Lutz/Land O’Lakes GFWC – Arts4All Florida: Together We Meet the Need
The Lutz/Land O’Lakes General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC), through a long standing partnership with Arts4All Florida, embraces the very mission of our work, raising dollars for programs, volunteering at events, even collecting art trinkets and supplies throughout the year to donate to our teaching artists in the field. Art chairperson, Cheryl Winegar writes, “[Arts4All Florida] is one of our “pet projects” that we raise money for through our yearly auction with our models showing off their flea market finds, our luncheon, and the sale of some of the better items.”
Arts4All Florida is amazed at the creativity and determination that goes into successfully raising dollars for their many charities. Through an extremely successful annual Women’s Club Fabulous Flea Fashion Show, GFWC partners facilitate a good-humored, tongue in cheek atmosphere while members strut flea market wearables up and down the aisles of their meeting center. Their hilarious auctioneer and president elect, Annette Bellingar takes bids from the attendees, all clearly there to help raise dollars.
Their monetary donations help to sustain an Arts4All Florida community art/music/theatre class that meets at the Land O’Lakes Recreation Complex on Thursday evenings. This program for people with disabilities, both transition age and adults that live at home or in a group setting, provides an art and social skills experience that embodies the very core of what we do - building a stronger quality of life through the arts.
Volunteering comes naturally to this benevolent group of women. Organized by art chairperson, Cheryl Winegar, her teams manage lunch service to teens with autism and related disabilities that attend our Animation Gets Real summer camp at the University of South Florida. Always on site early, they organize, distribute and maintain the hour lunch break, giving staff and teachers time to eat and ready themselves for the second half of the intense day.
The Lutz/Land O’Lakes GFWC represents what their strong national GFWC has etched into their guidelines: Promote programs and organizations that create avenues and opportunities in music, dance, drama, and the visual arts for individuals with physical and mental disabilities, including youth, students and returning veterans with traumatic brain injuries, to participate in mainstream society.
Their generosity and commitment remains a shining example of what can be accomplished together when important partnerships are embraced and sustained.
