Have you ever felt too powerless to make a difference in the face adversity? Here’s a thought. Come together with 100 other women to make a difference. If we all bring our 1 percent and add it together, we can make significant strides toward improving our community.

The Los Alamos Chapter of 100 Women will meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 3 at Cottonwood on the Greens. This is the third year in a row the Los Alamos Medical Center has generously sponsored the May meeting of the quarterly gathering. 100 Women Who Care is an organization of women who show up in support of local non-profit organizations and open their checkbooks.

100 Women with $100 dollars adds up to $10,000 for a local charity. As an event planner and a fundraiser I love the 100 Women Who Care fundraising formula because it is simple, it is inclusive, and it can raise a lot of money in a very short period of time.

This is how it works:

• Upon arrival each woman writes a check for $100, payable to the United Way of Northern New Mexico. (UWNNM administers the fund on behalf of 100+ Women Who Care Los Alamos) Women can also come together and form teams of two or four each contributing to add up to $100 for one vote;
• Spend a little time chatting with old friends, or making some new friends–enjoy some delicious food, a little wine;
• At 6 p.m. three of the nominated non-profits are randomly selected and there is a five-minute presentation from each of the three organizations;
• The group votes, and the collected funds are awarded to the winning organization.

The Los Alamos Chapter of 100 Women Who Care was founded in August 2015. The organization now has more than 190 members and has granted out more than $80,000 to benefit a dozen different local organizations. These women are helping better the lives of folks in the community with a simple and enjoyable approach to collecting contributions for local nonprofits without the time-consuming effort associated with fundraising.

Why Would You Join 100 Women Who Care?

• You are VERY busy! No time to volunteer but you want to help those in need, and you can commit to one hour every three months.
• You want to meet other Women Who Care in Los Alamos.
• You want 100 percent of your donations to go directly to a local non-profit; and want to see your $100 donation combined with other $100 donations to make a huge impact.

But wait! There’s more! In addition to benefiting others, volunteerism and charitable acts have profound personal benefits including:

• Decreasing your risk of depression- it increases your social interaction and builds a support system based on common interests.
• Increasing your sense of purpose- it contributes to a feeling of fulfillment and self-confidence.
• Reducing your stress levels- enjoying a sense of meaning and appreciation has calming effects on your nervous system.
• Experience “The Happiness Effect.” You may be familiar with the “high” you get after a vigorous workout from the release of dopamine. Helping others has a similar effect—the more you volunteer, the happier you become!

So, are you ready to join the most powerful group of women in Los Alamos? Please join me and many other women making a difference in our community. The 100+ Women of Los Alamos is always looking for additional members, and next Thursday is the perfect time to join. Please RSVP to kristyortega12@gmail.com. See ya there!