This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
02/17/2016 07:30 AMFor nearly a decade, Pam Lerner has been a member of a Women’s Club. She originally joined the Hamden Women’s Club before becoming a charter member of the Women’s Club of North Haven. Pam now serves as the club’s president, a position she has held for the past three years.
“We are a struggling small club,” says Pam of the group, which changed its name to the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) Women’s Club of North Haven in 2009. “We just keep trying to do projects and get our name out there to try to get people interested.”
The club currently has 16 members and, while that is one of its larger membership rosters, on a national level the GFWC Women’s Club of North Haven still qualifies as a small club. One of the positive parts of the smaller group is that it has given Pam the opportunity to get to know the group members.
“I like the small club and I like the people,” says Pam, who was the newsletter editor when she was with the Hamden club. “We actually have two male members—we may be the only [women’s] club in the United States that has men. They are the husbands of two of the women and since they were doing all of the schlepping for us, we officially made them members. They help us with our projects.”
While Pam retired in 2011, she is still very busy as she spends a lot time babysitting her three grandchildren and spending time with her husband, whom she has been married to for more than 50 years. She also enjoys crossword puzzles and knitting.
The club holds a variety of events throughout the year and Pam’s husband helps with the club’s bi-annual Red Cross blood drives. The club also helps a variety of other local organizations, including the Food Closet at the North Haven Congregational Church where meetings are held. At each monthly meeting, members bring donations for the Food Closet, usually totaling 40 to 60 pounds of food.
Other ongoing projects include making bagged lunches for the homeless through the Midnight Run, stocking toiletry bags for veterans and victims of domestic abuse, and collecting school supplies. The group donates its school supplies in January, rotating through the four North Haven elementary schools.
“We started about six years ago and the president at the time decided to bring the school supplies in January and it was like Christmas all over again,” says Pam. “The kids have everything they need in September, but by January, they need to replenish. This year we brought $400 of school supplies to Green Acres.”
In order to fund these projects, the GFWC Women’s Club of North Haven’s biggest fundraiser of the year is its tag sale. It also counts on the generosity of its members. The club is working toward a 501c3 designation so that it can begin fundraising in full force for more projects.
“We just want to help the community in whatever ways we can,” says Pam. “Our members are very giving and very enthusiastic. I still think more locally than globally and try to run the club by encouraging members to come up with ideas and spearhead things.”
Last year a member, who has since moved to Florida, led an effort to sew cancer comfort pillows. By the time the club was finished, there were 101 pillows donated to the Smilow Cancer Center. In addition to getting ideas from members, Pam also attends the state conferences and conventions where she networks with other clubs.
The GFWC Women’s Club of North Haven meets on the second Monday of the month except during the summer. After the business meeting, there is sometimes a speaker or a program. Other months, members bring supplies to create toiletry bags or complete work on other projects. The group holds potluck celebrations in May and December.
In December 2015, the group contacted low-income housing complexes that identified seven residents in need of help, and created gift bags for them.
“We made personal contact with each one and went to their houses, talked to them, and brought the gifts,” says Pam. “We received some very nice notes and one of our members has been keeping in touch with her people and it’s now become a friendship. One woman said she’d like to join.”
Pam is hoping that by spreading the word about their activities, more people will be encouraged to join the GFWC Women’s Club of North Haven. Dues are $35 a year and there is a $5 one-time registration fee.
“If people read about us and find out about us, they might be interested in joining us and the more people we have, the more we can do for others,” says Pam. “At our meetings, we chitchat and socialize a bit, but it is geared around doing something for the community and where we can help.”
For information or to join the GFWC Women’s Club of North Haven, contact Pam at pamlern41044@aol.com or 203-281-3090 or ‘like’ GFWC Women’s Club of North Haven on Facebook.