The Community Foundation's Women's Fund has spent the previous year researching the needs of women in our community. The result is a package of five grants designed to assist important community non-profit agencies achieve results on behalf of women in health, community support and education. The 2010 Women's Fund grants, totaling $4,950, are awarded to the Advocacy Center, IACC (Ithaca Area Child Care), the Ithaca Free Clinic, Planned Parenthood of the Southern Finger Lakes and Tompkins County Learning Partners. The Advocacy Center will receive a grant to assist the support group and childcare needs for its Women's Empowerment Group and Mothering through Domestic Violence program. The grant to IACC will help support two field trips as well as provide a source of support for teachers to purchase needed classroom supplies. Support of the Ithaca Free Clinic will deliver special equipment for new OB-GYN services as well as a fund for Pap smears for women unable to afford this important annual diagnostic test. Planned Parenthood's grant will also increase a fund to assist women unable to pay for a colposcopy, another important diagnostic test for women at special risk of cervical cancer. The TC Learning Partners grant will provide childcare for women developing their literacy skills so that mothers will not have to make a choice between their children's immediate needs and their own future economic achievement.

     These grants will be celebrated at the Women's Fund 6th Annual Luncheon on Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 at the Emerson Suites of Ithaca College.  The 2010 Laura Holmberg Award will also be presented to Jennie Graham.  

The program, titled "Finding Our Voices," includes keynote speaker Cheryl Braganza, who is a resident of Montreal, and is an accomplished artist, poet, writer, musician, and philanthropist. Ms. Braganza is active in human rights organizations, most recently those working on behalf of the women of Afghanistan.  Reservations are due by March 5, 2010.  $25 per person.