A Wicked Awesome Giving Circle

For the next couple of #WickedWomenWeds, I'll be featuring non-profits that benefit women. Dining for Women is one of my favorites. A national organization with chapters all over the country, Dining for Women is a giving circle that gathers together once a month for a potluck dinner. Instead of spending $35+ on a nice meal dining out, these ladies (and a few good men) get together to potluck and discuss non-governmental organizations (NGOs) around the world that are doing great things to help women in need. Then they donate their $35 or more to help fund grants to those great NGOs. 

Their mission: Through collective giving circles, Dining for Women inspires, educates and engages people to invest in grassroots programs that make a meaningful difference for women and girls living in extreme poverty in developing countries. 

How they got started: In the fall of 2002, Marsha Wallace, a former nurse and mother of four from Greenville, SC, read an article about a group of friends who met for potluck dinners and collected donations for needy families using the money they would have otherwise spent in restaurants. 

Marsha was struck by the idea of using “dining out dollars” to help others, and the idea of DFW was conceived. On her birthday in January 2003, she invited some friends to her home to celebrate, a hat was passed and $750 was raised for Women for Women International. For the next few years, Marsha and co-founder Barb Collins labored tirelessly in Marsha’s kitchen to nurture and raise this powerful, but simple idea.

Over the years, Dining for Women has captivated hearts across the U.S, and increasingly, the world. DFW has been showcased by the New York Times, NBC Nightly News, People, Woman’s Day magazine, Good Morning America and the Today Show.

Dining for Women works to impact the lives of women and girls worldwide, who often live on less than $1 a day. By focusing on women and girls, DFW empowers women to find solutions to the problems they face through education, health care, and economic development.

So, if you like to eat and you like to help women and girls around the world, consider joining and supporting this great organization! I can't think of a tastier solution to solving world problems...

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