Moooooooooove That Cow!
The GFWC Gulf Coast Woman’s Club has been a long time supporter of Heifer International. It seeks to penetrate the dark cloud of poverty which pours down hunger, disease, illiteracy, and a myriad of other conditions which are the storms brewed by the powerlessness of people without resources for self sufficiency. Heifer International is an organization dedicated to empowering women through economic development. The cause has been taken up and successfully implemented in places with names spanning the alphabet from Albania to Zanzibar. Trained facilitators are sent worldwide to educate participants in the care, production, and sharing of the resources which are brought to them. These resources are carefully selected for the area’s environment and needs; while a camel might be the greatest asset for one village, chickens or goats may best serve the needs of another. Plants and animals and their products become enabling resources and an escape from the scourge of environmental degradation and, often, death. Having a special fund raising project for Heifer International came naturally as we sought a way to honor Judy Houser, a charter member of our club and International Affairs Department, who passed away this year.
Our department, consisting of twenty-five members, voted to implement a project with the goal of collecting five thousand dollars, which would be enough to purchase an entire ark for Heifer International. A community volunteer cut and department members painted three life size, wooden cows which would be placed in yards of businesses and private homes. Before we could set out on the trail, two cows wandered in from another ranch and joined our three. Our five heifers were accompanied with fliers and brochures which explained our project goals and introduced the International Affairs Department, GFWC Gulf Coast Woman’s Club, and Heifer International. Large, easy to read signs, which were made by another club member, were placed next to the grazing cows. Instructions asked for a twenty-five dollar donation to moooove the cow to another location of choice.
To initiate the club to the plan, The International Affairs Department had a kickoff dinner, complete with barnyard animal hats and balloons. Members prepared and served a Mexican dinner and then explained our goal to collect five thousand dollars. This dinner generated five hundred twenty-three dollars and sixty-four cents, which was dedicated to Heifer International. This project was introduced to the community on television and in the newspaper. All of the local veterinarians received a letter outlining our plans for the project; many provided pasture for the cows and made generous donations. Our cows have grazed along our busiest streets in Panama City where many local businesses allowed us to decorate their landscape, and then subsequently gave some green to the cause. Numerous private homes were on the route of the cattle drive and became publicity for GFWC Gulf Coast Woman’s Club and Heifer International while Daisy, Bessie, Flossie, Bossie, or LuLu relaxed on the lawns. As the Cow Ladies roped and wrangled cows from no less than one hundred and forty-one pastures, the entire community was educated about the International Affairs Department and the GFWC Gulf Coast Woman’s Club.
Mooooving cows wasn’t all there was to this effort. In addition to putting cows out to pasture, we also sponsored a card party including a brunch to raise money for this and other department projects. Also, decorated cans were placed in businesses for donation collections. A special contribution of one thousand six hundred sixty-five dollars was made to this project from the Judy Houser Memorial Fund, which was established shortly after her death. Judy’s husband, knowing his wife’s belief in and support of Heifer International, requested that the Board of the GFWC Gulf Coast Woman’s Club apply her memorial funds to this project. As the sun set on our roundup, lariats and hats were hung on hooks. After the bills were paid, the money was counted; the herd and the ranch hands had raised seven thousand three hundred dollars so that an ark of animals could be sent around the world to replace dark clouds of poverty with the promise of rainbows and economic opportunity. Our bunch of cowpokes is proud to launch this ark for its voyage around the world.
{extended}
Comments (0) •
Permalink
