By: Matt Scher, matts@977thebolt.com
Humboldt, IA – What started as an effort to bring a group of local women together to make an immediate difference has grown into a decade-long tradition of giving across Humboldt County.
100+ Women Who Care of Humboldt County celebrated its 10th anniversary during its meeting Wednesday night, marking ten years of providing financial assistance to local individuals and nonprofits.
Renee Dreyer, who founded the Humboldt County chapter, says she originally hoped the organization would reach about 50 members.
Instead, it has grown to 167 voting members, with more than 300 members when teams and individual memberships are combined.
“I never thought we’d get past 50 members,” Dreyer said. “So it’s blowing me out of the water, but it’s very cool. It keeps growing and growing.”
The organization operates on a simple concept. Members meet every three months, nominate a person, place or organization in Humboldt County, and vote on where the group’s money will go. The selected recipient then receives the group’s donation.
Since 2016, Dreyer says 100+ Women Who Care has helped 42 individuals and/or nonprofits and has raised approximately $616,000 for Humboldt County.
Members can participate individually or as part of a team of four, with each member contributing $25 every three months. Dreyer says the organization also frequently collects optional side donations to address other local needs.
Those donations have included items or money for organizations such as Moffitt’s Food Pantry and school-related needs.
Wednesday night’s meeting was particularly meaningful for Dreyer and other members. Sixteen past recipients were brought back to speak about their experiences, while messages were also shared from many other past recipients.
Dreyer says hearing directly from people who benefited from the organization made her realize just how significant the group’s contributions have been.
Recipients have used the money for everything from paying bills to creating memories with family members. Some have saved the money for future expenses or emergencies.
“It was a very moving night,” Dreyer said.
One of the recent recipients discussed during the meeting was Linda Coon, who Dreyer says has battled cancer and has been a foster parent who adopted five children. Dreyer says Coon’s story demonstrated the type of impact 100+ Women Who Care hopes to make.
While the financial assistance is the primary purpose of the organization, Dreyer says the connections created through 100+ Women Who Care are just as meaningful.
Members hear the stories of people in their community they may not personally know, and those stories can create a strong sense of support.
Dreyer says several past recipients have told her that knowing their community was behind them sometimes meant as much as the financial assistance itself.
“They said that meant more than the money,” Dreyer said. “Just knowing, okay, this little town has me.”
The group has also evolved into more of a social gathering over the years. Meetings rotate between locations that can accommodate the membership and often include food. Wednesday’s 10th anniversary meeting featured a potluck at the community center.
Dreyer says the gatherings provide an opportunity for members to socialize and meet people they may not otherwise know.
She says people interested in becoming members do not have to make a commitment immediately. Potential members can attend a meeting, see how the organization works and decide afterward whether they want to participate. There is no contract, and members can join individually or as part of a team. The organization posts meeting information, locations and side-donation opportunities on its Facebook page.
Dreyer says she hopes 100+ Women Who Care will continue growing and helping Humboldt County for years to come.