March 2024 News Brief
happy new year!!
Hospice & Palliative Care of the Wood River Valley: SPOTLIGHT ON COMPASSIONATE CARE
In the serene landscapes of the Wood River Valley, the Hospice & Palliative Care organization stands as a beacon of comfort and dignity, providing end-of-life care and support during sudden losses. Since its inception, this vital service has been dedicated to ensuring that every individual and family facing the profound journey of life’s final stages or unexpected grief is met with empathy, respect, and professional care.
EMBRACING CHALLENGES WITH COMPASSION AND RESILIENCE
The challenges faced by the organization, from staffing shortages to infrastructure repairs, are met with a spirit of determination and hope. Each obstacle is an opportunity to reaffirm the commitment to the mission of providing dignified, compassionate end-of-life care. The resilience of the team, coupled with the unwavering support of the community and partners like the Wood River Women’s Foundation, fuels the organization’s journey forward.
The generosity of the Wood River Women’s Foundation and the community has been instrumental in advancing the organization’s mission. This support has not only sustained but also empowered the team to navigate the complexities of end-of-life care, including the recent undertaking of an EMR conversion and the essential upgrades to the organization’s home base, ensuring a safe environment for both the dedicated staff and the families they serve.
DEEPENING COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Through direct interactions with healthcare professionals, outreach to families, and the incredible support of over 60 active volunteers, Hospice & Palliative Care continues to weave a fabric of care and support that envelops those in need. The forthcoming year will also see an emphasis on leveraging technology to enhance communication and outreach, further embedding the organization within the heart of the community it serves
TOGETHER, WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Hospice & Palliative Care of the Wood River Valley extends a heartfelt invitation to the community to join in supporting this vital mission. Join us in making a meaningful impact in the lives of those facing life’s final chapter. Whether through volunteering, financial contributions, or simply raising awareness about the importance of hospice care, every action contributes to a larger movement of compassion and dignity. Together, we can ensure that every individual’s final journey is met with the utmost care and respect.
Members in the News
committee corner
Grants Presentation Day is Here!
March 20, Noon – 4pm Mountain Time, Via Zoom
As of Wednesday the 13th, the Grants teams have completed their application reviews, site visits, presentations and recommendations and provided us with a final slate of applicants – now it’s our full membership’s turn to vote!
Wednesday, March 20th, is the day we look forward to in our annual grant-making cycle. This year, WRWF will invite 27 nonprofits to present their request for funding from our 2024 Pooled Fund. Following the meeting, all members with active accounts will be sent an email with information including ballot summaries, a link to the Zoom recording, and instructions for voting. This is our mission moment!
WRWF’s grant-making is central to our purpose and we can only do this work with the generous gifts of time and treasure from our members. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this year’s Pooled Fund. And extra gratitude to all of those who made an additional contribution to the match invitation which boosted the Fund by $108,000! With a record fund size of $400,000, we will be able to fund several more of the nonprofits that are looking for our help this year. Every one of the grantees will appreciate your support!
The members of the grants review teams were listed in January’s News Brief however, given their diligent work and the important role they play in delivering the WRWF mission, let’s give them another shout-out! Congratulations on a job well done ladies – we all appreciate your investment of time, commitment and focus to bring forward an excellent slate of applications!
Event Recap
Apres Ski Member Appreciation
On February 16th, 2024, the Sun Valley Culinary Institute hosted the “Après Ski Member Appreciation Event,” under the leadership of President Sandy McCullough. The event spotlighted Aaron Bronson, Executive Director at The Space Idaho, who illuminated The Space’s mission to offer tailored academic support for 6th to 12th graders. Bronson’s remarks on breaking educational barriers and fostering each student’s potential was a highlight, resonating with attendees about the importance of personalized tutoring and the importance of a safe space to learn.
This event not only served as a token of appreciation for our members but also as an inspiring forum to understand and support the pivotal educational initiatives in our community. The takeaways were profound, leaving us all with a renewed sense of purpose and a deeper appreciation for the transformative power of individualized education.
Committee corner
Become a Volunteer
New year and a new chance to lend your services to our great, all volunteer organization. All of our committees could use additional help so reach out and explore the options. From Communications to Membership, Education and Finance, we’ve got just the opportunity for you to contribute whether you are here full-time or part-time. This month, we are spotlighting the Membership Committee.
