MANILA, Philippines - The Catholic Women’s Club, founded in 1921, is on its 90th year of sharing and caring for the underprivileged through various charities like the Elsie Gaches Village, the CWC-GK housing project, the greening of the Arroceros Park and the Vocational Scholarship Program, in cooperation with the Don Bosco Institute, Punlaan School, Polytechnic University of the Philippines and through St. Jean Marie Vianney in the education of Seminarians.
Believing in educational empowerment as an effective tool of poverty alleviation, the CWC supported 17 scholars in Don Bosco, four scholars in Punlaan, who are now gainfully employed by the hotel and restaurants where they did their on-the-job training, while in PUP the club supported five high school students. In 2012, under the helm of the new president Sol Tan Gatue, CWC will expand the educational program by increasing the number of scholars in the associate schools.
To achieve this, CWC president Mimi Valerio turned the birthday parties of members into fund-raising events where the celebrators co-hosted the party, and in lieu of gifts, guests donated to the scholarship fund.