100 Women Who Care Monroe County began in 2019 and supports local organizations

Tom Adamich
·3 min read

MONROE COUNTY — The 100 Women Who Care Monroe County has brought both good works and thousands of dollars in donations to worthy Monroe County charities.  As reported in The Monroe News by Suzanne Nolan Wisler in 2022, the group held its organization meeting on March 7, 2019, with co-founders Karen Schenavar and Sandra McMurray White leading the efforts.

Previous Coverage: Group donates more than $100,000 to Monroe County charities

Wisler also reported the organization has donated more than $100,000 to Monroe County charities during the time period. It was building upon the concept of local, community-centered philanthropy developed by fellow Michigander Karen Dunigan.

Karen Schenavar and Sandra White are shown in 2022 with Monroe Mayor Robert Clark, who congratulated their organization, 100 Women Who Care Monroe County, for donating more than $100,000 to local charities.
Karen Schenavar and Sandra White are shown in 2022 with Monroe Mayor Robert Clark, who congratulated their organization, 100 Women Who Care Monroe County, for donating more than $100,000 to local charities.

Dunigan served as the mayor of Jackson, Michigan from 2009-11. According to the 100 Women Who Care website’s history page, she always found it ironic that one of her greatest ideas was born from something as simple and basic as baby cribs. It was during lunch one day in 2006 with leaders from the Jackson Center for Family Health, that the center’s CEO mentioned a need for portable cribs for local new mothers.

Reportedly, the new mothers were bringing their babies home and placing the sleeping infants in boxes, dresser drawer, or on their own beds because they could not afford a proper crib. Some of these babies didn’t survive the night. Dunigan was presented with a list of how many cribs were needed and the cost of mattresses, blankets and beds. In all, a total of $10,000 was needed by Jackson’s Center for Family Health.

Karen Dunigan founded 100 Women Who Care in 2006. She died of cancer in 2014.
Karen Dunigan founded 100 Women Who Care in 2006. She died of cancer in 2014.

Dunigan figured there had to be a way to quickly and easily raise the $10,000. Dunigan had many connections in Jackson, as she served on many boards and committees. With all of her involvement in the Jackson community, Dunigan knew she could call 10 people and ask them to write $1,000 checks, but she also figured she knew 100 women who would each give $100 – a reasonable sum. She began making phone calls and scheduled a meeting to discuss the crib need.  At that first meeting, it took only one hour for a group of Dunigan’s friends to hear the story and write checks to the Jackson Center for Family Health, resulting in a $12,800 donation, more than requested, to supply new mothers with a crib.

Dunigan knew she was on to something and founded the first 100 Women Who Care chapter, scheduling quarterly meetings. The organization’s rules were simple — any member could present a need in the community, the need had to be immediate and the money had to remain local. The main idea of 100 Women Who Care was that a worthy cause benefits many in the community.

100 Women Who Care Monroe County was founded in 2019 and has contributed over $100,000 to Monroe County-based charities.
100 Women Who Care Monroe County was founded in 2019 and has contributed over $100,000 to Monroe County-based charities.

Today, there are more than 750 giving circles worldwide, but most are located primarily in the U.S. and Canada. They also include women, men, people and youth chapters. 100 Women Who Care Monroe County meets quarterly at the River Raisin Banquet Center, 8 N. Monroe St. in Monroe.

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Organizations such as the Holiday Camp, Bedford Township Veterans, Gabby’s Grief Center, Relay for Life of Monroe County, Project Second Chance, Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Bed Race to Aid Children — Monroe County, Friends of Companion Animals Feline Rescue & Adoption Center, Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan, Oaks Village, Paula’s House, Saleh’s Center of Hope, Holiday Camp, MCOP, Soroptimist International Monroe County, Bedford Township Lions, Child Advocacy Network and others have received funding or are slated to receive funding soon from 100 Women Who Care Monroe County.

Sadly, Dunigan passed away on April 14, 2014, after a bout with cancer at age 61. Her legacy is that communities worldwide benefit from local 100 Women Who Care members’ good works and contributions that are required to stay local.

— Tom Adamich is president of Visiting Librarian Service, a firm he has operated since 1993. He also is project archivist for the Greening Nursery Co. and Family Archives and the electric vehicle awareness coordinator at Monroe County Community College.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: 100 Women Who Care Monroe County began in 2019 and supports local organizations