GFWC North Pinellas Woman’s Club Seven-Time Recipient for Community Service Excellence

APRIL 17, 2019   CLEARWATER, FL – The General Federation Women’s Club (GFWC) North Pinellas Woman’s Club (NPWC) received the Lois B. Perkins Award, which was awarded to the 2018 Outstanding Club of the Year at the GFWC Florida convention held April 5-7 in Orlando.

The Most Outstanding Club of the Year is granted annually to the club with the best overall record in enhancing its community through service projects. This is the seventh year the GFWC North Pinellas Woman’s Club, founded fifteen years ago, has bested 200 GFWC clubs in the state to receive the prestigious honor.  

Rachelle Warmouth, club president 2017- 2018, attributes the club’s success to the extraordinary volunteer spirit of its 160-plus membership base. “Our club motto is ‘living the volunteer spirit’ and we have some of the most remarkable women dedicated to positively impacting lives in Pinellas county.”

GFWC North Pinellas Woman’s Club members work tirelessly to positively impact our community through an impressive array of hands-on service projects. In any given week, volunteers are preparing dinner for homeless at Peace Café in Clearwater, sewing blankets for kids in foster care, cleaning the Pinellas Trail, greeting veterans on Honor Flights, educating our teens on dating and healthy relationships, and collecting and distributing children’s books to new Habitat for Humanity homeowners, after-school programs, and foster care agencies.

“GFWC NPWC is distinguished from other service organizations by the breadth of our outreach,” Warmouth said. “Our community service programs span all areas of the lives of our members, their families, and Pinellas County including the arts, conservation, education, home life, public issues, and international outreach.”

Club members volunteered over 24,000 hours in 2018 and donated over $90,000 in community grants, scholarships, cash and in-kind donations. Recent grants have been awarded to the Community Dental Clinic for a mobile blood pressure monitor for patients of the free dental clinic, Oldsmar Cares to purchase food for its “Weekend Food 4 Kids program” and $500 to Sailability Tampa Bay for boat maintenance for its boating program serving special needs children and adults. In addition, the club contributed $10,000 to the City of Dunedin for a wheelchair swing at the Edgewater Park playground.   

To benefit even more local charities each year, the club hosts a popular holiday market. Christmas Under the Oaks is the club’s largest fundraiser of the year, attracting thousands of holiday shoppers. Net proceeds are redirected to our community. The 43rd Holiday Market will be held Sunday, November 10 at St. Petersburg College Clearwater campus.

“We are all about service,” Warmouth said. “We are a hard-working club, truly inspired to improve our local community through acts large and small.” 

About the GFWC North Pinellas Woman’s Club

GFWC North Pinellas Woman’s Club is an all-volunteer, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization united in our passion to positively impact lives in Pinellas County. Members are very active in a variety of community improvement projects and strive to address all aspects of the community, including foster children, the homeless, school systems, civic duties and social responsibilities, and environmental issues.  Visit our website www.gfwcnpwc.org to see to see the impact we’ve made.

About the General Federation of Women’s Clubs

The General Federation of Women’s Clubs is a unifying force, bringing together local women’s clubs, with members dedicated to strengthening their communities and enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service. With over 10,000 members in Florida and over 80,000 members worldwide, GFWC members are community leaders who work locally to create global change by supporting the arts, preserving natural resources, advancing education, promoting healthy lifestyles, encouraging civic involvement, and working toward world peace and understanding.

Press Release: Local Woman’s Club Named Most Outstanding Club in Florida