Home Life

Click here for the GFWC Home Life Community Service Program from the 2012-2014 GFWC Club Manual.
Click here for the Home Life Information Please pages.
Click here for the Home Life Report Cover Sheet..

 

Heart Truth Challenge!

Ready for a friendly, HEALTHY competition between clubs? Let’s see which club can take the most STEPS towards lowering their risk of heart disease! 

The Challenge: starting the day after Fall Conference and ending the day before Annual Conference, track how many steps each club member is walking. It can be on a track, treadmill, around the block, or even just while running errands and at work. Use a pedometer or smartphone app to keep track of your steps.

Click here for the details and here for the spreadsheet to keep up with your clubmember totals!

HOME LIFE
Home Life projects and programs promote a healthy lifestyle; increase awareness, prevention, research, and treatment of disease; target personal development; address the issues of hunger, inadequate housing, and homelessness; and/or prevent or correct financial difficulties.

Our own Massachusetts Junior Director’s focus area is Alzheimer’s disease. We will be highlighting this area by providing Junior Clubs with project ideas and resources to help raise the awareness of victims suffering from this disease.

We challenge each club to participate in their local Alzheimer’s Walk this September (see locations and dates above).

GFWC Partners are the organizations listed with whom GFWC has established a formal relationship and mutual understanding. Our partners offer unique and customized services: materials, speakers, kits, and/or additional information specifically designed for GFWC clubs. They are aware of GFWC clubs’ specific needs, our organizational structure, and have a signed Memorandum of Understanding with GFWC.

Canine Companions for Independence: Canine Companions is the oldest and largest assistance dog program providing trained dogs for children, adults, and veterans with physical disabilities. Founded in 1975, they’re leaders in the field and have placed over 3,700 assistance dogs. Canine Companions breeds and trains their own dogs to get the temperament, intelligence, focus, health, and work ethic needed. Their breeding program is highly regarded and looked at by others for best practices. At eight weeks old, puppies are placed with volunteer puppy raisers who raise the puppies for 15 months, teaching basic obedience commands and socialization skills. Then they return the dog to Canine Companions for six months of professional training to learn the 40+ commands they need to know to do tasks for people with disabilities.  www.CCI.org

Easter Seals: Easter Seals provides services to ensure that all persons with disabilities have equal opportunities to live, learn, work, and play. Easter Seals assists more than one million children and adults with disabilities and their families annually through a nationwide network of more than 550 service centers. Each center provides top quality, familyfocused, and innovative services tailored to meet the specific needs of the community it serves.  www.EasterSeals.com

Inside KnowledgeGet– the Facts About Gynecologic Cancer: The Inside Knowledge: Get the Facts About Gynecologic Cancer campaign raises awareness of the five main types of gynecologic cancer: cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal, and vulvar. It encourages women to pay attention to their bodies and know what is normal for them, so they can recognize the warning signs of gynecologic cancers and seek medical care. When gynecologic cancers are found early, treatment is most effective.  www.cdc.gov/cancer/knowledge/

National Osteoporosis Foundation: the National Osteoporosis Foundation is the leading consumer and community-focused health organization dedicated to the prevention of osteoporosis and broken bones, the promotion of strong bones for life and the reduction of human suffering through programs of public and clinician awareness, education, advocacy, and research. 
www.NOF.org

GFWC Community Service Projects, formerly known as Collaborations, are programs and projects members initiate and participate in to serve their communities—they do not include projects that relate to GFWC partners. This section is where the clubs will report all the programs and projects that are specifically related to the International Outreach Community Service Program that can involve other members of the community, other organizations, or the individual club or members.

Director’s Signature Project  - Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s Association
Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter
480 Pleasant Street
Watertown, MA 02472
617-868-6718

Click here for the 10 warning signs for Alzheimer's Disease

Other Home Life Project Ideas:

• Learn the facts about gynecologic cancer and other health concerns for women (i.e. heart health)
• Plan a program on women’s health issues
• Organize or participate in health fairs and forums.
• Create a resource list of local women’s clinics and heath centers and distribute it at shelters, community centers, libraries etc.
• Incorporate fitness activities into club activities
• Organize financial workshops for women
• Work with local food banks and homeless shelters
• Partner with a nursing home or mental health facility to enhance the life of their residents
  
• Organize clothing drives
• Raise funds to help place  a dog with a veteran
• Donate to a dog training center
• Support Camp Hope (Easter Seals)
• Support Walk with Me (Easter Seals)
• Sew vests for disabled children
• Host a presentation on gynecologic cancers
• Raffle pink ribbon items
• Assemble We Care packages for patients receiving chemotherapy or radiation
• Make comfort pillow for women with cancer

Events and Dates

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month – October
Breast Cancer Walks
        Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
           Barnstable – Sunday, October 21, 2012
           Berkshire County – Sunday, October 14, 2012
           Boston – Sunday October 14, 2012
           Worcester – Sunday, October 21, 2012

       Avon Breast Cancer Walk
           Boston -  May 18 & 19, 2013

       20th Annual Komen Massachusetts Race For The Cure
            Joe Moakley Park, South Boston – October 20, 2012

National Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week – November 10 -18, 2012
www.NationalHomeless.org

Heart Disease Awareness Month – February 2013
www.Heart.org
www.GoFedForWomen.org
Heart Association National Walking Day, Wednesday, April 3, 2013

National Osteoporosis Month – May 2013
www.NOF.org