Artist in Residency Program

Centennial High students in a PhotoVoice project.

The Brentwood/Franklin Woman's Service Club is pleased to support the Arts Council of Williamson County and its Artist in Residency program.

This year's program is being led by Jen Vogus who is teaching special education students at Centennial High School in a participatory photography method known as Photovoice.  This method gives voice to individuals who typically do not have one in their community.  This arts-approach utilizes the power of photography as a catalyst for self-expression and invites individuals to capture and share details about their lives and perspectives that might otherwise be difficult for them to convey.

Join us April 3 when Nan Zierdon, president of the Arts Council, updates us on this project and other programs of the council.

For more info on the Arts Council, go to their web-site:
www.artscouncilwc.org

March Program: Healing Housing

When Olivia Mullin 

Thanks to Lauren Kissinger and Olivia Mullen for sharing the history and mission of this non-profit organization with us.

Healing Housing is Williamson County's only transitional living program for women in recovery.  Everyday, women leave treatment and have nowhere to go.  Many lack the resources to continue growing in their recovery journey.  This non-profit offers safe housing and supportive programming to increase the chances of maintaining long-term sobriety.

To donate or learn more about them, go to web-site:

www.healinghousing.org

of Stacy after she left prison. Stacy was seeking a fresh start free from aAtlcohol and drugs, but she had no safe place to go. Without a secure, nurturing environment, Stacy would end up back on the streets.

​

In March 2015, Olivia met with a group of Christian women who were also dedicated to offering a unique "next step" for women in recovery. This group realized Nashville was experiencing a crisis: there were not enough beds for low-income women coming out of drug treatment programs. Their primary goal was to show the love of God and provide a safe and structured environment where women in recovery could continue to grow and heal.When Olivia Mullin began volunteering as a mentor to women in a state prison, she had no idea that her experience would lead to the establishment of what would later become Healing Housing. For months, Olivia worked with Stacy, a young mother with a history of sexual abuse, abandonment, and homelessness. Olivia learned that Stacy had found herself addicted to drugs and alcohol and had received a prison sentence for multiple drug-related convictions. Olivia worried what would become of Stacy after she left prison. Stacy was seeking a fresh start free from alcohol and drugs, but she had no safe place to go. Without a secure, nurturing environment, Stacy would end up back on the streets.

​

In March 2015, Olivia met with a group of Christian women who were also dedicated to offering a unique "next step" for women in recovery. This group realized Nashville was experiencing a crisis: there were not enough beds for low-income women coming out of drug treatment programs. Their primary goal was to show the love of God and provide a safe and structured environment where women in recovery could continue to grow and heal.When Olivia Mullin began volunteering as a mentor to women in a state prison, she had no idea that her experience would lead to the establishment of what would later become Healing Housing. For months, Olivia worked with Stacy, a young mother with a history of sexual abuse, abandonment, and homelessness. Olivia learned that Stacy had found herself addicted to drugs and alcohol and had received a prison sentence for multiple drug-related convictions. Olivia worried what would become of Stacy after she left prison. Stacy was seeking a fresh start free from alcohol and drugs, but she had no safe place to go. Without a secure, nurturing environment, Stacy would end up back on the streets.

​

In March 2015, Olivia met with a group of Christian women who were also dedicated to offering a unique "next step" for women in recovery. This group realized Nashville was experiencing a crisis: there were not enough beds for low-income women coming out of drug treatment programs. Their primary goal was to show the love of God and provide a safe and structured environment where women in recovery could continue to grow and heal.

Operation Smile. January 24, 2018

Fun, Fellowship, and service for Operation Smile!  

73 children's hospital gowns, 24 no-sew blankets, and 54 Smile bags were prepared by 54 volunteers through 289 volunteer service hours and shipped with 20 stuffed animals to the headquarters of Operation Smile in Virginia Beach, VA.

In addition to providing cleft lip and palate repair surgeries to children worldwide, Operation Smile works as a non-governmental organization to reduce the occurrence of cleft lips and palates worldwide; develops ambassadorships to raise awareness of cleft issues; sponsors a world care program for international cases requiring special care; organizes chapters and foundations worldwide to assist countries in reaching self-sufficiency with cleft surgeries; hosts a U.S. care network to assist families in the U.S. with cleft issues; develops and administers worldwide education programs related to cleft issues; and organizes student leadership programs.   For more details, go to https://www.operationsmile.org/

  

February, 2018 Program Speaker: M.J. Ayers

                  Great presentation on the changing styles of women's uniforms over the distinguished career of MJ Ayers in the US Army.

