Women Of Wellington Reach Out To Help Animals, Children And More
The Wellington Chamber of Commerce added its WOW factor — the Women of Wellington committee — back in 2013 to help women connect with each other and share new business opportunities. But, as so often happens when women get together, the group soon began reaching out to help others.
The group has helped a number of nonprofits over the past several years, and in March, WOW conducted a highly successful adopt-a-thon in conjunction with Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control.
“Twenty amazing women came out to film segments with an adoption-available dog or cat at Animal Care & Control,” said Michela Green, executive director of the chamber. “Elizabeth Harfmann, community outreach manager at Animal Care & Control, made this all possible. She met with our group daily and provided us with a dog or cat to showcase.”
Harfmann provided all the pertinent information, such as the pet’s breed, age and personality, and then a WOW member filmed the video, introducing herself and the pet she was showcasing.
The initiative began on March 1, with a new video posted each day on the chamber’s web site. In addition, the pets’ photos and bios were distributed through social media and an e-mail blast to chamber members.
Green set the goal at 31 pets, hoping to have one pet adopted for each of the 31 days in March. By the end of the month, WOW had successfully found homes for 26 — but no one was stopping there. Calls continue to come in.
“This was a new initiative, never before done by our group,” Green said. “Last June, I adopted a beautiful 5-year-old dog, Flower, from Animal Care & Control and was able to see how many incredible dogs and cats were available, and how fantastic the volunteers are and how hard they work to get the dogs and cats adopted.”
As it turned out, seeing photos of adorable furballs in need made quite an impact among Wellington’s business professionals. “I think this affected every person who received the videos and photos — not only those who got to be part of the initiative,” Green said. “We received numerous phone calls and e-mails from members who shared an interest in pet rescue and wanted to help.”
And let’s not forget about the 26 success stories, each with its own tug at the heartstrings.
“There was one that I was able to personally witness,” Green said. “I was speaking about the program at a local restaurant, and a staff person overheard me talking about what we were doing and actually met me the next day. She and her husband adopted a dog! It was amazing to see the process and how much they loved him at first sight.”
Following the success of the Adopt-a-thon, WOW is turning its eyes toward children in May. The women are taking part in National Foster Care Awareness Month by supporting Place of Hope, a state-licensed children’s organization providing family-style foster care, family outreach and intervention, maternity care, safety for victims of sex trafficking, transitional housing and support services, foster care recruitment and support, as well as hope and healing opportunities for children and families who have been traumatized by abuse and neglect.
“Throughout the month, we will be utilizing social media to grab the attention of people with the posting of statistics, ways to get involved, and how people within our community are making a difference,” said Brittany Russell, co-chair of WOW. “Then, in mid-May, we will have a luncheon coordinated by the WOW committee and hosted by Place of Hope.”
The mission of the luncheon is to invite local women to the Place of Hope campus, allowing them to see firsthand the outreach and services offered there.
“The guests will tour the campus and learn about the various programs that are making a difference within our community,” Russell said. “Then we will create a call to action in order to facilitate and encourage engagement in whichever way best fits their abilities to get involved.”
Over the summer, the WOW members will meet to develop outreach plans for next season.
“We have exciting summer socials and idea-sharing initiatives planned to help prepare for the launch of our 2017-18 agenda,” Russell said. “We love to get together with other like-minded women throughout the impact, as well as gain new insights and stay relevant.”
Next season’s kickoff will take place in August, the beginning of a new series of networking opportunities that go far beyond the chamber.
“We are going to be very intentional in creating a call to action for each cause we work alongside in bringing awareness to their mission,” Russell said. “Our goal is to really focus on being a liaison, to connect women with organizations that spark their interest and to help them follow through in any way they are able to help — whether it is by volunteering, raising awareness or donating.”
The Wellington Chamber of Commerce itself presents a golf tournament each October, Winterfest in December, the ColorFest community to plan out our goals… This allows us to bond as a strong council of women eager to make a positive
5K run in February and the Flavors Food + Wine Festival in April. New on this year’s agenda is a fashion show, slated for September.
And if you’re thinking about adding a furry family member, Green is standing by to help out.
“Adopt, don’t shop!” she said. “I will personally meet anyone who is interested in adopting a pet at Animal Care & Control.”
For more information about the Wellington Chamber of Commerce or the Women of Wellington, call (561) 792-6525 or visit www.wellingtonchamber.com.
