4 Reasons to Celebrate!! Thanks to all of YOU!

The Educational Foundation wants to say Thank You! For a wonderful event in June which included the awards for this years candidates for scholarships plus a fantastic fund raising effort by all those who attended.

Here are the Facts.

1. The SSWBN Celebration event was a great success we gave six scholarships, the most ever in our eleven year history. History Total 28

2. 2009 scholarships given away totaled $6,000 History Total Over $ 25,000.00 in Scholarships and 4 Learning Lotteries totaling $1,000.00

3. The Centerpiece Auction raised $2,145.00 in June, of which $2,000 was added to our permanent endowment fund which is now over $5,000.00 and growing!

4. 11 Years in business changing peoples lives through empowerment and education. And many more to come, with your support!!

Help us continue to grow our 2010 scholarships by donating today! You may mail your checks to SSWBN ED Fund, P.O. Box 192, Accord,MA 02018-0192 or go to the website and see the donation link, www.sswbnedfund.org

UPCOMING EVENTS

November – Annual Appeal Letter – Matching program!!

December 1, 2009 – Teaming up with DWC for a fun Holiday Friendraising Party and Shopping Spree at Derby Street Shoppes, 5:00-7:00pm

February 25, 2010 – SSWBN Breakfast Sponsor, Save the Date! Learning Lottery Awarded, Details to come!

March 2010 – Scholarship Applications Available.

As President I thank you kindly for the many donations that you have made this year and over the years. For the first time, we will be creating an annual appeal report showing the different levels of the donations.We will be asking your permission to disclose this information before the documents are published.

The various levels are listed below and will be done for the calendar year of 2009. Each year we have an increase in the number of people who give to the Foundation and an increase to the amount that you give.We appreciate the donations as it enables us to award many scholarships to very deserving students. Thank you kindly.

Elizabeth Pineault

Kick-off your holiday shopping with a fun night at Derby Street Shoppes, and contribute to a worthy cause at the same time. Join the DWC and the SSWBN Educational Foundation on

December 1st, 2009 for our Holiday Friendraiser celebration.

Join us 5:00-7:00pm, for hors d’oeuvres, cash bar, lots of raffle prizes (they’ll make great holiday gifts), and a FREE shopping bag with goodies! Then you’ll be ready to explore the Shoppes!

Stores are open until 9 pm. Come back with your purchases for FREE Gift Wrapping from7 to 9 pm.

This event is FREE to attend and all raffle proceeds will be donated to the SSWBN Educational Foundation scholarship fund.

Sign up early, space is limited to 75 people. [REGISTER HERE NOW!!]

Location: Derby Street Management Office (at the Derby Street Shoppes), 98 Derby Street, Suite 460

Enter the mall, turn right after Crate and Barrel, go around to the back to the management office (Suite 460)

[REGISTER HERE NOW!!]

The SSWBN Educational Foundation established an Endowment Fund to support educational and career transition goals as well as build reserves for the future. A portion of the investment returns from the Endowment Fund is able to be used to support our scholarships and grants. This fund is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to create a scholarship to honor a family member, friend or business colleague. Gifts to the SSWBN Educational Foundation may enable a donor to claim a current year charitable donation income tax deduction while advancing the work of the SSWBN Educational Foundation. We are excited about the increase in gifts given to the SSWBN Educational Foundation Endowment Fund over just the last two years (since inception). It is our goal to develop awareness of the Endowment Fund, increase participation, and allow the fund to grow through its investments and continue in perpetuity.

For further information on the SSWBN Educational Foundation Endowment Fund please contact Veva Johnson, Board Member at 781-335-4055.

Returning to school as an adult has been both extremely rewarding and very challenging. The financial constraints of being a full-time student can sometimes be difficult to manage, and the demands of maintaining a student work load can feel overwhelming at times.

That’s why it is very meaningful to me to have my hard work recognized and rewarded by the SSWBN Educational Foundation. I truly appreciate your support, not only from a financial perspective, but also from the viewpoint that this award demonstrates your faith in me to accomplish my goals. As a woman going into a non-traditional career field, I appreciate having the support of other women, and I remain dedicated to my goal.

Thank you all so much, and I look forward to exceeding your expectations. – Lynn Desmarais, 2009 Recipient

Coming to this country 11 years ago with the sole purpose of providing a better life and a better education for my children, never did I think that I would be able to be in school again, but life is full of unexpected turns. Working as a bookkeeper at the USS Constitution Museum for the last four years, I have earned the respect of my peers and superiors through my hard work and caring nature. Though glad of my accomplishments at the workplace, my life long goal to earn a college degree has not been fulfilled. Growing up in Albania, I was a hard working student who always aspired to do the best that I could. Through all of my school years, my grades reflected my work ethic, but living in a country governed by communists and being from a persecuted family, I knew that I could never go to college no matter how well I did in school. This is exactly what happened. Though earning honor roll grades through all four years of high school, I was not given the opportunity to attend college but instead was sent to work a salt field. Now, even at my older age, I want to fulfill my adolescent dream and make worthwhile all my sacrifices. I am currently enrolled in Curry College and am taking accounting and financing classes, slowly working my way to my college degree. For this, I have to thank the United States for the freedom it has given me, my family for its support, and the South Shore Women’s Business Network Educational Foundation for granting me this scholarship and allowing me to continue my education. Thank you. – Sonja Pelari, 2009 Recipient

If you are a member of the SSWBN, and your business goals include education or training, then you can apply for the Learning Lottery.

The SSWBN Educational Foundation wants to contribute to the professional development of members of the SSWBN network.We are periodically offering $250 grants for educational purposes.Winners are drawn from the applicants in lottery fashion and announced at upcoming events.

Check out our web site at www.sswbnedfund.org/grants to download an application. Next drawing will be at the February 25th breakfast. Details to come!

“I absolutely believe in the power of tithing and giving back.My own experience about all the blessings I’ve had in my life is that the more I give away, the more that comes back. That is the way life works, and that is the way energy works.” – Ken Blanchard

“As a tither you automatically become solution-oriented rather than problem-oriented.” – Mark Victor Hansen

“I’ve always said that the better off you are, the more responsibility you have for helping others. Just as I think it’s important to run companies well,with a close eye to the bottom line, I think you have to use your entrepreneurial experience to make corporate philanthropy effective.” – Carlos Slim Helu

“I was fortunate to get a scholarship when I went to Lehigh University and Princeton. They were both wonderful schools. Somebody was kind enough to spend their money to educate people that they would never get to know. That’s what I think philanthropy is about.” – Lee Iacocca

“If you think of life as like a big pie, you can try to hold the whole pie and kill yourself trying to keep it, or you can slice it up and give some to the people around you, and you still have plenty left for yourself.” – Jay Leno

“You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” – Zig Ziglar