IN THE NEWS

Fort Collins Coloradoan, December 23, 2009

Business Women Network of Fort Collins, or BWNFC, donated $1,124 to local Project Self-Sufficiency to help single parents pursue education and career opportunities. BWNFC is a monthly networking group for women professionals in Fort Collins. For information, visit www.bwnfc.org.

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While our focus at BWNFC is to provide a variety of ways for our members to network and build professional relationships that will benefit everyone involved, we love and care for our community. As active citizens in Northern Colorado, we are eager to help non-profit organizations.

• 2009
  Project Self-Sufficiency
  Since 1986, Project Self-Sufficiency (PS-S) has been assisting low-income single parents in Larimer County in their efforts to achieve economic independence, and become free from community and government assistance. PS-S takes a holistic approach to services that includes building and maintaining strong and healthy families.
  http://www.ps-s.org/
  
   

• 2008
  SAVA Center
  A representative from the SAVA Center will present at the May 2008 meeting. We will make a monetary donation at the end of the year. One of our quarterly social events will be volunteering for them. To learn more about SAVA and how you can help visit www.SAVAcenter.org.
  Note: The SAVA Center is currently seeking an Executive Director [details]

  Be the Change - SAVA's Story of Hope
  The SAVA Center is the local rape crisis center serving Larimer County. Be the Change offers you the chance to spend an hour touring our office, meeting our staff, and hearing about how we are making a difference in our community.
   

• April - June, 2008
  Afghan Sewing Project
  Fort Collins resident, Margret Stockton, has started a sewing project as part of a self sufficiency program for Afghan women. Margaret was present at our April 2008 meeting and sold $415 worth of goods hand made by the Afghan women. To put that into perspective, it provides 8 families with food for a month! Please remember that Margaret would love to know of more venues to sell her products and she always has items available. Contact Margaret at: 482-3727 or mjrsfc@comcast.net or visit www.afghanrelief.org.
   

• July - September, 2008
  Project Smile
  Project Smile provides a chance for area businesses, churches, service organizations, groups and individuals to sponsor a child in serious need of dental care. The first year of our program is a pilot built around one of our most "at risk" schools, Irish Elementary. It is the initial goal of the program to sponsor the 100 most "at risk" Irish Elementary children who have had from little or no dental care.
  
  Project Smile is a fantastic opportunity for the community to help remove a major impediment to learning in our schools. And perhaps even more important, it's an opportunity to literally change the life of a small child.
  
  Project Smile is a community dental program developed by the North Fort Collins Business Association in partnership with other Fort Collins area businesses, Irish Elementary School, PSD Partnership Center, the Health District of Northern Larimer County, area dentists and the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado. The program provides an opportunity for area businesses, organizations and individuals to sponsor children in serious need of dental care.
  
  The Realities For Children organization, serves as the "connecting point" for the community to contact for further information about the Project Smile program. They are happy to answer any questions you may have or provide literature to better help clarify this exciting opportunity for the youth in need.

  To learn more, visit http://www.realitiesforchildren.com/projectsmile/ to watch an inspirational video.