During high school in the early 70's, I studied hard and got good grades. I worked in my little farm town's homegrown version of a convenience store. Later, I flipped burgers at a hamburger stand to pay for clothes, entertainment and the gas that powered the (very old) Rambler I drove. Between school, homework, a part-time job and weekend social engagements, I didn't see how I could fit another activity into my routine. Community service wasn't a part of the culture in which I lived. The student council's canned food drive before Thanksgiving was the closest thing to community service I remember. I participated enthusiastically because the class that contributed the most canned goods got a special prize--not because I had any idea what these cans of vegetables, fruits and soups would mean to those who received them.

What would I have learned if I had started my philanthropic journey as a teenager? I don't have to look far for the answer because Girls Giving Grants (g3) gives me the chance to observe the process through my daughter's g3 particpiation. I can see a definite change in her. In a very natural way, Claire has learned to be a group leader; a mentor; a volunteer at a
non-profit; a critical thinker; a team player; and best of all, a philanthropist! And, I know other g3 members have experienced the same growth that Claire has.

Here's to the next generation of female philanthropists. We are growing them in fine fashion! I am proud of their efforts to make a meaningful difference in the world.

Photographed above: Jeri Muhich, Gloria Stevens, Sally Byrom and Phylis Donelson at Grape Vine Market in 2006.

WHEN: Tuesday, April 24th at 6:30pm
WHERE: Grape Vine Market

DATE: Thursday, June 7, 2007
TIME: 6:30pm-9:30pm
LOCATION: St. David's Episcopal Church

Postcard invitation to be mailed at the end of April.

The Community Voice Mail (CVM) program is hosted and supported by the Austin Travis County Mental Health and Mental Retardation Center. CVM's primary goal is to provide people without a phone with a voice mail box-a simple communication tool that most of us take for granted. Clients using CVM include the homeless, the working poor, the formerly incarcerated, Katrina survivors, individuals who have been diagnosed with mental and physical challenges, parents and their school age children, and women escaping domestic violence. CVM allows clients to be in touch with the social services they need. It offers a way for individuals to get back into the mainstream of society.

Excerpted from the CVM Newsletter:

Jayce Clark has a unique and special story. He had been homeless on and off since late 1993, until he met some special people at the City of Austin Community Health Centers and the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH). Jayce had always been an active volunteer in his church and local soup kitchens even as he lived in his camp. One day while cleaning up the kitchen, Jayce met a woman who invited him to receive medical care at a community health center, and he began taking care of his physical and emotional health. He also visited the ARCH and received access to some important social services. It was here that Mr. Clark accessed CVM which gave potential employers a place to get in contact with him. Mr. Clark was soon hired by Parkhills Baptist Church as a custodian and was later promoted to head of maintenance. Mr. Clark was able to move into supportive housing at Spring Terrace with the help of his ARCH caseworker. Mr. Clark has been living at Spring Terrace for four months now, he still volunteers with his church, and continues to enjoy the respect of staff at Parkhills for his outstanding work as head of maintenance.

To learn more about the CVM program, go to:

EmanciPET is hosting a fundraising event on Saturday, April 28th. The event, "Dogs on the Catwalk" is being held at Vicci in the Warehouse District between 7:00pm-9:00pm. Proceeds will benefit the spay and neuter efforts of EmanciPET.

In March, a writer for the U.S. Dept. of State's USINFO, Carolee Walker, wrote an article about Impact Austin that was sent around the world! USINFO is a web-based product telling America's story to the world. As part of Women's History Month, Ms. Walker included Impact Austin in her article about women giving together in community. The USINFO stories are translated into multiple languages, and many US foreign service officers place these features in their local newspapers.

Photographed above are g3 members Brittany Burch, Emily Bowman and Mara Weidman presenting grant semi-finalist.

Girls Giving Grants proudly announces its two finalists for this year's grant:

Impact Austin member Kathryn Burch has had first hand experience with Literacy Austin. Literacy Austin's outreach program supported in part by the Impact Austin grant awarded in June of 2006, became important in her work as a Grisham Middle School Parent Support Specialist.

Kathryn stated, "The partnership with Literacy Austin, helped Grisham Middle School to successfully create an English as a Second Language program for the parents of our students. The program was designed around the concept of using resources within our school community to build a stronger community, thereby ensuring greater success among our students."

Eleven English speaking parents completed Literacy Austin's extensive tutor training in both ESL (English as a Second Language) and ABE (Adult Basic Education). Literacy Austin provided the foundation and tools to build a curriculum teaching English while building relationships and community.

Kathryn explained, "With our tutors in place, we approached our target group of non- or
limited- English speaking parents. We currently have 24 adults participating in 6 different classes ranging from Level 1 (the lowest level of proficiency) to Level 5 (conversational English). Each is a parent or family member of a student at Grisham or the Westwood Learning Community."

The benefits of the ESL classes are felt well beyond teaching language. Kathryn described, "Parents who had never entered the school building are now attending classes twice a week in the very school their children attend! Many of the parents have at-risk students and have previously found themselves at school only under difficult circumstances. As part of the community-based curriculum designed by our tutors, the students "tour" the school, meet faculty, review and discuss school information, and interact with each other in a casual and positive manner."

The partnership with Literacy Austin has made a difference at Grisham Middle School. According to Kathryn, "The ripple effects of the
community- based language learning program are immeasurable. English classes for parents have given Grisham the opportunity to embrace the richness and diversity of our many cultures, while working to ensure the success of our children by creating community among our families."