Are you passionate about connecting with new faces, fostering their engagement with the Wood River Women’s Foundation, and sharing your enthusiasm for our mission? If so, we invite you to join our dynamic Membership Committee whose primary responsibilities are growing and retaining our membership. After all, members contributions to the pooled fund are what enable the WRWF to meet our mission of serving our nonprofit partners—-growth in membership means growth in the funds we have to invest to support the growing needs of our partners!
Whether you’re full or part-time in the Valley, an outgoing extrovert or a more introspective personality, your involvement is up to you – from a few hours a year to a couple of hours each month. Your time matters, no matter the quantity. From helping with nametags to shaping event experiences, from extending warm welcomes to new members to brainstorming innovative ways to enhance member appreciation, every moment you contribute makes a tangible impact. Opportunities abound for every level of availability!
Our monthly one-hour committee meetings are accessible via Zoom and in person. Your attendance, as your schedule allows, is warmly encouraged. Together, let’s create meaningful connections and shape a brighter future for our community!
If you have questions please don’t hesitate to call or email us!
Membership Co-Chairs:
UPCOMING EVENT
5 th Annual State of the Valley Community Forum
This year’s theme is “Educate Us – Discussing challenges for education in the Wood River Valley.” We are looking to highlight issues the educational system needs to address through programming, tutoring, early education, and alternative programs. We will be looking at what is being provided currently and what additional support is needed.
Wendy Jaquet will be moderating a stellar panel line up that you will not want to miss.
We hope you can join us.
Contact Jenni Riley, Education Chair with any questions. Jenniriley12@gmail.com
Aprés ski member appreciation event
WRWF’s Après Ski Member Appreciation is an exclusive member appreciation event that brings together our members and your invited guests for an afternoon of treats, and conversation. It’s a great opportunity to connect with other like-minded individuals and learn more about the impact our organization is making in the community. This year, we are excited to announce that Aaron Bronson, ED of The Space Idaho will share information on their mission and how our nearly $40,000 in two, recent grants have impacted their organization.
Attendance for the Après Ski Member Appreciation event is limited due to popular demand. To ensure everyone has a comfortable experience, RSVPs are required for this event. We encourage our members & their guests to sign up as soon as possible to secure their spot.
We can’t wait to see you at the Après Ski Member Appreciation event at the Culinary Institute on February 16th from 4-6 pm to celebrate another successful year of women-powered philanthropy.
Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our mission organization. Let’s continue to make a difference together!
Calendar
Location: 11053 Highway 75, Bellevue, Idaho
Date: March 18th
Time: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Meet Captain Ryan DeMoe at the Wood River Fire & Rescue Station 3 in Bellevue. Tour their station and see a demonstration of the advanced training equipment that is being used to enhance the training of our first responders throughout the Wood River Valley.
MarchLocation: Virtual Presentation
Date: March 20th
Time: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Mark your calendars for an extraordinary showcase of inspiration and community impact at the Wood River Women’s Foundation's virtual presentations by nonprofit finalists on March 20, 2024.
Location: Zions Bank - 311 N. Main St. Ketchum - 2nd Floor Community Conference Room
Date: March 22nd
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Location: A Zoom link will be emailed to you.
Date: March 28th
Time: 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Location: Sun Valley Club House - 200 Trail Creek Rd
Date: April 25th
Time: 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Event Recap
2023 Holiday gathering
More than 50 WRWF merry-makers enjoyed holiday festivities together on December 19th, at the home of WRWF Board Member, Trinka Dyer. We were delighted to celebrate another year of collectively supporting our community – a year in which we welcomed more than 50 new members, raised a record $353k Pooled Fund that was awarded to 22 nonprofit partners in April, and saw our members reach deep into their pockets to help fund local needs as well as the WRWF Endowment Fund. Thank you for your commitment to our mission and community!
And our work continues. We are excited about the upcoming grants cycle which opens January 12th and look forward to voting as a collective in March.
Thank you to all for your continued support of our wonderful community and organization and best wishes for a happy, peaceful and prosperous 2024!
