The smell of homemade cookies drifted across Gardner City Hall, along with a soft, holiday glow from the strings of lights decorating the trees standing in the corner. Gift bags waited underneath, and nearly a hundred women filled the room with warm laughter. On a cold Wednesday night in November, this group gathered with a greater mission in mind. 

People can see this mission through the hundreds of toys being donated, the strong voices of people taking action, and through the generosity emanating from the women sitting at the scattered tables.

Gallery • 8 Photos

Reagan Bouchard

The group socializes before the meeting begins.

Among the crowd, four leaders, Lynn Cormier-Sayarath, Tracy Hutchinson, Theresa Thompson, and Shannon Ouellette, are focused on improving the greater Gardner area. While all have the same giving spirit, each of them offers a different skill and puts it towards the planning of meetings, coordinating presenters, managing donations, and keeping the momentum alive. 

Ouellette, a key player in the group’s financial side, describes The Circle in a single sentence: “The Women’s Circle of Giving is a lively group of thoughtful women who gather quarterly to learn about local non-profits and the impact each organization is having on our community.”

Each meeting features two non-profit representatives within local communities explaining their mission. After hearing from both, members cast their votes, and the organization with the majority receives the largest share of contributions. Every woman in The Circle donates a minimum of $50, resulting in an average of about $10,000 per meeting, with 80% going to the winner and 20% to the runner-up. No matter what the outcome brings, each organization will benefit. 

The impact created goes beyond the money, joining together an influential group, encouraging other women to make positive changes to the best of their ability. “Women have a unique way of coming together to support each other…” Ouellette said, demonstrating the strengths of an all-women party.

“We are women, we are naturally caregivers,” Cormier-Sayarath stated at the beginning of the night with an uplifting speech. Combining their skills, this leadership team and their fellow members empower hundreds of women, further nurturing resilience and compassion. 

Several members are also business owners, providing numerous opportunities for networking, promoting, and recruiting. Anyone would be lucky to be a part of this group, not only because of the differences they make, but also the camaraderie and support gained from this unique environment. 

One of the most memorable parts of each meeting is the winner from the previous vote returning and sharing what they have done with their profits. Typically, all contributions are put to use in specific projects, producing a direct, visible impact.

For this meeting, The United Arc, aiming to support developmentally disabled individuals and their families in building inclusive lives, making their own choices, and achieving greater independence, sent their representative Stevie Cormier to the stand. She explained the many dynamics of their group, ranging from community support programs, family & youth services, a self-advocacy club, and even a grandparent & kinship care support group. 

The next organization, CASA (Worcester County), was created to advocate for foster children in the court system, assisting the judge in learning about the children’s home life and parental figures, and recommending any mental health, medical, and educational services that the child might need while in foster care. The advocates continue to monitor the well-being of each child to help ensure a smooth and safe process into a permanent home. 

“No matter where the kids are coming from or placed, we are supporting them,” Julie Bowditch said. Representing CASA, Bowditch is a proud believer in just showing up and leading with your heart. With these ideas, she won the majority of votes and took back a large sum of $9,775 to help with her cause. 

Not only do these organizations get the opportunity to gain the votes from the women’s group, but they also gain the ability to network. “We are a hub for connections, we help match resources, and make introductions,” Ouellette said. Having an environment where organizations can collaborate and contribute to a lasting impact is one of Ouellette’s favorite aspects of The Circle.

The Circle’s leadership understands the number of vulnerable populations at the moment, especially with recent funding cuts, and is always looking for new nominees. An organization’s reach can stretch to any of the following towns to be considered: Gardner, Templeton, Phillipston, Winchendon, Ashburnham, Westminster, Athol, Barre, Petersham, Royalston, and Hubbardston. As always, their nominations reflect the current needs of the community and can range to any issue. 

As of 2020, the group had donated $145,000, but along with many other programs, COVID‒19 shut it down. It was an unfortunate time for the survival of the group because the shutdown aligned with the retirement of the founders and many other original members. The odds were not in their favor as the future of the group looked unknown.

However, in the summer of 2022, a working group was created to discuss the relaunch of The Circle. The founding members supported the new generation of leaders who took the responsibility of moving forward. 

Meetings began in the fall of that year, bringing the enthusiasm needed for a jumpstart. New features were added under this leadership team, such as electronic payments, a greater emphasis on donation drives at each meeting, and adding a mentor meeting where members invited other young women to learn about The Circle. 

Although the relaunch consisted of many challenges, and it took some time for the group to grow into what it is today, the persistence of these women brought the spirit back even stronger than it was before. They continue to recruit new members and honor the older ones with every passing meeting. 

Despite these challenges, the Women’s Circle has raised over $285,000 since its establishment in 2014, along with several other goods drives with donations consisting of anything between diapers, food, toys, household items, and hygiene products. During this particular meeting, they collected over 350 toys and over $2,500 in gift cards. It is incredibly inspiring to see the change these women are pursuing to improve their local communities to the best they can be. 

“I hope the Circle continues to grow ‒ in membership size, financial impact, joy, and pride from continuing to support the community,” Ouellette said. Demonstrated by the Greater Gardner Women’s Circle of Giving, meaningful change doesn’t need to be on a national level and can begin on a local one. Towns can offer help to bordering towns, neighbors to neighbors, and individuals to individuals. 

So, on that cold November night, there were cookies and lights, but there were also many women choosing to do better. By doing so, that choice has created a ripple effect that many can benefit from for years to come. They are a reminder that anybody can do the same by simply being generous. If you have the chance, attend that meeting, help out that neighbor, and try to do something that benefits any aspect of the community, no matter how small.

Additional resources if you are interested in the group: 

WCOG Membership Application

WCOG Non-profit Nomination Form

Online Square Payment Donation Link