"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
Ginger Ripplinger, president of the Mountain Pine Woman’s Club (MPWC), and Terri Molther, fundraising chair for MPWC, are passionate about inspiring purpose, meaning, and connection through their volunteer commitment. Ginger is also the president of the Peaks District, which includes five clubs in the General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC). The GFWC was founded in 1890 and has been a powerful resource of volunteers that have impacted communities both nationally and internationally. With longstanding historical influence, the MPWC received its certificate from the GFWC and has been empowering communities since 1895.
Ginger shares, “What GFWC actually does is we look in our communities, and we decide how we can volunteer to improve them. Each club has different focuses. There are five service areas: Arts and Culture, Health and Wellness, Libraries and Education, Environment, and Civic Engagement. We also focus on domestic violence awareness and children’s advocacy, so from the very beginning that’s what we did.”
“With the MPWC, we looked around our specific area, and we decided we want to focus on college scholarships for people in Douglas County and some surrounding boundaries. We also give donations to the shelters, veterans, Parker Task Force, SECOR, and Wellspring Community, just to name a few.”
Terri adds, “We do some big organizations, but we also try to focus on smaller organizations that aren’t able to raise money for themselves. We support places like Heart2Hand and the Gabriel Foundation.”
MPWC is a growing group of volunteers that organizes different volunteer opportunities all around the community. With a flexible system, you can volunteer once a year or come to every single meeting. It really is based on your interest and availability! They also meet every other week for Sip and Sits at Kneaders.
Their biggest fundraiser of the year is the Annual Yuletide Bazaar. Terri takes charge of organizing the festivities involved.
She shares, “The Annual Yuletide Bazaar is our biggest fundraiser of the year. This will be our 20th year, and we are very excited! We have over 100 vendors. From crafters to direct-sale businesses to financial services and baked goods. It’s a bazaar with lots of different things! We’re going to have Santa and Mrs. Claus take pictures with the kids for free as well.
The club puts on a bake sale, and this year we are doing something a little bit different. We are decorating 6’ Christmas trees with handmade ornaments that the club is making. And then if you make a donation to one of the nonprofits that we have chosen, you get to pick a free ornament off a tree.
We also have a booth where the MPWC members share their items. Ginger loves to knit. I make wreaths, so I bring my wreaths. Karen, another member, makes wreaths and arrangements. So, everybody contributes, and we sell all kinds of stuff.
In addition, we have 12 little Christmas trees that 12 members have taken. They are decorating them with different themes, and then we're going to sell them!”
The Annual Yuletide Bazaar is a packed event with incredible impact. It funds the MPWC’s scholarship and volunteer programs.
Ginger says, “The biggest thing I love to do is when we hand out the scholarships. To me, it’s the difference between kids succeeding or not; it’s someone believing in them. And then I look at the other ladies in the club. They’re amazing human beings! We all come to the same room for the same purpose. We want to help people. We want to make a difference. So, there’s this energy. It’s like we’re a force of nature.”
Mark your calendars for the Annual Yuletide Bazaar at the Parker Field House, Saturday, November 14th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you would like to volunteer with the MPWC, visit www.mpwcparker.org.