Year in Review Slideshow
Grant Cycle
new members
We are delighted to extend a warm WRWF welcome this month to:
New WRWF members are invited to provide photos and a bit of information about themselves to share in the News Brief. We have so many interesting members and it is fun to read about everyone’s background. Thanks so much and we look forward to meeting you soon. Welcome!
New Member Spotlight
KELLY CHUNG
We are happy to welcome new member Kelly Chung. Here she shares a bit about herself:
wowies!
a new volunteer recognition program
At the Wood River Women’s Foundation, it is truly our volunteers who make it all happen! Our fun social gatherings, our thought provoking Field Trips, our Educational Events like State of the Valley, this Newsbrief that you are reading, our Financial Management, our Operations, our Grants cycle and so much more!
2024 will be the year of the “Wowies” – recognizing those volunteers who go the extra mile for our organization or community, those volunteers who selflessly give their time and their bounty to help the WRWF serve our mission and exemplify our core values as an organization.
Our core values are a list of guiding principles that define how we achieve our mission and pursue our purpose and they are as follows:
Here is where you come in – please nominate a member who you believe deserves recognition along one of these dimensions by sending their name and a brief reason why you are nominating them. Awards will be announced at our gatherings 2x a year.
Submit your 250 word (max) nominations to: wrwfcomms@gmail.com
Membership Renewal Reminder
Renew your membership if you haven’t already
Thank you for being committed to supporting WRWF’s nonprofit partners across Blaine County! We are honored to contribute to the work they do to ensure a healthy and vibrant community. Our next grant cycle will be WRWF’s 19th year of generous women pooling our funds to meet our mission – we hope you will be part of it
This year we have onboarded a new membership management platform and you will see something a bit different when you click this link to renew.
To begin the renewal process, click the “member renewal” button. You will be asked to “login” to the website. If you haven’t done this since the switch to the new website in August, please click “forgot your password” and put in your email address currently associated with your WRWF account. You will receive an email that details further instructions. Now you are ready to fill out the form on the membership renewal webpage!
These transitions are always a bit tricky and we appreciate your patience as we smooth out any hiccups. If you prefer to renew by check or DAF, there is a button to “Pay Later” that will capture your information in the new software system and allow you to mail the check in separately. If you just want to mail a check in that’s fine too, just send it to P.O. Box 3686, Ketchum, Idaho 83340.
If you have any questions while working your way through the form, please don’t hesitate to email the office for help at info@woodriverwomensfoundation.org – we welcome your questions.
If you have already received a renewal email and completed your renewal – thank you! If not, please renew at your earliest convenience and no later than November 15 so we can ensure we are ready to meet the next batch of grant requests from our non-profit community.
With Gratitude, your fellow members on the WRWF Board.
Blaine County School District Survey
Blaine County School District invites WRWF member participation in survey
In a nod to the respect WRWF has earned throughout the community, the BCSD will be sharing a survey with our membership as a step towards helping the school district develop its 2024-2029 strategic plan. Look for an email sent from WRWF with a link to the BCSD survey in January. Following the survey, BCSD will be conducting a series of community round table discussions. The last question on the survey will ask if the responder would be interested in attending a round table discussion which will go deeper in details and gather additional feedback.
We appreciate this opportunity to help the school district define its future strategic direction. It is yet another example of the value of your WRWF membership, giving you an amplified voice in Blaine County!
Calling all WRWF members! We’re here to remind you about our membership initiative program “BFF! – Bring Forth Friends!”
If two new members join WRWF under your encouragement, you will be thanked for your recruitment efforts with either a $25 coffee card or a bottle of wine. This is an opportunity to continue growing and strengthening our collective membership through your personal and unique networks. Remember, there is no limit to how many rewards you can receive in a year. Be sure your BFFs give you credit when they join so we can track your success towards a reward!
Keep spreading the word about WRWF and our mission!
This reward is being underwritten by a generous WRWF member.
job opening
ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR
The Wood River Women’s Foundation office is busy! If you know anyone who is proficient with technology wants to make a positive impact on our community, and is interested in a part-time year-round job, please refer them to us.
THANK YOU, Sponsors!
We are grateful for our sponsors and extend a hearty WRWF thank you to Graybird Foundation, and Zions Bank!
THANK YOU TO OUR contributors
Thank you to this month’s News Brief contributors:
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