GFWC-Charlotte Mission

The objective of GFWC-Charlotte shall be to promote growth and general advancement of women by providing programs pertaining to literature, science, art, and public interest, and to promote lines of public welfare in the community of Charlotte, as well as at district, state, national and international levels.

Upcoming Events

Beautification

Spring Planting - Saturday, May 23rd - 9 a.m.

Preparing the Downtown Planters. Meet by the Crosswalk Teen Center - We will be filling urns with soil and then planting flowers all the same day. Bring wheelbarrows, tools, gloves, 5-gallon buckets and some gallon jugs of water. If you could bring more than one, that would be great! Please contact Sherry Pabst if you can help. sherrypabst@yahoo.com

Mini Trip

May 17 - GFWC Mini-trip - 3 p.m.

What: Mason Symphony Orchestra and our own Donna Leahy is one of the musicians.
When: Sunday, May 17, 3:00 p.m.
Where: McDonald Middle School, 1601 Burcham Dr., East Lansing
Who: You are invited and are welcome to bring a friend or spouse, too.
Dinner: After the concert, any and all of the GFWC members present will meet together in the lobby and then proceed to go out to dinner together. (Location to be determined.)
RSVP: none required; just show up and enjoy the music and then the company afterward at dinner

Tea and Tomes Book Group

May 19, 2026. The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter by Margareta Magnusson.

In Sweden there is a kind of decluttering called döstädning, dö meaning “death” and städning meaning “cleaning.” This surprising and invigorating process of clearing out unnecessary belongings can be undertaken at any age or life stage but should be done sooner than later, before others have to do it for you. In The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, artist Margareta Magnusson, with Scandinavian humor and wisdom, instructs readers to embrace minimalism. Her radical and joyous method for putting things in order helps families broach sensitive conversations, and makes the process uplifting rather than overwhelming.

Margareta suggests which possessions you can easily get rid of (unworn clothes, unwanted presents, more plates than you’d ever use) and which you might want to keep (photographs, love letters, a few of your children’s art projects). Digging into her late husband’s tool shed, and her own secret drawer of vices, Margareta introduces an element of fun to a potentially daunting task. Along the way readers get a glimpse into her life in Sweden, and also become more comfortable with the idea of letting go.

Recent Events

Mini Trip

March 12, 2026 was Guest Night. A group of members had a wonderful laugh-filled time watching the play bye the actors of the t the Great Escape Stage Company (https://www.greatescapestagecompany.com) watching The Foreigner.

Guest Night

February 13, 2026 was Guest Night. It was a fun-filled evening of a walk back to the 1960s/1970s! Music was provided by the Don Sovey Rat Pack Band as we took in the era of peace, love and brotherhood. Members and our guests had a great time dancing to music from different eras. Costumes brought back memories of those years. The costume winners were our temporary lower children. Everyone had so much fun.

Costume winners Organizers

Sisters having great fun Joy riding

2025 Was An Amazing Year!

Christmas Tea - December 5,2025

The Christmas Tea is an annual celebration to honor Past Presidents and welcome new members. Our choir, the only GFWC club in the Michigan to have a choir, performed under the direction of Val Reisen. Past presidents were recognized. Sarah Biskie and Mary Remenak were honored for being members for 25 years. Pat Campion was awarded the Woman of Achievement Award in recognition of her many contributions to GFWC Charlotte and to the entire community. The speaker, Inna Phelps, traditions from around the world.

GFWC-Charlotte Past Presidents recognized at the 2025 Christmas Tea

Back Row: Julie Dartt, Pat Campion, Sylvia Colles, Nola buck, Chris Waugh-Fleischmann, Lori Pray,

Front Row: Fran Fuller, Mary Remenak, Sara Biskie, Sandy Maatsch, Linda Foster, Lee Falik

25-year members Mary Remenak and Sara Biskie Pat Campion receiving Woman of the Year Award from President Sherry Myers

2025 SIREN Tea

The SIREN Tea is a major event each year for GFWC-Charlotte. The tables are beautifully decorated by those who attend and judges decide the winning tables in a variety of categories. The Overall Winner is based on the donations to the tables by those attending the tea. A silent auction and raffle prizes also help the club raise funds for SIREN. In 2025, the entertainment was provided by Don Sovey who played tunes that had the whole room rocking to "oldies" and sentimental favorites. This is a major fundraising event for GFWC-Charlotte. The proceeds are shared with half supporting SIREN Eaton Shelter and the other half supporting GFWC-Charlotte programs.

Siren Tea Chair, Dianne Barmes presents a check for $6,195 to Kaitllyn

Fales, Executive Director of SIREN

International Day of Service - September 7, 2025

GFWC-Charlotte selected Domestic Violence as the focus of their project for the International Day of Service. The group collected personal care items and came to SIREN/Eaton Shelter to pack care packages for our survivors.

SIREN/Eaton Shelter is a homeless and domestic violence shelter that serves Eaton County. Siren is unique as it is one of the last shelters to offer both homeless and domestic violence services within the same organization. Siren, founded in the 1990’s offers emergency shelter, transitional housing, rental assistance programs, and non-residential services for the community such as food pantry, clothing closet, and personal needs.

Charlotte Forest Garden Planting - April 17, 2025

The Charlotte Forest Garden is a community-driven project focused on building a multiple acre park that educates the public on conservation-minded farming, creates wildlife habitat, and provides free and healthy food for the community. The Charlotte Forest Garden is located within CARC Park at 1502 Combsdale Dr, Charlotte, MI 48813. To learn more or to get involved, visit https://eatoncd.org/charlotte-forest-garden.