Helping Hands Initiatives Make an Impact
By Karen Kroll
During Helping Hands month, Women’s Council networks across the country made meaningful contributions to their communities and strengthened connections with colleagues. Along the way, their members also had a great deal of fun.
Junior Achievement
Members of the Women’s Council of REALTORS® Richmond Network (VA) supported a local Junior Achievement program. Approximately 70 high school students participated in a simulation designed to teach them about personal financial management, says Paula Lisa Dawson, Network President. Students were given a hypothetical profile—say, they’re twenty-one and working as a chef—and then had to develop a budget and career goals. “We helped them think through the scenarios,” Dawson says. For instance, if they couldn’t afford car payments, they might need to consider whether public transportation was an option.
Later in the day, the students were given profiles in which they were 31, or ten years older. Perhaps they’d been promoted or are married and need to budget for a family. “They had to readjust their budgets based on their new persona,” Dawson says. The volunteers again helped the students think through their options.
All the exercises showed the students how decisions they might make now could affect them later. The students were engaged and asked interesting questions, Dawson says.
Along with the Junior Achievement event, network members continued their monthly program of filling thousands of bags with food. These are provided to local students who might otherwise go hungry, Dawson says.
Habitat for Humanity
By partnering with Habitat for Humanity through the “Women Who Build” day, the Women’s Council Eastern Connecticut Network directly helped a local family in need, says Meghan Meyerhoff, Network President. The project was also a great opportunity for Council members to bond, she says.
Because the home on which members worked was near completion, they focused on painting the inside. Many people underestimate the power of their time and efforts, Meyerhoff says. Painting walls might not seem like it would make a difference, but the work is helping a family begin their homeownership journey. “They will have a fresh, blank slate to create as their own,” she says.
Backpack Buddies and Fostering Hope
Women’s Council of REALTORS® Grand Strand (SC) is just four years old, but so committed to volunteering that its board added a Community Outreach and Engagement Director. She helps organize service projects at least once a quarter, says President Jackie Edwards.
Late in February, the network partnered with Fostering Hope, which assists children in foster care. (Women’s Council couldn’t get on the organization’s schedule during March.) Members helped sort clothing and hygiene items going to kids in need.
During Helping Hands month, the network partnered with Backpack Buddies to collect and organize food items to fill backpacks that local kids could take home on the weekends. About twenty percent of students in Horry County are at the poverty level, including about 600 children who are unhoused, Edwards says. For many, the only meals they get are at school. The volunteer work “is extremely, extremely rewarding,” she says.
Dress Your Dream
The brand new Women’s Council Greater Puerto Rico Network joined the “Dress Your Dream 2026” campaign, says Katherine Figueroa, President. From its members, the network collected 280 lightly-used formal dresses, which were organized by size, color, and style. Young women could select, at no cost, a dress for their prom, Sweet 16 celebration, or high school graduation. The network also provided dresses for the girls’ mothers.
“In our culture, celebrating academic achievement matters deeply. These young women earned their moment, many with high honors and college opportunities,” Figueroa says.
At the same time, many of their families face financial challenges. Women’s Council Greater Puerto Rico helped them celebrate their milestones with confidence and dignity.
The campaign was about more than dresses, Figueroa says. “It was about recognizing achievement, supporting families, and creating opportunities for young women to celebrate their success with pride.” It also reinforced the role of REALTORS® as committed leaders in their communities, she says.
Food Bank, Orphan Relief, and Beach Sweep
Members of Women’s Council Coastal South Carolina and its strategic partners helped three organizations during Helping Hands month, says Janie Pugh, President. Working with Lowcountry Food Bank, Council members sorted and bagged large bins of sweet potatoes to help feed families in need. For Lowcountry Orphan Relief, other members unloaded donations, sorted clothing, and assembled care packages for children. Members at the Folly Beach Sweep helped to clean and preserve the South Carolina coastline.
The network wanted to create an initiative that went beyond a single effort and that allowed members to show up in different ways, meet different needs, and truly be the hands and feet of service across the region, Pugh says. The volunteer efforts also align with the network’s leadership philosophy of “small actions, multiplied, create a powerful ripple effect,” she says. “Leadership isn’t just what we do in a boardroom; it’s how we show up for others.”
Keys to Success:
A few steps can help to make a volunteer event more impactful:
Organize and communicate clearly. Make it easy for members to plug in and participate, Pugh says.
Assign a point person and/or committee. She can research potential volunteer opportunities and bring them to the board, Edwards says. The preparation helps events work smoothly.
Show commitment from the top. With any event, board members should be the first people to register, Dawson says. Members follow the leaders, and their participation shows that an event is important, she adds.
Make it fun. A volunteer event doesn’t have to be overly complicated, Dawson says. Even something as simple as filling bags with snacks can be fun and help the community.
Identify a real and relatable community need. Creating a clear and compelling call to action that resonates with members and addresses a real community need are critical actions for success, Figueroa says.
Have heart. “When people show up with the right intention, everything else falls into place,” Pugh says.
A special thank you to our Network leaders who shared their Helping Hands Week stories!
Paula Lisa Dawson: President, Women’s Council of REALTORS® Richmond
Jackie Edwards: President, Women’s Council of REALTORS® Grand Strand
Katherine Figueroa: President, Women’s Council of REALTORS® Greater Puerto Rico
Meghan Meyerhoff: President, Women’s Council of REALTORS® Eastern Connecticut
Janie Pugh: President, Women’s Council of REALTORS® Coastal SC