Women Who CARE Hosting Mask Decorating Fundraiser to Support Trauma-Informed Care Project

FORT ATKINSON – Women Who CARE is hosting “30 Days of Masking,” a personal face covering decorating event and fundraiser, running now through the end of October. They invite the public to participate by purchasing a pre-made mask decorating kit for $10, use the kit components to decorate the mask that’s included, and then submit a photo of the final product by sharing the image on Women Who CARE’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/fortwomenwhocare) and/or on your personal social media accounts using the hashtag #forthealthcare. Kits can be purchased online at www.forthealthcare.com/maskevent while supplies last. Proceeds will support the Trauma-Informed Care training project in partnership with Every Child Thrives.

How to order your mask decorating kit(s)

$10 will secure one mask kit, but participants can order more than one kit. Women Who CARE will also gladly accept any donation amount above what is needed for a kit to help enhance the services they can offer the Trauma-Informed Care training project. More detailed instructions for placing an order can be found online at www.forthealthcare.com/maskevent.

Kits will be available starting the week of September 21^st. When a kit order is received, a Women Who CARE member will contact you to arrange delivery or pickup of your kit(s). Pickup locations will be available in Fort Atkinson, Lake Mills, and Whitewater, or by other special arrangement if necessary.

Dwight Heaney, Fort HealthCare Foundation Executive Director, states, “You can submit photo(s) of your mask creation as soon as your design is completed, up until October 21st.”

Women Who CARE and Fort HealthCare will be sharing the images on their respective social media accounts to increase awareness about their cause and to encourage others to participate in the event as well. Interested individuals can also follow posts about this event on the Women Who CARE’s Facebook page.

Heaney adds, “We encourage the community to join us as an individual, as a whole family, or even for a small group project or team building event. It can also be a fun thing to do with neighbors or coworkers – while following proper social distancing guidelines, of course! No artistic ability is required. Just have some fun with it!”

Trauma-Informed Care

Childhood trauma can have a lifelong impact on an individual’s health and well-being. When medical providers are aware of such history, it can be helpful to treat recurring health issues. Trauma-Informed Care is a clinical method for understanding the impact of adverse childhood experiences on your health. Proceeds from Women Who CARE’s “30 Days of Masking” event supports training about Trauma-Informed Care for Fort HealthCare’s clinical teams.

About Women Who CARE

Women Who CARE has its roots in the Women’s Giving Circle established by the Fort Memorial Hospital Foundation in 2004. A group of area women gathered for lunch once a quarter for information and inspiration about their health and well-being. Member contributions were gathered to fund various services at Fort HealthCare. A wide variety of projects were included over the years including hospital equipment, new health and wellness services, and scholarships.

In 2014, a group of members had an idea to expand the way the group functioned. Their idea was to engage the membership to determine ways in which the group could make a measurable impact on the health and well-being of people in our area. From that beginning, a Leadership Committee was formed, and the group set out to identify opportunities for service. For more information about Women Who CARE, visit www.forthealthcare.com/wwc.