Child Welfare Club holds annual auction (WITH GALLERY) – irontontribune.com

Report on the Child Welfare Club’s 51st Annual Fundraising Luncheon

Executive Summary

The Child Welfare Club of Lawrence County held its 51st annual talent and auction luncheon, serving as the organization’s principal fundraising event. Attended by 140 members of the community, the event raised funds to support a variety of local initiatives directly aligned with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For over a century, the club has demonstrated a sustained commitment to improving the lives of children, evolving its mission to address contemporary challenges related to poverty, hunger, health, and education.

Event Overview and Fundraising Objectives

The primary objective of the annual luncheon is to secure financial resources for the club’s philanthropic activities. The event featured an auction of Christmas-themed items and home-baked goods. The proceeds are critical for the continuation of programs that support vulnerable children within the county. This local mobilization of resources exemplifies a community-driven approach to achieving development goals.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The work of the Child Welfare Club, funded by this event, makes significant contributions to multiple SDGs at the local level.

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

The club directly combats food insecurity and promotes nutrition through its support for key local programs. This commitment aligns with the core targets of SDG 2.

• Backpack Buddies: Provides children with food for weekends.
• Harvest for the Hungry: A food distribution initiative.
• Historical Mission: The club was founded in 1919 with the initial mission of ensuring local children had regular access to milk, a foundational effort in promoting child nutrition.

SDG 4: Quality Education

A primary focus of the club is the removal of barriers to education, ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.

1. Financial Aid and Scholarships: The club provides scholarships for students attending Ohio University Southern and Collins Career and Technical Center, in addition to the Eddy Test scholarship established in 1960.
2. Educational Resources: Support for the “Tools 4 School” program provides necessary supplies to students.
3. Foundational Educational Projects: Historically, the club was instrumental in establishing the city’s first kindergarten and helping the Briggs Library create its children’s section.

SDG 1: No Poverty & SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

By targeting assistance to children in need, the club’s efforts contribute to ending poverty in all its forms and reducing inequality within the community. Financial contributions, such as the recent aid provided to a student in need, offer direct support to families facing economic hardship, ensuring children have access to the same opportunities as their peers.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being

The club supports community health and well-being through various initiatives.

• Support for the Two Hearts Pregnancy Center contributes to maternal and child health.
• Historically, the club funded a nurse to provide medical care to children, demonstrating a long-term commitment to ensuring healthy lives.

Organizational History and Community Impact

Established in 1919, the Child Welfare Club has a 106-year history of civic engagement. The organization has successfully adapted its mission over time, moving from its initial focus on milk provision to addressing a broader spectrum of needs. Having initiated over 56 distinct betterment projects, including the development of Ironton’s first public park (contributing to SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities), the club stands as a model of sustained, local action and partnership (SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals) dedicated to child welfare.

Analysis of the Article in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger – The article mentions the club’s historical mission to provide milk to children and its current support for programs like “Backpack Buddies” and “Harvest for the Hungry.”
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being – The club’s history includes paying a nurse to provide medical care for children and its current support for the “Two Hearts Pregnancy Center.”
• SDG 4: Quality Education – A significant portion of the club’s efforts are directed towards education, including providing scholarships, school supplies (“Tools 4 School”), and establishing the city’s first kindergarten.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – By focusing on “children in our county” and helping students in need, the club works to reduce inequalities by providing essential resources and opportunities to vulnerable groups.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – The Child Welfare Club itself is an example of a civil society partnership, mobilizing community resources through fundraising events like the annual auction to achieve its welfare and development goals.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger
  • Target 2.1: By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round. This is addressed through the club’s support for “Harvest for the Hungry” and “Backpack Buddies,” which provide food to those in need.
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
  • Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services… The article mentions a historical project of “paying a nurse to give children medical care,” which directly aligns with providing access to essential healthcare services.
• SDG 4: Quality Education
  • Target 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education… This is supported by the “Tools 4 School” program, which provides necessary supplies for education.
  • Target 4.2: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education… The club’s historical achievement of “setting up the city’s first kindergarten school” is a direct contribution to this target.
  • Target 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university. This is directly addressed by providing “scholarships to Ohio University Southern or Collins Career and Technical Center.”
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
  • Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age… The club’s mission to help “children in our county” and provide for students in need aims to ensure that children have the resources to participate fully in society, reducing inequalities caused by economic hardship.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
  • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships… The Child Welfare Club, a 106-year-old civic group, exemplifies a civil society partnership that uses fundraising events like its annual auction to mobilize financial resources from the community to support local development projects.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• For SDG 2 (Zero Hunger):
  • Implied Indicator: Number of children or families supported through “Backpack Buddies” and “Harvest for the Hungry.” While the article does not provide specific numbers, it states that proceeds from the auction go to these groups, implying that the impact is measurable.
• For SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being):
  • Implied Indicator: Number of children who received medical care. The article refers to the historical project of paying a nurse, suggesting that the number of children treated was a measure of the project’s success.
• For SDG 4 (Quality Education):
  • Implied Indicator: Number of scholarships awarded. The article mentions the “Eddy Test scholarship” was established in 1960 and “continues to this day,” indicating a long-term, measurable commitment.
  • Implied Indicator: Number of students receiving school supplies through “Tools 4 School.” The support for this program implies a measurable outcome in terms of students assisted.
• For SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities):
  • Implied Indicator: Amount of financial assistance provided to students in need. The article gives a specific example: “on Wednesday, the club contributed money to help a student in need,” which can be quantified.
• For SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals):
  • Indicator: Amount of funds raised from fundraising activities. The article explicitly mentions that the first auction in 1974 raised $8 and that the current event is their “main fundraiser,” indicating that the total amount raised is a key metric of the partnership’s success.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: irontontribune.com