Zoe Lawhorn

When we talk about giving well, there’s a lot of ground to cover. Charitable giving can happen in so many ways, from simply placing a dollar in the plate on Sunday morning, to working with a financial advisor to set up a charitable trust. During our annual signature luncheon called the Power of the Purse, the Women’s Fund of Smith County celebrates women’s philanthropy and our own model of collective giving.

This event also helps us raise additional money to build our grant fund each year. Sponsorships, ticket sales, and all the other details add up help strengthen our ability to support the work of Smith County nonprofits. Plus, the event helps us raise awareness in the community about the powerful impact of giving well.

This year’s speaker is Becca Stevens, a woman who closely reflects our mission through her own immense work to transform the lives of women in need.

A survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Becca Stevens has made it her life’s work to help other women in need. She founded Thistle Farms in 1997 with a single home for survivors of trafficking, prostitution, and addiction. Today, the Nashville flagship includes a residential program that serves as a national model for women’s recovery, and three social justice enterprises that provide jobs to survivors — amounting to $4M in earned income last year.

Stevens developed the Thistle National Network to provide tools, workshops, and conferences to support young organizations wanting to follow its holistic model of recovery. There are now 92 organizations, providing over 500 beds to survivors, in its network. She also created Thistle Farms Global Shared Trade which supports 1,400 artisan survivors in 20 countries.

She has been featured on PBS NewsHour, The Today Show, CNN, ABC World News, named a CNN Hero, and White House Champion of Change, holds five honorary doctorates and raised over $65M in funding for justice initiatives. Drawn from 25 years of leadership in mission-driven work, Becca leads important conversations across the country with an inspiring message that love is the strongest force for change in the world.

Becca Stevens is also a prolific writer, an incredibly inspiring speaker, and just all around engaging human being. Within this huge body of work I just described is the person, Becca Stevens; but when you talk to Becca and read her writing, there’s no big persona, no big ego, no barriers – just an open-hearted, insightful woman whose heart is with those in need – from the victims she serves, to people like me who want to navigate this life living in peace and generosity, and maybe even make a difference in the lives of people nearby.

When I think about “giving well,” I love the notion that anyone can – give well, I mean. Giving well for Becca has translated into an international network of people working together to deliver women out of all kinds of terrible scenarios, to give them the tools, opportunities, and knowledge they need to recover, heal and succeed.

But giving well can honestly be as simple as attending an event that supports a mission you care about. Most of the nonprofits here use events like the Power of the Purse luncheon to bring awareness to the services they provide and to raise much needed financial support to help cover their annual expenses. Gathering together around a cause that connects us is a meaningful experience, and one that impacts real people in need around us. It’s an opportunity to give well, and to be “better together,” another phrase I love to think about as a member of the Women’s Fund.

I would love for you to join us on Nov. 8 for our Power of the Purse Luncheon at CrossWalk Conference Center at Green Acres Baptist Church. There’s no doubt in my mind, you will be inspired by Becca’s story of the powerful impact of love, healing, and empowerment, and the transformative effect of women supporting women.

If you would like more information about the event, just visit our website, www.womensfundsc.org; or call us at the office, (903) 509-1771.

— Zoe Lawhorn serves as president of the Women’s Fund of Smith County, a collective giving circle of more than 350 women with a mission of transforming our community by funding programs that enrich the lives of women and children.