100 Women Who Care Caledon reach major milestone

By ALYSSA PARKHILL

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

100 Women Who Care Caledon has reached a major milestone for their organization, crossing the threshold of raising $100,000 for local charities in the Caledon community.

Since 2017, 100 Women Who Care Caledon have been meeting four times a year to raise funds for charities and organizations in our community. 

Each participant donates $100 and members join together to nominate a charity or organization to receive their donation. Three charities are chosen and selected to present to the group of women about their group, outlining who they are and what they do.

The group of women then vote, and a recipient is chosen based on the most votes. 

The most recent recipient was the Caledon Seniors Centre who marked their final 2020 donation.

In celebration of the Centre's 25 years of service in the community, 100 Women Who Care Caledon donated $5,000 to recognize the tireless work Caledon Seniors Centre has put in over the past two decades. 

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the group has made the necessary adaptions in order to keep the meetings going. Virtual meetings began taking place in lieu of their in-person meetings that are held at The Caledon Ski Club.

Looking back on the previous year, though there were challenges, 100 Women Who Care Caledon still had the ability and opportunity to keep giving back to the community.

“Every cheque presentation is a highlight for our group. It is gratifying to deliver the cheques and know that they will have an impact on our community,” said Chair Karen McDonald. “Planning and executing our move to virtual meetings was also a highlight. We miss getting together at The Caledon Ski Club for our meetings but are glad that we have been able to find a way to continue to give together.”

The concluding donation to the Caledon Seniors Centre put them at a milestone donation total of $100,000 raised. The group says it is thrilled to be able to hit such a significant number, especially after the hardships of this past year.

“It was such a great way to end a challenging year. We feel gratitude to our members, past and present, for their part in the group effort to have a meaningful impact on the community,” explained McDonald. “It is truly a collaboration and being part of a group that gives together is very satisfying. The milestone of $100,000 is very exciting. We are all very proud of this group.”

The group has had their fair share of challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The group was concerned about the impacts of moving virtual would have on donations, as well as keeping members and encouraging more to join. 

Their main goal for 2021, besides continuing raising funds to support local charities and organizations in Caledon, is to encourage others to join.

“Our goal for 2021 and beyond is to increase our membership, which, in turn, increases the amount we can donate to each charity,” McDonald said. “We haven't set a monetary goal for the year. We acknowledge that charitable donations are not front of mind for many right now and know that any amount of money raised can make a difference for the charities we donate to. It is very difficult for these groups to raise money now without the ability to hold in person fundraising events. They have had to become very creative with their fundraising during the pandemic.”

The group is promoting memberships on their social media as well as presentations for various community groups and are hopeful to see new members this year.

“New members are always welcome to join as either an individual or as a team of up to four women,” said McDonald. 

100 Women Who Care Caledon will be conducting a Zoom presentation for the Caledon Seniors' Centre next month. 

To learn more about 100 Women Who Care Caledon or to become a member, please visit 100womenwhocarecaledon.com.