Club ends year with giving, reflection
The GFWC Book Lovers Club came together at the beautifully decorated home of Patricia and Don Cox for its final meeting of the year, celebrating the season by wearing Christmas pajamas for festive fun.
Giving back has always been an important part of what the club does, and the holiday season offers a natural opportunity to focus on helping others.
Each member donated pajamas for the Department of Human Resources and local schools, as well as toys for the Russellville Fire Department’s annual Helping Santa toy drive, which the department said helped provide Christmas gifts for more than 200 children this year.
Ginger Saylor won the game “Left, Right, Center” and chose The Place of Grace women’s rehab for the donation.
The Place of Grace is a nonprofit, faith-based residential recovery program for women that operates in Franklin County. Club members also took part in the fifth annual Russellville Hospital Foundation’s Christmas at City Lake by sponsoring and decorating one of the trees for the community display in City Lake Park.
In keeping with the theme “A Holiday Christmas Breakfast Fest,” Patricia Cox along with co-hostesses Leah Masterson and Melissa Cox, prepared a smorgasbord of homemade pancakes with a variety of syrups, trimmings, bacon, sausage, a selection of quiche and delicious pastries.
It was especially meaningful to share the evening with guests who understand and support the mission of women’s clubs across the state.
Becky Vansant, state president of the GFWC Alabama Federation of Women’s Club, and Gail Guice, former GFWC North District director and GFWC Board member, attended the event.
She thanked Gayle McAlister, Book Lovers president, for the invitation and commended the club for all its volunteer service projects over the years.
Vansant invited members to schedule a tour of the GFWC Alabama headquarters. The headquarters, known as Foster House, dates to 1913 and became part of GFWC Alabama in 1983. Today it houses offices, meeting space, overnight rooms, and an archives and library, along with memorabilia that reflects the organization’s history.
The meeting ended with McAlister thanking everyone for their hard work and for making the club work together. She presented everyone with a beautiful Christmas ornament.
