Community Service
Much of the community work that local, district, state, and international clubs perform are based in GFWC’s Community Service Programs. These programs are structured to enable GFWC Tellico Village Women’s Club to harness the vast resources of their membership to address emerging needs of their individual communities.
GFWC Community Service Programs focus on the major issues of our time—supporting women’s health, preserving natural resources, promoting literacy and equality, and encouraging volunteer service—and fall into the following department areas:
- Arts and Culture
- Environment
- Civic Engagement and Public Issues
- Education and Libraries
- Health and Wellness
The Signature Programs of the GFWC is Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention. The Signature Program’s goal is to increase awareness of and help prevent the widespread occurrence of violence against women in communities across the nation and the globe. Areas of focus include intimate partner violence, child abuse, teen dating violence, campus sexual assault, elder abuse, violence again Native American women, military sexual assault, and human trafficking.
Annually, the GFWC Tellico Village Women’s Club President appoints chairpersons for each department area. Individual members then select the program(s) that they would like to participate with for the year. The program chairperson and committee meet to identify their goals for the membership year and select the community service areas that they will target and support.
Some current and past efforts of the GFWC Tellico Village club include:
- Packing food bags for the Loudon Elementary School “Weekend Food 4 Kids” program
- Coordinating school supply drives for local area schools
- Providing hands-on assistance at the Good Samaritan Center and coordinating food drives
- Participating in Habitat for Humanity building projects
- Supporting the Tellico Village Fire Department with funds and equipment
- Supporting IVAS (Intermediate Vital Assistance Services) as part of the GFWC Signature Program on Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention
- Providing “comfort kits” for those in need of assistance at local hospitals
GFWC Tellico Village members support additional efforts throughout the Village and in Loudon County through members’ volunteer hours and monetary donations.