December Activities

We started the holiday season in late November by decorating the Brentwood Country Club, followed by our luncheon on December 5 with vendors for shopping and our special speaker Joan Betros and a fashion show of her Middle East garments modeled by our members and one member's daughter.

Then several of our members made a outing to Cheekwood.

November, 2017 Program Speaker

Secretary of State Tre Hargett was unable to attend our November meeting and sent Mark Goins as a replacement.  Mr Goins heads the State of Tennessee Division of Election as the Coodinator of Elections.

We were delighted to learn about the elections process in Tennessee.

Mark Goins, originally from La Follette, TN, a graduate of Lincoln Memorial University, with his J.D. from Regent University School of Law, and a student of comparative law at Oxford University in England, was appointed by Secretary of State Tre Hargett as the Coordinator of Elections on February 11, 2009.  

 

Mark served on the State Election Commission from March of 2005 to February of 2009.

 

In addition, during the years of 1996 to 2002, Mark held the office of District 34 Representative in the Tennessee House of Representatives.  During his tenure in the legislature, he served on the Elections Sub-Committee and was selected as the 2002 East TN Development District Legislator of the Year.  Mark recently served as Chairman of the Election Assistance Commission Standards Board and was selected by his peers to represent State Election Directors on the Critical Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council.

 

Mark is married to Rebecca, and they have two sons, Brody and Noah.

The Division of Elections is headed by the Coordinator of Elections, Mark Goins, who oversees the election process in the State of Tennessee. The Coordinator of Elections works directly with ninety-five (95) local county election commissions, candidates and the public on election related issues.  The county election commissions are appointed by the State Election Commission.  There are ninety-five (95) county election commission offices throughout the State. 

Division of Elections
Mark Goins, Coordinator of Elections
312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue
Snodgrass Tower, 7th Floor
Nashville, TN 37243
615-741-7956
1-877-850-4959
tennessee.elections@tn.gov

December 5 - Holiday Luncheon Speaker: Joan Betros on "Sharing the World of Sisterhood"

Joan Betros has over 35 years of experience in the media and entertainment field, which has covered every aspect of production. Her medium is Television, Radio, Network News, Live production, Documentaries, and Motion Picture.  Her main areas of expertise are producing and directing family television programming and large, live events.  She has a production/entertainment company (JDB Entertainment, LLC) in Nashville and is currently establishing satellite offices in the Middle East in music, arts, family television programming, and live events with global production.

Mrs. Betros is the Chairman and Founder of FUTURE (Families United Toward Universal Respect), a global, USA based, non-profit that facilitates and organizes international "Sharing the World of Sisterhood" conferences. These conferences promote and educate women on FUTURE's organizational model of volunteerism to create unity of family programs dedicated to the health, education, welfare, and humanitarian aid programs for women and their families nationally and internationally.  She is bringing a "Sharing the World of Sisterhood" conference to Dubai, along with  the East-West Connection - Voices 4 One, a music cultural exchange in October, 2018.

Other experiences in the Middle East include serving as the Director of Women and Children's Family Television programs under the direction of the Coalition Provisional Authority and creating pre-production of indigenous family television programming for the Iraq Media Network.   In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Mrs. Betros was commissioned by the Royal Family and the King Faisal Foundation to produce marketing documentaries.

Knowing how important volunteerism is to the fabric of our society, the Brentwood -Franklin Woman's Service Club is excited to  hear about Mrs. Betros' efforts of promotion in the Middle East and how our area can contribute to her vision of world sisterhood.  

The public is invited to attend:  December 5, 10:30am - 1:30pm.  Cost:  $50   Reservations can be emailed to edkathkc1@att.net

New Members Orientation, Nov. 3

The membership committee members and 4 new members attended an orientation workshop at the Brentwood Library.  We viewed a GFWC video, checked out online resources at the GFWC web-site, GFWC of Tennessee website, and BFWSC website, in addition to discussing club and federation history and structure.

Those who could went to lunch at Amerigo's afterwards...Fun, Friends, and Fellowship!

Fall Donations Trip

Thanks to all who brought donations to our October 3 meeting for The Second Time Around Boutique in Wartburg, TN., operated for the benefit of the Unicorn Fund.  And, thanks to our members who drove the donations to Cookeville and met the Unicorn van.  The proceeds generated from re-sale through the boutique will be used to assist those in need in Morgan and Scott counties.

