100 Women Who Care, Putnam County hit goal

Pointing to the $10,000 figure on a super-sized lottery-type check, Beyond Homeless Executive Director Tanis Monday celebrates the receipt of the first donation from the new group 100 Women Who Care, Putnam County. Beyond Homeless Inc. board members Bill Wieland (left) and Bob Jedele display the check for a large crowd during their organization's open house Thursday evening at the shelter facility at 309 E. Franklin St.

It was a true buzzer-beater, as the last two women made their way through the door right before the first meeting of 100 Women Who Care, Putnam County began.

The goal of the group was to get 100 women at the first meeting so that they could reach the goal of having $10,000 for the local charity that was chosen.

With the initial count at 98 women Wednesday night, the total hit exactly 100 as two women made it in at the last minute before voting had begun.

"This is a way for women to come together and socialize and also give back to the community," Julie Thompson, head of the steering committee for 100 Women Who Care, explained.

With the goal met, Thompson gave the reins over to representatives of three different non-profit organizations to state why their group should receive the money. The three were Beyond Homeless Inc., South Putnam Basketball Boosters and Greencastle High School Band Boosters, who were planning to split the money with all the band boosters in the county.

While each presenter did their best to sway votes for their organization, Beyond Homeless was the victor. Tanis Monday, executive director of Beyond Homeless Inc., excitedly accepted the check for the group.

With 100 women and the first of several $10,000 donations given away Thompson and the founders of the group are looking forward to the future.

"We are really excited about this (group) being in Putnam County," Thompson said.

The idea of 100 Women Who Care came from Elaine Peck, executive director of the Putnam County Community Foundation, after she heard about a Wabash Valley group. She presented it to one of the Foundation groups Thompson was part of, and she ran with it.

Thompson then put together a steering committee of 10 women to get the group off the ground. The 10 women -- Thompson, Peck, Ellie Ypma, Susan Price, Suzanne Masten, Kelli Croan, Emily Knuth, Beva Miller, Caitlyn Milliman and Malinda Mann -- have worked together to bring this organization to life.

They did that and the 100 women who showed up to the meeting are now considered charter members of 100 Women Who Care, Putnam County.

As for the future, Thompson and the steering committee are looking for the group to become 100+ Women Who Care, Putnam County.

With the established 100 and three more meetings this year, 100 Women Who Care Putnam County are on their way. The next meeting will be in May where another organization will be chosen.

Women interested in joining the group can go to www.pcfoundation.org. Also, interested members can check out its Facebook page or email at 100womenwhocareputnamcounty@gmail.com.

Those wishing to join are asked for $100 to join, which goes to an endowment with the Putnam County Foundation, and $100 at each meeting to meet the $10,000 goal.