NEWS

Marion women start Woman’s Life chapter

John Jarvis
Reporter

MARION – “It’s about connecting community and cause,” Rosalind Burks said.

Citing their purpose, which they share with Woman’s Life, a national fraternal organization, Burks said she, Amisty Reynolds and Kathleen Clemons saw an opportunity for community service that forming a chapter of Woman’s Life could provide in Marion.

“It enables young ladies to be part of ... a chapter,” Burks said. “They can help their community. It also benefits other people in the community because what (Woman’s Life) does is they give you matching funds.”

In 1892, Bina West, a 25-year-old schoolteacher, founded Woman’s Benefit Association, which eventually was renamed Woman’s Life Insurance Society. That organization in turn created the Woman’s Life 501(c)(8) fraternal organization.

Suzanne Rucker, a chapter development specialist with Woman’s Life, said the organization provides chapters with matching funds of up to $5,000 per year “for the organization to do things out in the community,” $500 per project.

“The primary thing we say about Woman’s Life is fun, friendship and financially supported community outreach,” Rucker said. “That’s pretty much what our organization is about, helping people connect with other people who want to do (community service).”

A person — men also can join — can be a social member, who pays dues, or a benefit member, she said. Woman’s Life funds its chapters through a portion of the sales it makes on the organization’s life insurance products.

“We don’t take money in from people who are donating. We give away money,” Burks said.

“Marion women want to do a lot of good things for the Marion community, and this gives them the opportunity to be very specific about the things that they do,” she said.

Chapters can organize a variety of projects, including hosting events to raise funds to donate to 501(c)(3) charities or to individuals, such as a family that needs help paying medical bills for a sick child, she said.

Burks said the Marion chapter hasn’t decided on a specific project but has a number in mind.

“I think Marion needs that type of programming,” she said. “Even though Marion has lots of types of programs ... we’re going to make a difference with what we do.”

The chapter has the minimum of 10 members it needs to be chartered but welcomes new members, she said.

jjarvis@marionstar.com

740-375-5154

Twitter: @jmwjarvis

Want to join?

Woman’s Life Chapter 814 is a chapter of a fraternal organization forming in Marion to support each other and to do community service projects.

People who are interested in joining can visit the Marion Public Library, 445 E. Church St., at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 6; the chapter will have its first meeting at 6 p.m. Prospective members also can call Rosalind Burks, one of the chapter’s organizers, at 740-383-4615.