In December I attended a virtual all-cottage meeting organized by Big Ocean Women. It was just one week before Christmas, and I admit I wondered about the timing, but that 40-minute gathering was one of the sweetest gifts of the season for me. Our friend in perpetual motion, Ann Takasaki, moderated with her signature grace…
Visit to the Orphanage 12/2021 The South Sudan Juba Orphanage was established in 1960, making it the oldest orphanage in the country. Currently, it is the home of over 60 children. The orphanage is under the Central Equatoria State Ministry of Gender and Social Welfare. The orphanage does not have funders, so support to provide…
I love that the first tenet of focus for the year is “We believe in God and are women of faith.” This tenet was something that really drew me to this organization when I was first introduced because my faith gives me strength and is what guides my life. I am so thankful for my…
The Houston cottage understands and promotes individual worth, especially the worth of girls and women. This past year the cottage, led by Nikki Brown, has served in very sweet and personal ways. Families transitioning out of homelessness have many challenges. Working with a local non-profit organization, the Houston cottage members prepared and delivered meals for…
Anna Beth Mecham appears to be simply a petite, bubbly, grandmother. If you were to read her warning label, however, it would say, “Danger! Firecracker with untold impact in sparking wildfires.” In short, any contact or connection you have with her could sweep you into the path of her fiery determination and ignite desires to…
Twenty years ago, when I started having my babies, I was gifted some very lovely blankets by wonderful women I knew and loved. Some of my favorites had crocheted edges, and I would admire the handiwork when I held my babies wrapped in the beautiful blankets that offered warmth and reminded us of the love…
In May, Big Ocean Women got word of the dire situation in the Navajo Nation as a result of Covid-19 spread. Big Ocean set a one-month goal to fill a twenty-foot truck to take to Kayenta Township, in the Navajo Nation. During the month, word spread and the homes of ten members of Big Ocean…
Like nearly everything related to Big Ocean Women, the newly formed St. George, Utah cottage began with one person inviting friends to attend a Big Ocean meeting or activity. Cathy Mauluulu, a cottage leader and committee member and a close friend of Gloria Boberg, encouraged her and Allison Stingley to attend the U.N. Civil Society…
Growing up amid the beautiful green hills of North Carolina, Sarah Anderson appreciates the natural beauty of her hometown of Durham. Although she has lived in Utah, Georgia, and Florida for brief periods of time, she always returns to North Carolina. “I love it! It is beautiful, green, but most of all there is not…
The first Christmas my family spent in our home I was struck by many things: the generosity of a large group of neighbors who had stopped on a nightly walk to help us unload our moving truck, even going so far as to unpack our suitcases and hang our clothes in the closets; the lack…