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Clemmons — Women Who Care About Community, a Clemmons-based nonprofit, has had a mission of assisting local children and families. The group has chosen a new way to support children and families in the Clemmons-Lewisville area. The nonprofit will move its resources to a Field of Interest Fund at the Shallow Ford Foundation, which will be dedicated to supporting children and then will dissolve the formal nonprofit organization. This change is an intentional decision that affirms the continuing care of women in a manner that deploys human and financial resources where they can be most efficiently invested and guided.

The group celebrates this decision and the redirection of its resources. Kirsten Russ, one of the group’s board members, summarizes the decision. “We accomplished more than we ever imagined and worked with the Clemmons Community Foundation (now the Shallow Ford Foundation) throughout. As we took inventory of our goals and accomplishments, we decided that like-minded women, dispersed throughout the community’s leadership is where we can be most impactful.  We are grateful for what we learned and accomplished together and are excited to continue to work with the Shallow Ford Foundation in this next chapter without the administrative requirements of maintaining a registered nonprofit.”

The members of Women Who Care About Community are grateful for the opportunities that the non-profit provided to increase their understanding of the local issues and how their collective resources were deployed to support children and families. Tammy Parks recounts her experience. “I made many new friends who shared my passion for children. I learned more about how and where to become involved, and I did. I appreciate how Women Who Care About Community helped me find places to best serve and that service continues.” Members like Tammy are individually active in service throughout the area as leaders, engaged volunteers and donors. Wherever they serve, members have continued to reinforce the goal of assisting children and families in need.

The work of Women Who Care About Community over the years has been notable. Among the initiatives supported, the group has:

• donated more than $10,000 over the past few years to the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School Social Workers to meet the needs of children in the school system,
• co-sponsored the Lions Club Mobile Eye Screening Unit with the Winston-Salem Twin City Host Lions Club and Dr. Brian Baker to offer free eye screening,
• worked with community groups to collect special foods to distribute to children with specialized health needs, partnered with the Interfaith Alliance,
• helped to fund a YMCA Summer Learning Academy at Ward Elementary School, and
• donated adult hygiene products to the Clemmons Food Pantry.

Members of Women Who Care About Community will continue to serve, forming a committee to guide the grant awards from the new Women Who Care Fund at the Shallowford Foundation. Those interested in donating to the Women Who Care Fund, contact the Shallow Ford Foundation at 336-663-6794.