Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation

For good. For ever.

306 South University Avenue Mount Pleasant, MI, 48858 United States

(989) 773-7322

Our mission is to enhance the quality of life for all citizens of Isabella County, now and for generations to come, by attracting and holding permanent endowed funds from a wide range of donors, addressing needs through grant making and providing leadership on key community issues.

Women’s Initiative Celebrates Isabella County Women and Girls

November 02, 2016  /  Guest User

Three grants were awarded from the Women’s Initiative Fund during the annual Look Who’s Talking Speaker Series luncheon today. Mid-Michigan Community College received $5,000 to provide busing, lunch, and motivational materials to girls participating in the Isabella County 8th Grade Girls Luncheon CHAT (Character, Heart, Ambition, and Talent). Christmas Outreach of Isabella County received $2,256.34 to purchase women’s winter coats. Community Compassion Network received $3,000 to provide diapers for the William Ellis Brockman Infant Pantry.

The 2016 Look Who’s Talking luncheon featured keynote speaker Cherry Hamrick. Born on a cherry farm in Northern Michigan, Cherry taught ballet for 20 years while raising her two children. At the age of 50, Cherry earned her Master’s degree in Library Science. In 2003 she became the Director of the Delta Township District Library. An avid runner, Cherry started the Jingle Bell 5k Run and Walk for Women as a fun event to raise awareness of the library, and aid in her quest to add a special room with materials “for, by, and about women.” Cherry recently fulfilled a lifelong dream to run a marathon in Antarctica. She shared her experiences during the luncheon, encouraging 300+ local women to try new things. McLaren Central Michigan and Mercantile Bank of Michigan sponsored this year’s speaker.

The Women’s Initiative Fund was established at the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation in 2003 to address the needs of women and girls in Isabella County. This permanent endowment fund provides women with the opportunity to be acknowledged as philanthropists in their own right. More than 200 women have made pledges to the Women’s Initiative Fund, and nearly 2,100 individual gifts have been made to date. Including those recognized today, thirty-three grants have been awarded to local nonprofits and programs serving women and girls, all while maintaining the value of every gift given to the permanent endowment fund.

The annual Look Who’s Talking Speaker Series continues as a legacy of women helping women and girls of Isabella County, now and for generations to come.