Volunteer Opportunities

Saturday, Nov 11:  7 - 10am    The events coordinator with Carnton Plantation is wondering if any one would be able to help them out with the water station at their annual 5K 

? They need a couple volunteers to hand out water cups/man the water station and pick up cups/keep event litter-free. All KWB/BFWSC volunteers would be at the 1 water station. Respond to Jennifer via email: jenniferg@williamson-tn.org  

Models for our December 5 luncheon to model Middle Eastern clothing.  The height range required is 5'4" to 5'8".   A fitting and rehearsal is tentatively planned for Nov. 27 @ Brentwood Country Club.

Email Lisa Ward:  lhward928@gmail.com

 Are you a football fan looking for volunteer opportunities? SUPPORT THE TENNESSEE ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL by working a stand at Nissan Stadium during one of the following games:

 

Titans vs. Baltimore Ravens (11/05/17)

Titans vs. Cincinnati Bengals (11/12/17)

Titans vs. Houston Texans (12/03/17)

Titans vs. Los Angeles Rams (12/24/17)

Music City Bowl (12/29/17)

Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (12/31/17)    Details/registration at https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/TennesseeEnvironmentalCouncil/NissanStadium.html

BFWSC Members Volunteer at Williamson County Fair

The Brentwood/Franklin Woman's Service Club had fun at this year's county fair, manning the Keep Williamson Beautiful booth.  Thanks to all who participated and handed out information.

November Guest Speaker: Tre Hargett, Secretary of State, Tennessee

We are pleased to welcome our Secretary of State, Tre Hargett, as our guest speaker at our November 7, 2017, meeting at the Williamson County Library.

Mr. Hargett was elected by the Tennessee General Assembly to serve as Tennessee’s 37th secretary of state in 2009 and re-elected in 2013 and 2017. Secretary Hargett is the chief executive officer of the Department of State with oversight of more than 300 employees. He also serves on 15 boards and commissions, two of which he is the presiding member. The services and oversight found in the Secretary of State's office reach every department and agency in state government.

GFWC and the Brentwood/Franklin Woman's Service Club, as part of our Public Issues Community Service Program seek to

•  Educate club members and local communities on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship
•  Use resources, to increase patriotism, pride in heritage, and active community involvement.
•  Encourage active involvement in the legislation and regulation of issues that affect the world around us.

Our October Program

We are delighted to have Col. John Krenson, Executive Director of Operation Stand Down Tennessee, as our Veterans' program speaker on October 3.

Col. Krenson completed tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and was a project officer at the Joint Forces Headquarters for the Tennessee Army National Guard in Nashville before joining Operation Stand Down within the last year.  He is a 2012 graduate of the prestigious US Army War College where he earned a master's degree in strategic studies and is a permanent deacon at Christ the King parish.

Operation Stand Down Tennessee is the only Veteran Service Center recognized by the US Department of Veterans Affairs.  Serving Veterans is their sole focus with 1) a Veterans Service Center, 2) a transitional Housing program, 3) Stand Down Events, and 4) a thrift store.

The GFWC Brentwood/Franklin Woman's Service Club is a proud supporter of Operation Stand Down.

Flag Presentation

Finding that the Williamson County Library, where we hold most of our monthly meetings, did not have its own American flag, the Brentwood-Franklin Woman’s Service Club set out to provide one.  On September 5 @ 10am a formal presentation was be made in the large meeting room, Williamson County Library, 1314 Columbia Ave., Franklin. 

Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn's office provided the flag and our club, through the networking contacts of our member Colleen Smith, provided the holder.

See Williamson Herald article/image:  http://www.williamsonherald.com/features/w_life/article_43548de8-98de-11e7-89c3-5fb8d5c68ffd.html

Collaboration with Williamson County Arts Council

The GFWC Brentwood/Franklin Woman's Club is pleased to have sponsored  an Arts Council Artist in Residence project at Page High School earlier this year.  Members of the club met Nan Zierden, president of the Arts Council, at Page in August to view the finished mural.

In attendance to view the mural were:  Nancy Deal, BFWSC president, Liz Martin, Pat Grove, Helen Holzen, BFWSC Arts Community Service Area chairman, Nan Zierden, Williamson County Arts Council president, and Gail Miles, BFWCS immediate past president:

Musical Evening at Marilyn's, February 2017

Our wonderful pianist, Marilyn Tolk, entertained us with a story and musical performance in her home.

