Club's Caring for America Project Benefits County Women's Center

Montgomery County Republican Women successfully achieved its goal of collecting clothing for the Montgomery County Women’s Center (MCWC) by organizing a well-planned donation drive. Drive Co-Chairs Beverly Wright and Donna Norling collaborated to promote the initiative through social media and encouraged members to contribute new items, including over 50 bras, 150 panties, 50 pairs of socks, numerous tee shirts and additional clothing to the victims of domestic violence. This accomplishment not only provided essential clothing to those in need, but also strengthened the club’s and NFRW’s commitment to community service.

Volunteers sorted and packaged the donations to ensure they met the needs of the center. The clothing was presented to a MCWC representative, Linda Quiroz, at our meeting on March 27. Ms. Quiroz delivered an outstanding presentation highlighting the impactful work of the MCWC. She effectively conveyed the center’s mission, programs, and contributions to the community, engaging the audience with insightful information and compelling real-life situations. 

The MCWC (originally known as the Montgomery County Rape Crisis Coalition) began as a volunteer, grassroots organization in the fall of 1980. Its original purpose was to provide crisis intervention, counseling, and support services to victims of sexual violence. In 1986, the Rape Crisis Coalition merged with Family Violence Outreach (FVO), a satellite program of the Houston Area Women’s Center. The agency’s first shelter for battered women and children opened its doors in 1985. The following summer, the Board of Directors of the Houston Area Women’s Center requested that FVO incorporate as an independent, private organization and dissolve its relationship with the Houston Area Women’s Center. At that time, the two organizations (the Montgomery County Rape Crisis Coalition and Family Violence Outreach) merged under the name of the Montgomery County Women’s Center. The original charter and purpose were expanded to include emergency shelter, counseling, and support services for victims of both family and sexual violence.