LUDLOW, Vt. – The General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) Okemo Valley Women’s Club (OVWC) met on Monday, Oct. 13. Twenty-four women gathered at Create Together at Fletcher Farm to learn about the facility, its programs, mission, and history, and to create a craft project. Create Together is a volunteer organization committed to making creative tools and instruction available to everyone in the Okemo Valley area. Formerly Fletcher Farm School for the Arts and Crafts, the facility has been transformed into a year-round community creative space with fully equipped studios and offerings that work with people’s interests and busy schedules. Whether you are looking to expand your personal hobbies, or are interested in growing your profession in Vermont’s creative economy, there is something for you at Create Together.
Create Together’s mission is to provide an inclusive environment where individuals can learn, create, and thrive together. Founded in 1947 as Fletcher Farm School for the Arts & Crafts, art education has been offered here in the Okemo Valley for more than 75 years. Local and visiting artists instruct students in various disciplines, and beginner-level workshops offer in introduction to the program areas, while more advanced classes encourage skill building and harness talent. There are studios for sewing, quilting and weaving, creative metalworking, pottery, paint and mixed media, jewelry and stained-glass studios, and a multitude of workshops available. Visit info@createtogethervt.org for more information. Executive director Kathryn Svec introduced the club to the painting and mixed media studio, where volunteer Claudia and artist Tracy guided the women through a mixed media/painting project creating postcards. It was informative, adventurous, and fun to discover how creative one can be when given the opportunity and the tools.
The club also held a business meeting in the artistic space to review past and present projects and events. Most recently, OVWC participated in the GFWC International Day of Service. The General Federation of Women’s Clubs is united in its dedication to volunteer community service. The GFWC International Day of Service (IDS) spotlights an area of need in communities across the nation and around the world to bring about positive change. This year’s International Day of Service was held Saturday, Sept. 27, to focus on bringing awareness to and helping to end domestic violence and sexual abuse. The Okemo Valley club held drives at Shaw’s supermarkets in Ludlow and Springfield, to collect essential items to donate to NewStory Center in Rutland, and the Women’s Freedom Center in Brattleboro and Springfield. Both of these facilitles have been assisting victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse for years. Thanks to the generosity of our local communities, OVWC collected and was able to donate 738 essential items, such as body wash, shampoo, conditioner, hand sanitizer, and deodorant, along with 22 food, grocery, or gasoline gift cards to NewStory and Women’s Freedom Centers.
The club collected 59 bars of bath soap at the meeting, to donate to Black River Good Neighbor Services at Monday’s meeting. Upcoming events include the start of the annual Tree of Remembrance fundraising drive, which highlights two lit trees in our area: one at Veterans Park in Ludlow, and one at Svec Green in Proctorsville. These trees symbolize the light of the holiday season, with focus on remembering and honoring loved ones by donations to benefit the club’s many community projects. The trees will be lit following Thanksgiving, with more information to come in November. In December, the club will again hold a Christmas project to benefit local families in need during the holiday season.
OVWC held the fall state GFWC meeting on Saturday, Oct. 18.
GFWC is the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, an international women’s organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service. The next meeting of the GFWC Okemo Valley Women’s Club will be held Monday, Nov. 10, at the Black River Valley Senior Center in Ludlow. Anyone wishing to attend may contact President Sally Scarp at 407-242-0901, or Membership Chair Cynthia Mischel at cmischel86@gmail.com.