The Young Women's League of New Canaan (YWL) giving theme this year is 'Help a Child...Change a Community', according to YWL Vice President Amy Fields: "As we evaluate grant requests, we confirm that the charities meet this theme in a meaningful way. Our policy is to make grants to organizations with specific and identified needs, rather than make a general contribution to an administrative account."
One recipient of these funds will be buildOn, whose founder Jim Ziolkowski spoke at the October meeting of the YWL. Everyone who attended the meeting received a copy of Ziolkowski's book entitled Walk in Their Shoes: Can One Person Change the World - which details the founder's inspiration for and journey through creating buildOn. According to Carrie Pena, buildOn Chief Marketing Officer: "At home or abroad, buildOn's goal is to break the cycle of poverty, illiteracy and low expectations through service and education. Across the U.S., buildOn empowers urban youth to transform their neighborhoods through intensive community service and changes the world by building schools in some of the economically poorest countries in the world. Since 1991, buildOn has constructed 587 schools worldwide, with more than 84,000 children, parents and grandparents attending these schools every day. In Connecticut, students have contributed more than 200,000 hours of service to their community. Connecticut's buildOn students are concentrated in Stamford, Norwalk and Bridgeport".
Other children-focused organizations earmarked to receive funds from the YWL this year include: Inspirica, STAR, and Blessings in a Backpack via Filling in the Blanks - a local non-profit organization.
For general admission and VIP Couture for a Cause tickets please click HERE
The main sponsors for this annual event are Porsche of Greenwich and Kristin Thomas, Wardrobe Stylist, and the event's media sponsor is Serendipity magazine. Other sponsors include Realtor Nicole Steel, Playland, Brotherhood & Higley, TOGS, She La La, l'Armoire, Soleil Toile, Walin & Wolff, Pimlico, l'Armoire, and Caren Forbes & Co.
This year's Couture for a Cause chairs are Amy Fields, Anna Diamantis, Nancy Roeder, and Jenn Shulman.
The Young Women's League of New Canaan is a group of dedicated women who are committed to enriching the lower Fairfield County community through volunteer service and fundraising efforts. To date, the YWL has raised over $3,000,000, which is given in the form of charitable grants distributed to over 150 local and regional organizations.
Image Credit: YWL, New Canaan