By Susan Page

With enormous regret, the 100 Women Who Care Steering Committee has decided it would not be responsible for us to meet for our scheduled Jan. 18 in-person meeting.

 

We invite every member to select one of San Miguel’s many worthy nonprofit organizations and donate your usual 100 Women contribution to one organization. We won’t be able to experience the amazing power of our collective donation this time, but we surely hope to be able to assemble for our April meeting, which will be held on April 19. In the meantime, please donate on your own to an NGO.

 

How 100 Women Who Care Works

 

Usually, 100 Women Who Care meets four times a year for one hour each time. Each woman (or teams of two women) donates US$1,000 or 2,000 pesos each meeting. The names of about 20 NGOs that have been nominated by members are placed in a hat. At each meeting, we draw three names. We hear a short presentation on each of the three, and then we vote. The winning organization receives the grant of 100,000 pesos or more. Until the pandemic, we were raising more like 120,000 pesos each time!

 

Snowbirds and Part-Timers

 

If you know you will be absent for several meetings, you are welcome to leave your donation at one of our two drop-off locations several meetings or even a full year in advance. We will divide your contribution up and present 1,000 or 2,000 pesos (your choice) each meeting for you. Leave your cash in a sealed envelope with your name and email address clearly printed, addressed to 100 Women Who Care. Many members do this and it works well. We are more than happy to accommodate you in this way and encourage you to consider it.

 

Our two drop-off locations are: La Conexión Paprika Restaurant, Ancha de San Antonio 9, Box 543; or Galeria Atotonilco in Fabrica Aurora (first left turn after the antique store off the main hallway).

 

Special for Men

 

Men are welcome to attend meetings, to contribute, and to become members. We don’t change the name of our group because we are loosely affiliated with similar groups in other cities, but we welcome the participation of men.

 

Donation Amount

 

When we started 100 Women Who Care in January 2013, nine years ago, 1,000 pesos was equal to about US$100. Now, 1,000 pesos is worth more like US$50. If you would like to donate US$100 each time, you can become a “Sin Limite” member and donate 2,000 pesos each time. Please write “Sin Limite Member” on the outside of your envelope. We hope many of our members will become “Sin Limite” members. We are all so thrilled when we announce a large final contribution. To increase the amount we are donating to an excited hard-working nonprofit, we all need to contribute just a little more. Many of us can afford 2,000 pesos, about US$100, four times a year.