A simple way to help worthy Harbor nonprofits

By Matthew N. Wells • March 14, 2024 7:00 pm
Matthew N. Wells / The Daily World Many of the 100+ Harbor Women Who Care core members stand behind and alongside the winning organization from Tuesday’s event, Domestic Violence Center of Grays Harbor, which is poetic, because that’s what 100+ Harbor Women Who Care does. The group supports nonprofits around the Harbor who need help. As of Thursday afternoon, they have helped raise $108,135. They helped raise almost one-third of that on Tuesday at Hoquiam Elks Lodge 1082, which graciously supports the group with a large space for their now twice yearly events. The next event is scheduled for Oct. 8, at Hoquiam Elks Lodge.
Matthew N. Wells / The Daily World Many of the 100+ Harbor Women Who Care core members stand behind and alongside the winning organization from Tuesday’s event, Domestic Violence Center of Grays Harbor, which is poetic, because that’s what 100+ Harbor Women Who Care does. The group supports nonprofits around the Harbor who need help. As of Thursday afternoon, they have helped raise $108,135. They helped raise almost one-third of that on Tuesday at Hoquiam Elks Lodge 1082, which graciously supports the group with a large space for their now twice yearly events. The next event is scheduled for Oct. 8, at Hoquiam Elks Lodge.

100+ Harbor Women Who Care just enjoyed its most successful event Tuesday night as they raised a combined $32,240 for three nonprofits across the Harbor.

The money raised Tuesday night, combined with the $75,895 the group had raised through its first four events, pushed the total number since 2019 to $108,135. The group took a hiatus for a couple years during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of the three organizations who spoke Tuesday night, Domestic Violence Center of Grays Harbor (DVC) came out on top with the most votes from the approximate “130 or so” women who were in attendance, according to Jessica Hoover, one of 10 core members of 100+ Harbor Women. Like they have in the past, the group filled Hoquiam Elks Lodge 1082, who offers a large space to 100+ Harbor Women for free. Franzine Potts and Molly Bold emceed for the evening.

Back to School Marketplace, also spoke at the event. Here’s a summary of what the group is about.

“The Back to School Marketplace (BSM) was started in 2016 with two goals in mind: engage youth in serving our community and send students to school with free clothing and backpacks,” stated a card with information about each organization that 100+ Women placed in front of each chair.

Coastal Harvest (CH), a “hunger relief agency,” that works to “procure nutritional value food for those struggling with food insecurity” was another organization which spoke.

According to Hoover, the $2,500 an anonymous donor gave to each BSM and CH is because “they were so impressed with (the nonprofits’) work.”

DVC, however, won the lions’ share of the funding. The 44-year-old nonprofit which helps all victims of domestic violence — men, women and children — with a place to stay as well as “practical and emotional needs,” received a combined $27,240 from a few factions.

$12,240 was from the women who turned in checks and-or cash. After the event, one anonymous donor sent $10,000 to add to DVC’s cause. And then, as with each 100+ Harbor Women event, another anonymous donor sent in $5,000 to the winning nonprofit. The number will probably increase, according to Hoover, who said people have called the group and said they plan to give more to the cause.

Carol Ford, one of the women who voted and sent in a check, found it hard to choose who she was going to vote for.

“I think all three of these are really good for our community,” Ford said. “And they’re really trying to meet the needs of each one. It’s hard to make a decision because of the needs that they meet.”

Here’s how the group works:

The core group of women who run the events are not a nonprofit themselves. They just help host the community members who come to hear the missions of three chosen nonprofits for that event.

The women who show up listen to a short speech from each organization, ask questions of each nonprofit, vote on who they think should receive the money and then write their checks or give their cash directly to the chosen nonprofit. Each person donates $100 to the winning nonprofit, unless they cannot afford to donate $100. In that case, they can combine their money with other women and then they decide together who they’ll vote for with that group’s single vote. Anyone at the event can also send in an additional check or cash for the other nonprofits if they so choose. And the entire event, with a social hour, takes just a couple hours.

And nothing goes through the 100+ Harbor Women Who Care. The checks are written directly to the winning organization.

It’s that simple.

Bette Worth, who also attended the event, shared a thought.

“It’s always amazing the variety of nonprofits here in the Harbor. And the impact that this event can have on any of those (organizations), and any of them could have won,” Worth said.

In addition to the money earned for the worthy nonprofits across the Harbor, the other important part is the outreach they gain by speaking to more than 100 charitable women. It gets the word out about their organization, which is vital.

“Many of us have lived here our entire lives, probably driven by these organizations daily and never really knew the full breadth of the work they do,” Hoover said. “That is the power of 100 women. It goes far beyond the money. We will never forget the stories we hear from these organizations and with that, we can also become advocates of their work.”

The next 100+ Harbor Women Who Care event is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 8. The social hour will start at 5:15 p.m., and the event starts at 6 p.m. To follow the group, head to their Facebook page, which is of the same name.

A second story on this event will follow on Tuesday.

Contact Reporter Matthew N. Wells at matthew.wells@thedailyworld.com.