Arts: The goal in this area is to create and contribute to arts education and activities in our community and to engage GFWC Brentwood Woman’s Club members in developing and enjoying creative arts as a method of self- expression.

Student Poetry Contest

Pencil Foundation

Member Arts and Crafts Contest

Community Step Up Decorated High Heel Contest

Community High Schools Music Departments

W.O. Smith

Tennessee Preforming Arts Center Hot Program

The BWC has a long history supporting the arts.  Since our beginning 37 years ago the club has involved teachers within the local school system to have their students summit poetry to our Poetry Contest.  The GFWC Poetry contest has been one of our most popular projects, and being one of our first projects when the club started in 1974.

This project is an international project of the GFWC with winners on the local level moving up the District, State and International competition.  The students and teachers of Williamson County have produced wonderful work.  In the past four years GFWC Brentwood Woman’s Club has judged two International winners.  This project is one that has inspired many students to continue writing into their college and adult lives.  This project is being expanded to include a visual art aspect.  After the winners are announced the winning poems will be sent to the art teachers for students to illustrate.  The illustrations will be judge and winning art work will be paired with the winning poems.

As a club, our members not only serve the communities they live in, but also strive to improve themselves.  The GFWC annual art contests give members an opportunity to explore their creativity in photography, literature, and writing. Visual arts of all media are also encouraged, with a yearly show of members’ work at the District level.  The type of arts and crafts varies widely, everything from sewing crafts, needlework, photography, mixed media, Christmas crafts, painting in all mediums. The artwork is always a showcase of the diversity of the membership.

Conservation:  The goal is to enhance our environment for healthier living and bring GFWC to the forefront by way of conservation programs.

Keep Williamson Beautiful

Elephant Sanctuary

Owl’s Hill Nature Sanctuary

Our club has joined forces with  Keep Williamson Beautiful  to help with their mission “to partner with volunteers to keep our community clean, green and environmentally aware.  Our members have helped with judging poster contests for school children to help keep the message of the environments needs for reuse, refresh and recycle. Members have also volunteered through this organization to prepare saplings for distribution on Arbor day.  Our club is preparing to host the hospitality booth for vendors at the upcoming environmental fair, Living Green Expo.

At least twice a year our members don our safety vest and “Clean a Mile” of litter and rubbish, bag the trash and the county takes it away.  Of course, after the hard work we stop for coffee or lunch before going our way.

Education: The goal in this service area is to insure GFWC’s members and local communities have strong self worth; that members become motivated, educational change agents within their communities and to increase rates of adult/youth and family literacy in the U.S. and worldwide.

Literacy Council of Williamson County

Epsilon Sigma Omicron (ESO) A GFWC project

Brentwood Public Schools Libraries

Brentwood Public Library

Education and literacy are a priority for the GFWC and the members of the Brentwood Woman’s Club.  Our projects supporting literacy include supporting by funding book purchases, both the local school libraries and community public library. The members suggests books on women and women’s issues for the books purchased by the public library.  The Literacy Council of Williamson County is also supported by the BWC.

Individual members are encouraged to be a part of Epsilon Sigma Omicron (ESO), an honorary educational society open to all per-capita paying GFWC federated club members. More than 60 years ago, the ESO program became a permanent part of the GFWC Education Department. Through ESO, clubwomen are given direction in planned reading for self-enrichment and personal growth.  Over the years, many GFWC clubwomen have profited from this unique self-improvement program, seen as vital by the members it directly benefits.

To ensure the women of our community continue there learning and are self assured members of our society, the Brentwood Woman’s Club provides scholarship monies to graduating high school women continuing their education at the college or university of their choosing.  Education grants and funding also also found in the  GFWC Signature Project: Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention, and in the GFWC of TN Home Life Unicorn Project.  Brentwood Woman’s Club created the Purple Education and Job Training Grant in 2009 to help survivors of domestic violence enter or reenter the job market, increasing their self esteem with the knowledge they will be able to support themselves and their children.  The Unicorn Fund is located in Wartburg TN, a city approximately one square mile in eastern Tennessee.  Scholarship money is given to women looking to improve themselves by continuing their education.

GFWC Brentwood Woman’s Club supports two high school students from Brentwood for 2010 Tennessee Leadership Seminar.

 Guiding Principles of the Program are as follows;

·         Personal Integrity – Doing the right thing

·         Personal Growth – Developing in mind, body and spirit

·         Respect – Showing consideration for self, others and property

·         Building Community – Developing relationships to achieve positive goals

·         Pursuit of Excellence – Expecting and achieving the best

Program Objectives:

·         Increase opportunities for participation

·         Highlight value of leadership programs

·         Increase the number of people involved in leadership program

·         Increase worldwide channels for delivering leadership development programs

Home Life: Our goal is to identify needs and educate members and communities to meet those needs with successful and innovative programming that stems from member input and  integrate the elements of this Service Program in the community by introducing members and communities to partner organizations that improve the lives of those in need.

Grace Healthcare

Snoopy’s Closet:Williamson County Hospital

Canine Companions

This service area is one of the hands on with monthly BINGO at the Grace Healthcare nursing home in Franklin.  our members help the residents during the game and enjoy the excitement when each winner selects their prize.  The women of the BWC donate the prizes that can be anything from a stuff animal (one of the favorite among the winners) to stationary, lotions, shaving creme, costume jewelry, and small treats.  After socializing with the residents the volunteers usually go to lunch and enjoy a meal together.

