BRANCH STATEMENT OF PURPOSE & HISTORY

 

Locally, we support scholarships, grants, and programs for women and girls in Indian River County.

The AAUW Vero Beach Branch is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and operates exclusively for any or all charitable, educational, scientific, or literary purposes. In keeping with this purpose, AAUW Vero Beach Branch promotes equity, education, and the development of opportunities for women and girls that enable them to realize their full potential. Our local branch is an All-Volunteer Organization.* We also support women nationally through our contributions to and endowments with AAUW in Washington, D.C. (www.AAUW.org)

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OUR HISTORY

 

The Beginning:  The Vero Beach Branch of AAUW was established in 1964, a result of the initiative of Lenore Feibel and Dorothy Forbes, who served respectively as the first President and the first Vice President for Membership. Lenore and Dorothy had moved to Vero Beach and missed their former AAUW involvement. They placed ads that resulted in 65 women attending an organizing tea. At the first meeting held at the Women’s Club, 54 charter members joined the new branch. We will celebrate our 60th anniversary in 2024!

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In past years, the branch has involved children in theater and the arts, created holiday parties for clients of the Sheltered Workshops for the handicapped, held GED graduations at the Indian River Correctional Facility and Vero Beach High School, and supported the Safe Space Shelter.

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More recent and ongoing branch outreach and cooperative activities include:

• Cooperatively sponsored an all-day STEM Summit at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute to encourage local middle school girls’ interest in science, technology, engineering and math

• Served as counselors and donors to a week-long STEM Camp for middle schoolers

• Founded an affiliated student organization of AAUW on the Indian River State College Mueller Campus in Vero Beach after sending students to the National Conference of College Women Student Leaders in Washington, D.C.

• Held non-partisan political forums for candidates running for office

• Conducted a voter education program encouraging women ages 18-30 to vote

• Funded two national endowments:  The Lenore Feibel Fund has generated $90,000 for research. The Jannetta MacPhail/Harriet Strong National Endowment provides $75,000 for graduate scholarships

• Received a grant to develop an anti-bullying, self-esteem building video, Let Go, used in classrooms across the state.

• Hosted 37 Annual Book Author Luncheons

• Host five book review breakfasts annually, free and open to the public

• Tutor adults for ESL literacy and citizenship through Literacy Services

• Mentor elementary school children through Big Brothers, Big Sisters

• Volunteer and judge at the annual Science Fair; presented two AAUW awards

• Support annual $1200 scholarships and stipends for four women attending IRSC annually since 1971. An endowed scholarship at IRSC currently awards $500 annually.

• Founded Senior Expo to bring community services resources and information for seniors conveniently together in one venue. Held Senior Expo in 2019 and 2022 and then gave it to the Senior Collaborative to continue.

• Host "Play the New Card" Mah Jongg Fundraiser each April when the new card comes out

• Host plays about American First Ladies – Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon and Betty Ford (2105); Eleanor Roosevelt (2020); and Abigail and John Adams and Lou and Herbert Hoover (2021).

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ENDOWMENT FUNDS

 

In 1984, the Vero Beach branch of AAUW established a research and projects endowment fund named in honor of its first president, Lenore Feibel. The fund has reached $90,000 and generates a research or project grant each year. In 2014, the Vero Beach branch of AAUW completed the funding of $75,000 for the Jannetta MacPhail/Harriett Strong Fund.  This fund provides career development grants to women who hold a bachelor’s degree and are preparing to advance their careers, change careers, or re-enter the work force. These funds have been combined with other endowments, which together fund grants to women; they are administered by Indian River State College.

 

*In an All-Volunteer Organization, all board members and directors are volunteers; there is no paid staff, although the board may contract out for specialized tasks, such as website design. All the members of our board generously donate their time and expertise to the branch activities.