Annual Turkey Drive
Our Club sponsors the Neighbor’s Cupboard, our local food pantry, every November by organizing a community Turkey Drive in three different locations. We collect turkeys, non-perishable foods, and cash, all of which we deliver directly to the pantry.
Community Plantings
Our Club purchases annuals to design and plant gardens at Freshies and the library. We also plant the pots at the Union Meeting House, library, cemetery, Post Office as well as the large stone planters under our Club sign and in the trough at Abbott Park. These plantings are maintained with watering, weeding, mulching and fertilizing throughout the growing months.
We are in the process of renovating Abbot Park and it’s gardens.
Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention
The Signature Program for all GFWC clubs is raising awareness and the prevention of domestic violence. New Hope Midcoast in Rockland is one of our sponsored agencies. They provide services for victims of domestic abuse in Sagadahoc, Knox, Lincoln, and Waldo counties. We have supported them by providing two women who were relocated in our community with household goods and furniture. We recently held a huge yard sale to benefit their clients.
New Hope Life Line: 1-800-3304
Sharing the Holiday Spirit
Years ago our Club purchased 16 huge lighted wreaths that were installed on the telephone poles down Main St. by volunteers. Over the past several years we have totally replaced these wreaths with more efficient LED ones. We are responsible for maintaining these wreaths and work with volunteers to install them every year.
Our club members also replace the flower containers throughout the village with fresh greens accented with red bows during the holiday season. Last year we passed out home made baked goods and hot drinks at the town tree lighting.
Our club members take an active role in purchasing Christmas gifts for needy families in collaboration with our local schools and New Hope Midcoast.
Annual Holiday Party
Perennial Plant Sale
The perennial plant sale is held every year for a weekend in mid May. Members dig up perennial (come up every year) plants from donator gardens and pot them in soil and compost. Plants are labeled, priced with color coded stickers, and organized by growing categories. Photos are used so our customers can see what the plants will look like in bloom. This is one of the Club’s biggest fund raisers that has become very popular with our local communities. The sale is held at 185 Stream Rd.
Please contact Ellen etvanv2@gmail.com if you have perennials to donate
Community Calendar Fund Raiser
We have recently published our 65th issue of the Winterport Woman’s Club community calendar! Our club has held the Winterport franchise with the Gordon Bernard Calendar Fundraising organization since 1961. Every summer our calendar committee reaches out to community businesses to sell advertising space in the calendar. Business information and phone numbers are conveniently located on the front page of the calendar along with a colorful local photograph that changes each year. Community members are able to have family/friends’ names and significant dates (birthday, wedding anniversaries, organization meeting dates, etc.) printed on the calendar. Our calendars are sold at the election polls in November, and later, at the Town Office. Please support our advertising businesses!
Please contact Kathy White: dawklw@gmail.com if you and/or your family members would like to be listed in the calendar or if you would be interested in putting an advertisement in next year’s calendar.
The Yellow Tulip Project
Our Club has planted many yellow tulips throughout downtown Winterport. The Yellow Tulip Project was started by a young Portland High School student named Julia with help from her mom. They wanted to raise awareness and provide supports in order to smash the stigma of mental health issues in young people after Julia lost two dear friends to suicide. Learn more about this worthwhile project which now has national involvement by clicking the links to the left. When you see our tulips blooming in the Spring please take note of their symbolism.
National Suicide Lifeline:
1-800-488-7386
Spirit of America Foundation Award
The Spirit of America Foundation is a non-profit organization established in Augusta, Maine in 1990 to honor outstanding community volunteers. This annual award recognizes local individuals and organizations for their commendable community service.
In 2012 the Spirit of America local Waldo County chairman asked our Club to choose and honor an award recipient from the town of Winterport. Our Club has had this responsibility ever since then. The recipient is chosen through a voting process from a list of candidates in March. The award winner is honored with other awardees in Belfast in April of the following year. The Winterport Woman’s Club also honors the Winterport Spirit of America winner at their Annual Dinner in June.
Gloria Aurelio presenting Phylis Allen with the 2025 Spirit of America Award for Winterport