Women's Philanthropy Connection

The Women's Philanthropy Connection (WPC) is an initiative of Cedar Valley United Way focused on empowering women to create real and lasting improvements in people’s lives.

WPC membership is open to women who are at an annual giving level of at least $1,000 to Cedar Valley United Way. Giving can be on an individual basis or through combined household giving. Members can choose to participate solely through their giving or through their giving and volunteering on WPC projects.

Started as an endeavor of Cedar Valley United Way in 2008, the WPC will always strive to increase contributions to Cedar Valley United Way.

WPC’s Project: Women’s Resource Center
The mission of the Women’s Resource Center is to provide guidance and support to women attending Hawkeye Community College.

The Women’s Resource Center is a place where non-traditional female students attending Hawkeye can receive guidance, support, and resources to help improve their lives.

A variety of both guidance and support resources will be available to women.

Guidance resources include:

• Career counseling
• Career placement counseling
• Financial aid counseling
• Workshops and seminars on a variety of topics including: balancing family, work, and school, demystifying the education process, study skills, finances, and computer literacy

Support resources include:

• Access to information on child care, housing, transportation, financial assistance, substance abuse, personal counseling, parenting, nutrition, personal finances, and health care
• “My Mentor”—a program that matches volunteer mentors with students based on an application process. Seventeen mentors have been trained for the Women to Women
  Career Mentoring Program.

Read a success story featured in the Waterloo Courier.

As the new semester starts at Hawkeye we would be thrilled to add more mentors to the program. That’s where YOU come in…

Here’s what it takes:

• Attend one training session (1 hour)
• Fill out an application that will be used in matching to a student mentee
• Connect with the mentee—either by phone, email, or in person -on a bi-weekly basis (Most in person meetings with the mentees average 30 to 45 minutes)
• Most mentoring pairings last for only one year
• You won’t be helping with homework, but you will be helping a woman understand how important connections and networking can be made in their chosen career field, what skills are necessary to succeed and how to present themselves in an interview  

It is important to know that you may or may not have the same career as your mentee.  You can be retired from the workforce, still active working or a stay-at-home mom- - - what you are offering are life experiences and connections that will make it easier for your mentee to succeed once they go out to the everyday work world.

Please consider becoming a mentor in our program and contact us.
Contact program coordinator Cheryl Einsweiler at cmkjeins@mchsi.com or 988-3030 or contact Debbie Robeson at debbie.robeson@cvuw.org or 235-6211 ext. 11 and get additional information!

WPC members and friends at the 2011 annual meeting at Sky Event Centre.

 

Creating a Generosity Plan for Life: 7 Steps to Making the World a Better Place

Check out photos from the Women's Philanthropy Connection's past events:

• 2011 Annual Meeting, Sky Event Centre
• Hawkeye Community College Event -- September 17, 2009
• Inaugural Event -- April 29, 2008
• Creating a Generosity Plan for Life: 7 Steps to Making the World a Better Place

 

“When you look at the needs of a community, it can seem overwhelming. Where do I begin to help? How do I help? How do I know my gift is going to be used for the best results? That’s what United Way does—it helps us help.” -- Dee Vandeventer, ME&V

 

For more information about the Women's Philanthropy Connection, contact Debbie Robeson at debbie.robeson@cvuw.org or 319.235.6211 ext. 11.