Mint Hill Women’s Club Gives Out $22K in Donations to Local Organizations

On June 4, Mint Hill Women’s Club donated $3500 to Servant’s Heart.  It’s a donation that will go a long way toward stocking Servant’s Heart’s food and nonfood pantries, critical resources at a time when owner Kim Rhodarmer has seen a sharp increase in need.  “Mint Hill Women’s Club has been a strong supporter of Servant’s Heart over the past three years,” says Rhodarmer.  “This is a large group of powerful women who are driven to serve this community and Servant’s Heart is honored to be a beneficiary.”

It’s one of many donations totaling close to $22K that Servant’s Heart is gearing up to distribute to various nonprofit groups in the Mint Hill area.  The Mint Hill Women’s Club gives to local organizations annually, but thanks to the massive success of the Sip, Savor, Support fundraiser in February, this year the Women’s Club is to distribute over triple the amount they have in past years.

“This fundraiser that we had, we blew it out of the water compared to where we had been,” says Co-President Andree West.  “Thank goodness we had it when we did it,” continues West, referring to COVID-related restrictions put in place shortly after that would have prevented an event like theirs from taking place.  “This was a huge, huge boost for us.”  

The success of Sip, Savor, Support enables the Women’s Club to offer continued financial support to many local organizations they have supported consistently in the past, like Honor the Warriors, Healing Vine Harbor, Loaves & Fishes, Culinary School of Charlotte, Mint Hill Arts, and Pottery 51.   In accordance with their charter, they’re preparing to give $6k in scholarship funds for CPCC students, and are in the process of interviewing Mint Hill resident candidates to receive them.  “We try to make sure we’re supporting Mint Hill residents,” says West.  “That’s really big.” 

The success of the annual fundraiser enabled the Women’s Club to broaden their support this year, increasing the aid they give to organizations they have long supported, like Servant’s Heart, and adding new causes as well.  Each year, the Women’s Club allocates funds to provide gift cards for Servant’s Heart’s “Turkey Tuesday.”  This year, they were able to increase the amount of their gift cards by $100.  New this year are funds to sponsor eight to ten children in Mending Strides six-week equine therapy program.

More money also enabled the Women’s Club to set aside funds for COVID-related needs.  Recently, they assembled “thank you” snack baskets for every person in every department at Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center.  When they heard Idlewild Road Fire Department was in need of PPE, they set aside $500 to help them purchase surgical masks.  They’ve also allocated funds to do an appreciation lunch for Mint Hill’s Police Department and Fire Department.  

“We had the funds available, and we feel very passionate about showing our appreciation to our first responders,” says West.  “These are the people that are protecting all of us during this crazy time we’re living in right now.”

Supporting our first responders, healthcare heroes and other organizations working to provide relief to those suffering during this pandemic is of primary importance to the Women’s Club this year in allocating their funds.  “With COVID-19, when we were making our the budget, we said we’re going to rearrange how we’ve done it in the past and look at the nonprofits in Mint Hill that are supportive of the needy, the people who really need our help at this time,” says Co-President Marilyn Fargo.

It’s one of the main reasons they gave such a large check to Servant’s Heart.  “Kim really has her finger on the pulse of families that are in need in this community,” says West.  “That’s part of our bylaws, that we support local organizations and try to keep the money in Mint Hill.  With her connections, she knows what to do.  I’m amazed at the amount of money that she has distributed back into this community in the three years she’s been here.”

Gestures like this and all the aid they have given out are truly remarkable, but it’s just part of what the Women’s Club does.  Perhaps Mayor Brad Simmons said it best at Sip, Savor, Support.  “This club has done great things over the years,” said Simmons.  “They’ve been doing small quiet things behind the scenes forever, and I think it’s great that everyone is here tonight recognizing them for all the great things they’ve done.”

Article Written by: Mary Beth Foster