Who knew a literary spider with an aptitude for the written word would be inspiring Women’s Impact Fund members during a pandemic?
The Membership Engagement Committee has enjoyed piloting The Charlotte’s Web Society this year. The CWS is broken into various chapters, pun intended, led by Women’s Impact Fund Engagement Committee members. There is a Velveteen Rabbit Chapter, The Giving Tree Chapter and a Unicorn Dreams chapter, all named after beloved children’s books! (It is probably no coincidence that children’s literacy advocates Kristi Cruise of Living Libraries and Alison Houser of Augustine Literacy Project both lead and serve on this committee!).
Chapter hosts enjoyed tapping into their creativity by coloring and hand decorating the Society invitations that went out via mail. Members noted it had been quite a few years, if not a decade or more, since they broke out their markers, stickers, and confetti to create the whimsical invitations.
Groups are intentionally small, designed to allow members to truly get to know one another at a deeper, more intimate level. Chapters have planned fun events such as bonfires and S’mores and an afternoon in the park.
It has been a great opportunity for new member Katie Weeks, who moved to Charlotte from Raleigh in August. Weeks joined a hybrid group of CWS members last Thursday at Carmel Park where six members, two kids and one dog came equipped with lawn chairs for an afternoon of connection and conversation.
“Getting a chance to connect in person was a treat. Having moved here during COVID-19, meeting people is difficult. Connecting with a small group felt comfortable and doing so at the park allowed me to bring my kids, so it worked!”
Mary Stokes co-hosted the event with Membership Chair Susan Medina. Stokes was thrilled with the outing adding, “Conversation was lively and great connections were made as only a few members knew each other previously. Everyone left looking forward to deepening some connections and seeing each other again.”
COVID-19 and quarantine have reminded us how important human connection really is. As an organization, we hope to grow this engaging concept beyond a pilot. If you are interested in turning the page with us, please let us know! Charlotte is fortunate to have such a rich network of wonderful women, and we hope to connect many of us in this unique and fun-filled way as we continue to spin our Charlotte’s web.
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