By Maggie LaNoue – Contributing Writer – January 2, 2026
The Albion Area Philanthropic Women (AAPW) marked an extraordinary milestone at their December 9 meeting, gathering at Tennant Hall inside First United Methodist Church to celebrate 18 years of collective giving. Around seventy women filled the room, joined by a small number of men who support or work alongside local nonprofits. Before any presentations began, the morning opened with two proclamations honoring the group’s total of $750,000 raised for Albion-area organizations since 2007. The tabletop centerpieces of three small money bags with a dollar sign on each represented the three quarters of a million dollar accomplishment.
Mayor Victoria Garcia-Snyder read a proclamation on behalf of the City of Albion, recognizing AAPW for its “unwavering commitment to service, generosity and collective impact.” She praised the women for demonstrating the kind of local leadership that continues to sustain the city during periods of challenge and transition. Christina Anderson, chief of staff for the Michigan Department of State, then presented a proclamation from Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. Anderson shared that, as she and Benson reviewed the group’s giving history, they were struck by how AAPW embodies what is still good in the world. The proclamation noted that “in a small town, with small contributions, everyday people are making a huge impact,” and recognized AAPW as one of the region’s most influential community-led initiatives.
Even before the speakers began, members were eager to learn which organization would be selected for this quarter’s collective gift. The vote was extremely close. As program facilitator Gwen Tabb noted later, “Four really good presentations, and maybe the closest vote with four different entities.” When the ballots were counted, the American Legion Post 55 was selected as the newest recipient, with an estimated $7,000 collected in the room. More checks are expected to arrive in the coming days from members unable to attend in person.
The room itself reflected the group’s longevity and its multigenerational ties. AAPW co-founder Cathy Campbell attended, along with three generations of descendants of her fellow founding member, the late Maggie Konkle. Representing Maggie’s family were her daughter-in-law, Vicki Konkle, granddaughter, Mandy Konkle, and great-granddaughter, Téa Dubiel. Also present were Shane Williamson, CEO of the Albion Community Foundation (ACF); Fifth Precinct Councilwoman and community leader Vivian Davis; and three visitors from the Women’s Philanthropic Circle of Marshall, who came to observe and congratulate the group on its milestone. Photographer and blogger John Face captured the morning’s images for the group’s Facebook page.
The roots of the organization trace back to 2007, when Campbell and Konkle invited community-minded women to the Albion District Library with a simple idea: if each woman donated $100 per quarter, the impact would be far greater than any single gift on its own. Sixty-three women attended the first meeting. Their first donation supported the Albion District Library’s enrollment in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, ensuring local children regularly receive free books by mail. Over the years, the AAPW group grew to more than 120 members. During the pandemic, the meetings moved to Zoom before returning to in-person gatherings. The structure has remained largely the same: usually three to four nonprofit presentations, each limited to four minutes, with Campbell’s signature “slow walk” toward the speaker—now fondly known as the “Cathy Campbell shuffle”—serving as the friendly indicator that time is nearly up.
The final presentation was delivered by Kristy Clement, founder and artistic director of Fluence Arts Organization. Fluence Arts opened its new studio inside the same church building earlier this year and recently held its first community performance at the historic Ismon House. Clement described dance as an art form that “exists just in that moment,” and emphasized how movement can build community, foster expression, and bridge generational gaps. The organization is seeking funding for studio rent, portable ballet bars, and guest artists. Clement also hopes to bring in professional dancers from Detroit, Cleveland, and other regional cities, including a celebrated company of performers aged 55 and older. Fluence Arts plans to expand its offerings through workshops and classes for a wider age range in the coming year.
Once the presentations concluded and the initial ballots were tallied, the room turned its attention to the pass-the-basket donation. This quarter’s recipient is the Community Table of Albion, which received $700 from attendees. That amount is being matched up to $500 by the Albion Community Foundation, bringing the combined total to $1,200. Earlier in the meeting, ACF CEO Shane Williamson thanked the group for its longstanding partnership and described another program, the AAPW Legacy Fund, which allows members to contribute above and beyond their quarterly gifts. Legacy Fund contributions are invested, and as the endowment grows, it provides an additional quarterly distribution to the nonprofit selected by the women. Currently, that contribution is about $600 and is expected to increase to around $1,000 in the near future.
Lunch donations collected at the meeting—$377—were designated for the CHIP weekend food-bag program, presented by Councilwoman Vivian Davis on behalf of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated. The program provides shelf-stable bags of food for children at Crowell Elementary, so students have something to eat on weekends, particularly during long school breaks. Vivian acknowledged, with humor and compassion, that “some kids are going to eat everything the first day,” but emphasized that the bags include enough items to last through the weekend for many families.