Veterans' Needs

We support Operation Stand Down TN (OSDTN).  Their on-going needs are listed below.  Members can bring donations to any meeting - next one is Feb 7 at the Williamson County Library.  Members of the public can contact us at email address:  brentwoodwomansclub@gmail.com

Help us help Veterans in our Community!

OSDTN currently needs:

Travel Size Hygiene Items: toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo and conditioner, shaving cream, sun screen, bug sprayMen’s Underwear: Medium, Large, X-Large, 2XLMen’s T-Shirts: All Sizes
Men’s Jeans: All Sizes
Casual Shoes: All Sizes
Cases of Bottled Water
Coffee, Creamer, and Granulated Sugar
Knit Caps
Gloves
CoatsSocksRain Ponchos

Regular Needs

• 1G Thumb Drives
• 4 lb., 5 lb. or 10 lb. bags of granulated sugar
• Coffee
• New men’s and women’s underwear
• New men’s white underclothes style t-shirts
• New or used sweatshirts
• New or used men’s and women’s jeans
• New or used men’s and women’s coats
• Backpacks for Veterans in Need
  • Items to include: wet wipes, tissues, dental floss, toothbrush, toothpaste, toothbrush holder, deodorant, lotion, body wash, shampoo, conditioner, hats, gloves, note pad, pen, comb, brush, rain ponchos, small food items – crackers, small pop-type canned food like beanie weenie, hard candy, granola bars, etc. 

Advocacy for Children in 2016

 Our Club supported the Davis House with a donation and a brief promotion of the charity at our December Holiday luncheon attended not only by our members but the members of the public.  The Davis House serves the 21st Judicial District of Middle Tennessee including Williamson, Hickman, Lewis and Perry Counties, coordinating services to abused children and their families in crisis. Their multi-faceted approach supports law enforcement efforts and provides community education focused on prevention and early intervention. As a 501c3 not-for-profit charity, all of their services are provided at no cost to families. The Davis House is a nationally accredited advocacy.

We have been long-term, monetary supporters of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) whose mission is to advocate for the best interest of abused and neglected children.  Their vision is that every child be in a safe and permanent home.

       And, members made direct monetary donations to GFWC Partner, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. 

           

       

                             

GFWC Signature Project - 2016 Accomplishments

Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention is the signature project of the General Federation of Women's Clubs International.  The Brentwood Woman's Club supports this project by increasing awareness of the fact that Williamson County, TN., is not void of domestic violence.

We annually adopt at least one family through BRIDGES http://www.bridgesdvc.org/

In 2016 we adopted 2 families and provided Christmas gifts based on their wish list.  We presented the gifts to BRIDGES "Christmas elf" at our December luncheon and heard an update on the domestic violence statistics for 2016.

We were in touch with both BRIDGES and Morning Star Sanctuary, providing them with info on the $1000 Purple Education & Job Grant we had available.

2016 Accomplishments in International Outreach

Our GFWC Partner for International Outreach is Operation Smile http://www.operationsmile.org/vision/our-story 

Operation Smile was founded in 1982 when Dr. William (Bill) P. Magee, Jr., a plastic surgeon, and his wife, Kathleen (Kathy), a nurse and clinical social worker, traveled to the Philippines with a group of medical volunteers to repair children's cleft lips and cleft palates.

What they found was overwhelming. "People pushed their babies at us." recalls Kathy. "They tugged at our sleeves with tears in their eyes and begged us to help their children." In Naga City, approximately 300 families arrived hoping their children would receive surgery, but the team could only treat 40 children. As they prepared to leave, the Magees made a promise they would return to help more children.

They began soliciting donations of surgical equipment and supplies from manufacturers, threw themselves into grassroots fundraising and assembled a volunteer team of 18 doctors, nurses and technicians for their own medical mission to the Philippines.  They helped approximately 100 more patients, but again, hundreds still waited.

They saw the need and Operation Smile was born.

For the last several years our club has collaborated with volunteers from the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-day Saints to sew "smile" dolls, surgery gowns, armbands, no-sew blankets.  In 2016 together we completed 40 dolls, 70 gowns, 90 armbands, 15 blankets, and 3 quilts that we shipped with 47 toys to Operation Smile headquarters and donated funds for 2 surgeries.

On January 20, 2017, we held our 2017 Operation Smile Day and will be reporting its results soon.