We spotlight two extraordinary local philanthropic organizations - Fairy Godmothers and Guardians - that provide critical support to Manhattan residents in need through emergency grants and educational funding.
• Fairy Godmothers, founded in 2006 as "Women Helping Women," has grown to 700 members and distributes over $60,000 annually
• Members contribute $100 for a lifetime membership with funds managed through the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation
• The organization primarily assists with emergency needs like auto repairs and dental work that other programs don't cover
• Their newer "Hand-Up Grant" program provides educational funding, with over $20,000 distributed this year for CNA/LPN training
• Guardians, the male counterpart established seven years later, helps men reintegrate into the community
• Both organizations maintain partnerships with local businesses that provide services at cost to maximize impact
• The 19th Annual Fairy Godmothers and Guardians Charity Golf Tournament on October 6th is their major fundraising event
• Community First National Bank has been the presenting sponsor for 13-14 years
• Those interested in joining can visit fgfund.org (Fairy Godmothers) or gafund.org (Guardians)
Episode Transcript
Philanthropy Today is brought to you by the Greater
Manhattan Community Foundation.
In this episode we feature arecently broadcast segment of
the GMCF Community Hour, asheard on NewsRadio KMAN.
We are back with the GMCFCommunity Hour here on NewsRadio
KMAN.
When Therese Miller gets inhere, you know she doesn't like
(00:20):
to talk on microphones, but wejust start talking and we just
can't stop because that's justthe way we are, therese.
Good morning, good morning Dave.
So good to have you here.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
So good to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Dick Wurzberger is also in the room.
It's always good to have you inbecause you're you're a joyous
dude.
Thank you, you are JD for short, joyous dude, joyous dude.
And Therese is here on behalfof Fairy Godmothers, dick is
here on behalf of the Guardians,and let's get to know a little
bit about each organization.
(00:51):
Therese, ladies.
First let's talk about FairyGodmothers.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Thank you.
This is one of my favoritesubjects, so, even though I kind
of have anxiety about speaking,I still can do this with Fairy
Godmothers.
They are my favoriteorganization.
It is Women Helping Women.
We have been doing this since2006.
We had about six women, getabout 50 women together and we
(01:20):
set up a fund at the CommunityFoundation that has grown to an
entity that we can provide aboutover sixty thousand dollars a
year.
Wow, to um help women.
Um, we provide grants throughshepherd's crossing to women in
manhattan and and most of thosegrants go to various needs.
(01:44):
That other, you know entitiescan't, and that seems to center
a lot around auto repairs.
You know, as you can imagine,someone who is barely getting by
and then needs to have theircar repaired.
There's $1,000 they don't have,so we try to help them with
(02:07):
that.
We do a lot of also dental workand things like that.
We've also now expanded toprovide what's up grant and we
provide funds to help withvarious educational expenses so
(02:32):
that they can go on and becausehave more resources and not need
us for any of the other grants.
So that's a little the shortstory on Fairy Godmothers.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
And how can ladies get involved?
Speaker 2 (02:48):
It's pretty easy.
We don't have regular meetings.
But if you go to fgfundorg youcan certainly sign up and be a
part of our organization.
We have options for committees.
Those committees are all kindof explained on that website.
So it's $100 to join.
(03:11):
You are a lifetime member atthat point and we have about 700
members now.
Wow yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
I remember when this got started.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Did you have any idea ?
It could be as large?
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Absolutely not, but it is just been a joy.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Yeah, yeah, dick, let's talk about the men's side,
the Guardians.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Well, as any good man knows, you got to follow the
lead of the women.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
You've learned a lot over these years.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Yes, and about seven years later, the Guardians
trying to get back into thecommunity.
(04:03):
Following up on one of thethings that Treece mentioned was
car repairs, and you know forsomeone you know they're working
.
They're working paycheck topaycheck and when these repairs
come up they just don't have thefunds.
But it's their way to get towork.
And so we have a goodrelationship with some of the
(04:29):
local businesses in town thatprovide at their cost, and then
we provide grants to cover theneeded repairs so they can
continue to work.
And then a lot of times thereare men trying to get back into
the community.
They need a place to live butthey don't have any furniture.
(04:51):
We'll buy mattresses, things ofthat nature.
So our funds are all designatedto much like the fairies, fairy
godmothers.
We just want to try and helpthese men become productive
members of our community and we,like I said, we started ours
(05:13):
seven years after the fairygodmothers, our seven years
after the fairy godmothers, andwe've been very blessed with the
golf tournament that providesfunds for those things through
sponsorships, and then theannual grow green day under the
greater manhattan communityfoundation umbrella, where
people have been generous insupporting our efforts so, okay,
(05:37):
well, it is, is fun to be apart of both, and when you do
get together for whatever thecase may be a fundraiser or
whatever there's always somegreat stories that are being
told and you definitely get tolearn a lot and it certainly
deepens your compassion forpeople that are in need, even if
it's for a temporary basis.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
So, dick, you have a golf tournament coming up.
We do.
Would you tell us about that,please?
Sure.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
It's the 19th annual Fairy Godmothers and Guardians
Charity Golf Tournament.