Presentations began with Juanita Solis Kidder introducing Al Smith, commander of the American Legion Post 55. Smith outlined the Legion’s immediate need: replacing sixteen deteriorating windows in its historic building. He displayed a quote from Home Depot for $12,446.65. The Home Depot contact plans to donate his time, reducing the labor costs significantly. The Legion also carries out extensive year-round service work, including Toys for Tots gathering, sorting and wrapping, serving roughly 650 children across eastern Calhoun County. The group also supports veterans and their families, hosts the city’s annual Memorial Day parade, and donates to sister-city efforts overseas. “If there is a need, and there is a veteran’s name attached to it, we’re here to take care of it,” Smith said. He also noted that the Legion Hall remains available for community use, from repasses to celebrations.
The next presenter, introduced by local financial advisor Brandy Eggleston, was Hoof and Heart, a horse-rescue and sanctuary led by Robin Walters. The organization has helped more than 350 horses, mules, and donkeys over the past decade, with about ninety currently in their care. Many are aging animals surrendered by owners facing medical or financial hardships. Average ages exceed twenty years, and unexpected medical costs—especially colic or choke—can drain the group’s vet fund quickly. Hoof and Heart is currently raising funds to replenish its emergency veterinary fund and repair worn shelters and fencing. The rescue maintains a satellite foster network and accepts adoptable horses under long-term contracts to ensure they do not end up at auction. Walters added that they welcome volunteers, especially in the spring, and that returnable pop cans are an unexpectedly valuable source of support. “We will pick them up,” she said, encouraging residents to donate cans and follow the organization on Facebook or its website.
Innovate Albion was represented by Caroline Dobbins Hurteau, who gave an energetic update on the city’s growing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programs. The organization served about 160 youth last summer, a 77% increase over the previous year, and recently concluded its fall robotics season with higher enrollment across K–8 teams. Parents frequently ask what opportunities follow robotics season, and this winter the organization will introduce two new programs: the Ten80 Racing Challenge for fourth- and fifth-graders, and Club Invention for K–2 and 3–5 groups. Made in 3D, a design and prototyping program for sixth through eighth grades, will also return. Innovate Albion will also continue its Girls Who Code clubs for third-through-fifth-grade students at Innovate and Harrington Elementary. Most programs last sixteen weeks and meet once a week in the late afternoon. Innovate Albion provides partial or full scholarships to about half of its participants, ensuring that cost does not become a barrier. As Hurteau explained, “If they can get to us, we welcome them,” noting the program draws students from Albion, Marshall, surrounding rural areas, and a large number of homeschool families.
Toward the end of the meeting, AAPW also reflected on its previous quarter’s recipient, the new community clothing exchange store called There’s Enough. The group, led by Ruthann Holmes, received $9,400 last quarter. The store was inspired in part by a similar exchange model in Marshall. Located on Austin Avenue in the former Vision of Life building, There’s Enough accepts donated clothing and offers it free of charge to community members in need, without paperwork or income requirements. Since receiving the AAPW award, the group has installed new flooring and added heat to the garage space where donations are processed.
Other recipients earlier in 2025 included a joint project of the Rotary Club and Ismon House, as well as a spring donation to the Albion Health Care Alliance for the Community Table of Albion. Throughout the year, the women contributed to nonprofits focused on hunger, historic preservation, youth programming, and neighborhood support, reflecting Albion’s range of needs and opportunities.
Three visitors from the Women’s Philanthropic Circle (WPC) of Marshall joined the meeting to congratulate the Albion group on its milestone. WPC was founded in late 2007 after three Marshall women attended AAPW’s very first meeting. Although both groups share the same core idea—collective giving—Marshall’s group operates differently, with a lower dollar amounts option and no formal presentations. The visitors noted that hearing presentations from local nonprofits firsthand was one of the most meaningful parts of the Albion gathering. Over eighteen years, Marshall’s WPC has donated $321,430 to twenty-seven organizations, including Mobile Meals, I’ve Got Your Back, East End Gallery, and the South Michigan Food Bank.
As the meeting concluded, members exchanged hugs, holiday plans, and quick updates about local events. The atmosphere reflected the group’s lasting commitment not only to philanthropy but also to one another. The quarterly gifts may be small on their own, but together they have touched every corner of Albion, from youth robotics to emergency food distribution, from books for kids to senior centers and community gardens, and from community halls to children’s weekend snacks.
The $750,000 milestone represents more than a financial threshold. It reflects thousands of individual decisions by Albion women to show up, to listen, and to give—quietly but consistently—for nearly two decades. The needs of the community remain significant, but so does the generosity of those who continue to invest their time, talent, and treasure in making Albion stronger. As one attendee remarked on her way out the door, looking over the crowded hall, “This is what happens when women work together.”
