a Separate Narrative, Typed,
Single spaced and Single sided describing your efforts in Emergency Medical
Services for Children (EMSC) SEE GFWCCLUB MANUAL
With Each Program or Project Reported, please include Number
of Members, Hours and Dollars Involved. All Reports Must Be Postmarked by
February 1, 2011 and 2012. Send NARRATIVE REPORTS to JULIE VUGRINOVICH AT
The
Advocates for Children GFWC Partnerships emphasized thus far for this
administration are:
Emergency Medical Services for
Children www.ChildrensNational.org
Girls on the Run International www.GirlsOnTheRun.org
National Foster Parent
Association www.NFPAOnline.org
The Skin Cancer Foundation www.SkinCancer.org
Special Olympics www.SpecialOlympics.org
Clubs are encouraged to continue working with
the GFWC Resource Organizations from previous administrations, as they have
longstanding national relationships with the General Federation of Women’s
Clubs (not only GFWC/
| Information on other GFWC/Ohio Community Service Programs and Committees | Return to the OFWC home page. |