JOURNAL COMMUNITY
One dish at a time Dining for Women celebrates 10 years of lending global support APRIL A. MORRIS | STAFF
amorris@communityjournals.com It did actually start at Marsha Wallace’s dining room table, but over the past 10 years, Dining for Women, the giving circle that began with potluck dinners (giving “dining out” money to charity) has expanded beyond its Upstate roots to more than 400 chapters and 9,000 members. Funds donated go to grassroots programs the world over that address basic needs for women, everything from safe birthing kits to micro-loans to market their skills in order to support themselves. Dining for Women focuses on issues that help women become independent, like education, economic empowerment, healthcare, food security and gender equity. Initially, the organization donated on a monthly basis, but due to growth, has added a sustained grant program. To date, the organization has raised nearly $2.5 million.
There are just a few paid employees, and volunteers run the local chapters, serve on the board of directors and the program selection team. Founder Marsha Wallace said the growth over recent years has “resulted in a lot of excitement and good challenges.” As the organization grew, it garnered more national attention and added even more chapters. Earlier this year, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton honored Dining for Women in a letter as “a powerful example of how individual acts of giving, when aggregated, can make a deep and transformational impact.” This spring, Dining for Women is marking its 10th year with a Celebrating a Decade of Dreams conference featuring speakers, profiles of beneficiary programs, a film screening and more. The conference on June 21-23 is open to anyone and will feature a screening of “Girl Rising,” a film by the nonprofit 10x10 that works to educate and empower girls. The film, narrated by well-known actresses, features nine girls who overcome barriers
to education like forced marriage, gender violence and lack of healthcare. In addition, the event features workshops on advocacy, spotlights on funded programs and a keynote address by Tara Abrahams, deputy director of 10x10. Tanya Henderson, a human rights attorney, will speak on Women, Peace and Security, a policy agenda that works to address the impact of armed conflict on women and girls. Henderson will also talk about the recent United Nations resolution on including women in peace efforts. Wallace said she is excited about the slate of speakers, including one who represents one of the programs served, Zala Ahmad, who will be talking about how Dining for Women has impacted the lives of women in Afghanistan. “She’s going to talk about what life is like for the women we serve,” said Wallace. As Wallace looks back to the beginning, she said she personally felt Dining for Women was a good idea, but was surprised at how many other women got behind it so quickly. “I saw the potential (for growth) because the model was so easy.” The average donor gives about $30 and that’s manageable, she said. “It’s a platform
DINING FOR WOMEN
Celebrating a Decade of Dreams June 21-23 Embassy Suites, Greenville diningforwomen10year.eventbrite.com diningforwomen.org
Dining for Women supported the CREATE! (Center for Renewable Energy and Appropriate Technology for the Environment) program in Tieneba, Senegal.
that everyone can be involved in – whatever their means.” At the last session of the conference, Wallace will talk about the future and get input from attendees. “I want more of the same, but even more of it. I want to see us raise more money, to fund more programs and help more women and girls. I also want to educate more women in the United States,” she said.
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JUNE 14, 2013 | THE JOURNAL 23