The Women’s Fund of Hancock County together with Girls, Inc. and Jaycie Phelps Athletic Center hosted Girl Talk on Saturday, April 28 from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm. Girl Talk was a free, one day event for all girls and a female adult in Hancock County and surrounding areas. The purpose for its creation was to provide a venue of education and empowerment for girls in the target age range of 9-15. The event was held at the Jaycie Phelps Athletic Center on Mt. Comfort Road. It is the intent of the Hancock County Community Foundation’s Women’s Fund members to provide educational opportunities around health, self-esteem, and opportunities for a better life.
Girl Talk was set up with six stations providing information, give away items, experiments, and hands-on activities. The six stations were staffed by presenters discussing the following topics: College and Careers; Cool Science
and Robotics; Equal Earners/Savvy Spenders and Philanthropy; Sports and Nutrition; Relationships; and Beauty on a Budget. Many of the activities and sessions that the girls participated in were yoga; a career party; massage therapy; fashion on a dime; learning Histology with Covance Scientist, Erin Hunt; “learning to Spend/Learning to Give; and meeting Reggie—The Therapy Dog. Each area presented the girls with hand-outs, projects, and give-away items. Topic areas provide alternative options to identified community challenges including teen pregnancy, generational poverty, substance abuse, and domestic violence.
In addition to the Hancock County Community Foundation, support was provided by Alternatives Inc./Kelly Buzan, Annie Lorenzo, BPW-Fortville Chapter, Brand & Morelock, Bronwyn Kotarski, Catch The Stars Foundation, CGS, Covance, Dottie Harmon, Erin Hunt, Greenfield Banking Company, Hannah Klenotic, Hearts and Homes Homemakers Club, Jen Angel, Jennifer Hoffman, Judy Brown and Reggie, Kelsi Marchellio, Laurie Miller, Michael Griffin, Hancock County Prosecuting Attorney, Noelle Truex, Stephanie Roache, Tressa Janes, Tri-Kappa, Wal-Mart, WellPoint, and Ye Olde Head Shoppe.
Girl Talk Women’s Fund Committee Members included: Pam Hayes-co-chair; Christine Irbe—co-chair; Judy Brown, Barb Campbell, Sarah Davis, Mindy Griffin, Shannon Jump, Cari Muegge, Lindsay Richey, Jeannie Roberts, Kari Sisk, and Shannon Swindell.
2012 marks the Community Foundation’s celebration of working with caring individuals, families, and organizations for 20 years. Our mission is to create or grow existing permanent funds called endowments. These funds generate income that is distributed in the form of grants and scholarships to enrich and enhance life in Hancock County, as well as support the donor’s favorite charitable causes, both at home and afar forever. HCCF has granted over $8 million since its inception in 1992.
Pictured above right (from left to right): Judy Brown and Therapy Dog Reggie with a Girl Talk participant in the Relationships area.
