Family team leads group to end poverty among women, children
by Patty Reiman
The founder of Hudson’s Dining for Women and her daughter recently took on regional responsibilities for the organization while continuing to lead the Hudson chapter. The mother-daughter team eagerly welcomes others interested in joining their efforts to end poverty among women and children across the globe.
DFW is “a global giving circle dedicated to transforming lives and eradicating poverty among women and girls in the developing world,” according to its website.
For nearly eight years, Rachel Peterson, and her mom, Tamara Peterson, have been guiding Hudson’s DFW chapter from its modest beginnings of about five attendees to its current membership of more than 40. Now as newly appointed regional leaders, they assist DFW chapters in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan by developing and supporting regional strategies to add new chapters and sustain existing ones. They oversee a team of volunteer leaders and work to raise awareness of DFW and its mission. They also attend the DFW national conference.
“If you want to broaden your horizons and make a global impact, we welcome you to come to one of our meetings,” said Rachel. “While DFW is a global giving circle, we put no pressure on our members to donate funds. All are welcome, whether they are coming just to learn, to donate $5 or donate $50.”
She added that the group is not affiliated with a religion or political organization, nor are any of the charities they support.
“We started the chapter in 2012 after seeing a segment about the organization on NBC ‘Nightly News,’” said Rachel. “The mission of DFW resonated strongly.”
Rachel and Tamara had been looking for a way to give back and to broaden their understanding of global issues. So they jumped right in and began leading the Hudson chapter. Rachel said they were drawn to DFW because of its focus on females and its support of organizations at the grassroots level.
“The nonprofits we work with are focused on creating sustainable changes in the communities they serve versus simply throwing money at a problem or sending in a team of outsiders to work for six months and then leave,” she said.
As one would expect from the group’s name, monthly meetings include food and time to share a meal together. Hudson’s DFW club members gather at a member’s home on the third Sunday of each month at 6 p.m. for a potluck meal and to learn about different grassroots organizations in developing regions that are in need of support.
“Each member brings food or drink to share, oftentimes it’s a traditional dish of the region we’re learning about,” said Rachel, adding that the groups that receive DFW’s charitable efforts change every month.
Each DFW chapter across the U.S. partners with one nonprofit per month, and then changes its focus to a different non-profit the next month.
“Just by meeting and donating, along with more than 484 other chapters, we are making impactful changes in the developing world,” said Rachel, adding that DFW has the opportunity to work in cooperation with global organizations such as the Peace Corps. “We were impressed by the stringent vetting process each [nonprofit] organization goes through, and DFW provides accounting for, quite literally, every penny and how it will be used.”
At each monthly chapter meeting, the women listen to a presentation about what the nonprofit does to address poverty among women and girls in developing areas. They also learn about the region’s geography, culture and people who are in need and can be helped through DFW’s collective giving.
“After the presentation, we discuss what we’ve learned over dinner,” said Rachel. “By providing education on the monthly charity and the country’s culture, we have become better informed global citizens.”
In addition to meeting monthly, the ladies march each year in the Hudson Memorial Day parade, host a friends and family barbecue in the summer, present an annual Winter Wonderland Fundraiser Gala, attend the Hudson Farmers Market Community Day and speak at various schools and organizations as requested.
“It’s amazing to see a support network formed, as well as watch friendships grow between the youngest and oldest members of the chapter,’’ Rachel said. “We’ve all learned from one another as much as we have learned from Dining for Women.”
Featured image photo caption: Rachel (l) and Tamara Peterson attend the annual Dining for Women national conference at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington D.C. The mother-and-daughter-duo founded a Hudson chapter and now run regional operations for the organization, which supports nonprofits focused on women and children in poverty.