A long standing project has been to support Williamson County Hospital’s maternity patients.  The Club established a program called Snoopy’s Closet, in which we insure an inventory of receiving blankets, onesies, and diapers, for mothers and babies that might be going home without these necessary items waiting for them.  The form of this project has evolved over the years and is a continued blessing for all involved.

Canine Companions is one of our newer partners.  The club was lucky to have had a recipient of a companion, come speak with us at one of our monthly meetings.  She was able to show how her Canine Companion is a great asset to her life.  She spoke to us about the process of applying and receiving her helper, the many hours of training for her and her dog.  Most importantly how they have become a team.

International Outreach:  Our goal is to ensure GFWC clubwomen are informed and engaged world citizens within the global community.

Operation Smile

Heifer International

Graceworks Ministries

Striving to learn more about the many people of the world, their lives, whether that world be the community of Brentwood or the continent of Africa, the club has invited speakers to discuss the life of those they have served.  The experiences they have shared has opened our eyes to the many differences of culture but also how much the same we all are.  We heard about dental care in Haiti, and the life of the Kurds in Afghanistan.  We have enjoyed an evening of fun at a Mexican restaurant. 

The club also supports Operation Smile, an organization that repairs clef lip and palettes of children across the world.  Without these doctors providing care, many of children would not be accepted in their communities.  The miraculous results after surgery include increased self esteem.  This project is like an old fashion sewing bee, making hospital gowns, smile bags, therapy dolls, and whole fabric quilts for the patients.  Our last sewing day was amazing with about 40 women cutting out patterns sewing, ironing, and packing items to send to Operation Smile.  It was a good day!

We also financially support the Heifer International, whose mission whose goal is to help end world hunger and poverty through self-reliance & sustainability. World Food Day will be October 16, 2010.  The help ease hunger in Williamson County the Brentwood Woman’s Club has a food drive during the month of October and donates all food collected to the Graceworks Ministries, in Franklin, TN

Public Issues: Provide comfort and resources to members of the armed forces and their families in recognition of their sacrifices to protect our country.  Utilize our GFWC Resolutions to increase members’ patriotism, pride in heritage, and to become more involved in community leadership roles. Create safer communities and overall well-being of all citizens.

Nashville Veterans Hospital

Quilts of Honor

Brentwood City Council Candidate Forum

This Committee also takes responsibility for the Advocates for Children and GFWC Signature Project

so they are very busy.

Our members collect paper back books , magazines and new tube socks to be given to the local Veterans Hospital.  We had the local representatives from the Veterans Affairs office, come and discuss with our member how we can support the men and women returning from the conflicts in the middle east.  It seems as with a down turn in the economy, the VA is also hit.  The wounded or ill veterans feet get cold and the tube socks are comfy and warm.  it seems the VA get provide enough socks, so we do.  To keep the visitors, family, and veterans occupied  during waiting between procedures, the club donates magazines and paperback books. 

A local quilting guild hand makes quilts for the Quilts of Honor program, providing every injured soldier with a quilt to honor their service.  To keep those quilter stitching we provide funds to purchase needed supplies.  We had the chairwomen of this project from the guild come and speak to our membership about this project.  Everyone was taken aback by the beautiful work these women have done.

To educate the voters of Brentwood our club holds a well respected Candidates Forum for the race for City Council positions every other year.  This April 2011 will be when this event will take place.

Advocates for Children:  Children in society are protected from harmful situations, and encouraged to adopt healthy lifestyles both physically and emotionally.

Williamson County CASA

Camp Hope, Vanderbilt Burn Center

Williamson County Child Advocacy Center

The Brentwood Woman’s Club financial supports two (2) campers attending the Vanderbilt Burn Center Cape Hope for children recovering from severe burns.  A place for children to feel normal and have fun.

When the Williamson County child Advocacy Center was getting started, there was a need for information brochures.  Our club provided the funding to print the brochures.

GFWC Signature Project:

DomesticViolence Awareness and Prevention: To make a positive change in families and communities though a Signature Project on domestic violence awareness and to increase the positive visibility of GFWC via culturally sensitive domestic violence awareness projects.

Bridges of Williamson County

Save Our Sister GFWC Music City District

Purple Education and Job Training Grant

One of our favorite projects takes place at Christmas time.  The women and children served by Bridges of Williamson County (an abuse shelter) are not able to provide the same Christmas as before.  The club sponsors one or two families and becomes Santa’s elves.  The Shelter provides information on the each family member. (moms included) We decorate a christmas tree for our November Meeting with tags stating the gift wished for, family number, boy or girl, age, etc.  Our club members take tags from the tree and purchased new items to fulfill the dreams of the families.  At our December luncheon meeting al the gifts are brought wrapped with the tag attached.  These gifts are then taken to Bridges, for Moms to pick up and put under there tree Christmas eve.  There really is a Santa Claus, Virginia.

The Purple Education and Job Training Grant was started two years ago to help women escaping from domestic violence to secure funds to help insure job skills, thus being able to support their family.  This fund is for any type of educational training needed, from GED, vocational training or college courses.  Shelters in the area can recommend candidates for this help, the executive Board will review the shelters recommendation. When a request is approved the treasurer will send funds to the program the applicant plans to attend. 

Save Our Sisters is a fund from the GFWC Music City District, which the GFWC  Brentwood Woman’s Club is a member.  This fund is for immediate needs for mothers and children in domestic violence situations.  When a women gets the courage to leave she may not been able to take everything she needs.   Generally situations are brought to the attention of the District by way of a school counselors or other organizations in contact with the person in need. Our club donates to this fund yearly.