DFW Admin's blog

Wine, women and song. It’s hard to beat that combination!  On Sunday, January 23, more than 70 members of Portland-Vancouver area Dining for Women Chapters and their guests came together for a lovely late afternoon soiree with sweet and savory hors d’oeuvres, libations and the delightful musical duo of Cynthia Hoff, a DFW member, guitarist and singer, and Megan Moran, a talented violinist with the gift of improvisation. The event was held in the very comfortable coffee house in Portland’s historic Mt. Tabor Presbyterian Church.

Hyatt Regency Chicago is teaming with Dining for Women, to raise awareness and support for women and girls’ causes in the developing world, beginning with an Oct. 28 pumpkin-carving contest.

The following book review was written and provided by Elizabeth Howard.

Leymah Gbowee, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Tawakkul Karman were jointly awarded the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize for their peacebuilding efforts in Liberia and Yemen. The celebration of these remarkable women will shed light on the transformative power of women in the processes of peace and democracy.

The following guest post is from Holly Mosher, a documentary filmmaker.

Elizabeth Howard, Dining for Women Board member, attended the launch of Women, War & Peace at the Ford Foundation in New York last evening. The documentary, created by Abigail E. Disney, Pamela Hogan and Gini Reticker will air as a five-part series on PBS channels beginning on October 11. The screening was of the last episode of the five part series, entitled “War Redefined.”

by Carolyn Mayers

Somalia is experiencing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Famine is rampant. Millions of people in that country, located in the horn of Africa, are on the brink of starvation. The UN estimates 29,000 children under the age of five have died in southern Somalia and 3.7 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across the country. Thousands have fled to Kenya and Ethiopia for help. There are heroes in Somalia who are working tirelessly in perilous situations to ease the suffering there.One such hero is Hawa Abdi, a Somali obstetrician and gynecologist who in 1983 established a one-room clinic near Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu.

Blogger Carol Doane  joined DFW's  Vancouver, Washington Chapter and posted a summary of the July dinner, which raised $880. Forty people attended. "It was a wonderful evening, with lots of new women," Vancouver, WA-1 Chapter Leader Katlin Smith said.  

A local NBC New Channel filmed Jean Moore's Ahwautkee, AZ Chapter in May.

Click here to watch the news video, "Dining for Women: Meet a local group of women raising money for women and children who are less fortunate."

A visit in April from Lotus Outreach Executive Director Erika Keaveney breaks attendance and fundraising records

by Carolyn Mayers, chapter leader for Dining for Women Onancock, Virginia

A participant in the DFW Travel Program to Peru, May 31-June 9, shares the highlights of the trip.
by Taryn Walker

Click here to read the complete post.

The Abington, PA chapter's June meeting welcomed special guest Betsy Teutsch, a board member from Shining Hope for Communities, DFW's featured program for June. Abington, PA Chapter Leaders are Mary Liz Jones and Debbie Britt.

Read the Shining Hope blog for more information.