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Shown Back to Front: Brenda Calahan, Kristy Cusher, Nina Fereday, Vicky Cherry, Penny Spillman, Tonya Ettner, Angie Sellmeyer, Audrine Randolph, Megan Ciolli, Mary Burris, and Cyndi Henrichs. Photo by Don Jones.
Story by Angie Sellmeyer, GFWC-OK McAlester Fortnightly Historian
McAlester Fortnightly Club, volunteer organization Federated in 1904 within the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, participated in the GFWC National Day of Service to “STEP UP TO END HUNGER DAY OF SERVICE” for Pittsburg County, in the State of Oklahoma. This project happens when all of GFWC comes together in service to highlight and raise awareness about food insecurity and take action to battle food insecurity. Fortnightly volunteers chose to provide non-perishable food items, along with a monetary donation from the Casual Gourmet Department, to children with an insecure home life by donating to the Youth Emergency Shelter (YES) of Pittsburg County, Oklahoma. This donation totaling a value of over three hundred dollars exemplifies the generosity of the McAlester Fortnightly Clubwomen.
Kristy Cusher, YES Assistant Director, provided statistics of: During fiscal year 2023-2024, YES served forty-one clients within the emergency shelter program. The average length of stay was 43.80 days. Of the forty-one clients ranging from four years of age to seventeen years, twenty-four were in DHS custody and seventeen were community children. YES also provided over 9,000 hours of counseling services to these clients.
Cusher thanked the Fortnightly Clubwomen and said, “On behalf of all the children we have served, I am grateful to have witnessed GFWC McAlester Fortnightly donations and service projects to YES for the past twenty-two years. We could not perform all we do without your assistance.”
The General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) is a 133 year old international federation of women’s clubs with more than 60,000 members and is dedicated to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service and is located at 1734 N Street NW, Washington, DC. Local Club, McAlester Fortnightly, has contributed service to our community for 120 years. Fortnightly Board officers are: Brenda Calahan, President; Paula McGee, Vice President; Tonya Ettner, Treasurer; June Doyle, Secretary. Residents interested in providing community service may contact Brenda Calahan at 918-916-0947 for further information regarding Fortnightly’s programs or view GFWC.org online.