It's going to be coming up onMonday, october 6th, so a couple
of weeks away, october 6th so acouple of weeks away.
Um, we've been again veryblessed with uh uh.
You know the ladies and menthat want to play golf.
(06:26):
We've got a uh, a full uhallotment of players, so that's
a great blessing.
And and then the sponsors, uhuh, we've had, um, I've been
very fortunate that ourpresenting sponsor and I might
let Therese talk a little bitabout that Community National
(06:48):
Bank has been our presentingsponsorship, along with many
other fine businesses and peoplein town supporting this effort.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
So Therese Community First National Bank, that seems
to be a natural place for you tofind.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Absolutely.
I am so grateful to them forsponsoring this and the other
many ways they sponsor things inthis community, but this is
this is something that they havedone for the past I believe 13
or 14 years now.
For the past I believe 13 or 14years now they've been our
title sponsor, and Rob is justgenerous and has kept us going.
He's also a guardian, so he'salso passionate about that part
(07:34):
of it too.
So, and we are grateful forthat and grateful for the other
sponsors we have too.
We have quite a few.
When they sign up as corporatesponsors, they are also golfers
usually, or they rally around agolf team, if you can believe
that.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
There are more than one opportunity.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
There are.
It's a great day and you knowthe fall is a great day to play
golf in Kansas, so we're verylucky about that.
We still have someopportunities if someone would
like to.
Our golf slate is pretty muchfulfilled, but we have lots of
opportunities to continue tosponsor.
(08:17):
We have some.
If you want to be a wholesponsor or if you want to
sponsor our lunch or beveragecart, we would welcome that and
we'll give you some signage forthat.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Okay, so you're pretty close to being sold out
on the players we are.
Isn't that a lucky day?
Well, I don't hear that oftenenough.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
I know it's just been such a great and fun day for
people, so I think they signedup quick Congratulations, thank
you.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
I mean, that's one of the things you know when you
hear people talking about thegolf tournaments or every event.
It's just like here's when wecome onto the show, here's a
plea and how you can get ticketsand how you can help.
There's still ways to help.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
You may not be able to play that day that's right,
that's right awesomecongratulations thank you, thank
you, dick what do you like mostabout the day?
Speaker 3 (09:03):
I think it's just being out there having fun.
We've been blessed with goodweather.
I'm going to jinx it now.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Well, hey, Saturday I was blessed with good weather,
so there's no reason to notbless on the 6th.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
So, and like Tree said, in the fall the weather is
more moderate and it's stillgreen in Kansas at that time of
year.
So it's just a fun, fun day toget out and it goes by quickly,
but we have a lot of fun.
We have a lot of fun andraising money for good purposes
Okay.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Anything else about the Fairy Godmothers you'd like
to add Therese?
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Just that this golf tournament is mostly going to
fund some of our HUD grants,which is the hand-up grant for
education.
We've already funded over$20,000 this year in grants to
mostly students who are gettingeither their CNA or their LPN at
MATC, so it's a greatpartnership with that
(10:10):
organization too.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Goodness, I bet so yeah, dick anything.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Again, we you know it's very easy to become a
member of the Guardians.
It's very easy to become amember of the Guardians.
You go to our website,gafundorg, and there's a place
to sign up.
We have a lot of things going.
You can be on our variouscommittees the golf committee,
(10:42):
for example.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
We're very appreciative of all the support
that we've been able to receivefrom the community over the
years.
I do know one of the mostmoving things is when you have
one of those who have beenrecipients of some of these
grants.
So when they come to speak at ameeting and tell their story,
that just makes you want to.
Just you know, it empowers youto really want to do more for
people like that down the road.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Absolutely, absolutely, and thank you for
supporting us by letting us comeand speak about it.
Well, that's Vern.
That's Vern and Felix.
You know they do all thatscheduling.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
I just have that.
I just have the room.
So, teresa, always good to haveyou in.
You did a really nice job inspite of your anxieties here
today.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
You make it easy and I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
I try.
I try, Dick.
Always a pleasure.
You have no anxieties in frontof the microphone?
Speaker 3 (11:34):
I guess not.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
Well, good luck with everything on the 6th and thank
you.
And here's a community thankyou for both your respective
organizations, because that'sone of the things that I think
makes Manhattan special.
We have so many people that arehelping out those in need and
so many different organizations,and I both.
I know both of you are involvedin a lot of other organizations
, but this one is truly unique.
(11:58):
It's homegrown, it's organichere to Manhattan, kansas, and I
think that that helps make itspecial for everybody that's
involved, especially those whoare recipients of those grants
through Fairy Godmothers and theGuardians.
Well put, dave, I try.
Sometimes I like to speak.
Sometimes it makes sense, Idon't know.
Hey, we're going to take abreak when we come back.
(12:20):
Rich Jankovich is going to bejoining us.
Rich is going to be heretalking about AUSA.
It's an organization that doesa lot of nice things on behalf
of those that are serving ourcountry, and they've got a
special thing coming up herethat we're going to tell you a
little bit more about on theGMCF Community Hour.
By the way, you can always findout more about the activities
of the foundation at our website, which is mcfksorg.
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