On Dec.13, the Poplarville Women’s Club will host their annual fundraiser, the Christmas Parade of Homes, to raise money for the club’s scholarship program.
Each year, the group awards about four to five scholarships, depending on the amount of funds raised, Poplarville Women’s Club Carolyn Tedford said.
The primary mission of the women’s club is to raise money and support community projects, she said. The Poplarville Women’s Club was established in 1942 to promote an ideal home and civic life along with the welfare of young people.
In addition to next month’s parade of homes, the 31-member group also hosts a spring luncheon, a fall and spring Bunco fundraiser and a yard sale to benefit Paint the Town Pink and local cancer patients.
“We sew hats for cancer patients and host a secret Santa for families in need,” Tedford said. “We also support Backpack Buddies and the Excel By 5 resource and activity center.”
The club participates in Pearl River County Hospital and Nursing Home’s Making Strides against Breast Cancer event, and raises money for the American Cancer Society.
The women collect toiletries and personal items for victims of domestic violence, Tedford said. Locally, the club supports Brothers’ Keeper Ministries, the nursing home and Hydrate a Fireman, where they collect Powerade and Gatorade for the firefighters.
For nearly a decade, the women’s club has hosted the festive parade of homes and this year’s tour will feature six locations, including Brentwood Steakhouse, Juniper Grove Baptist Church, The Blueberry Inn, the home of Randy and Nicole Brown, the home of Deborah Warren and Pearl River Community College’s Malone Chapel.
This year’s hospitality house is the Brentwood Steakhouse, located at 3750 Highway 53, where guests can enjoy refreshments, inquire about directions to other homes and also purchase tickets, Tedford said.
All six locations will be decorated for Christmas, she said.
The parade of homes will begin at 1 p.m. and last until 5 p.m.
Tickets cost $5. For more information about purchasing a ticket contact Tedford at 601-310-0377, visit Nita Gilpin at Mississippi Power on Julia Street or contact Kathy Stansy at 601-795-5656.
Every March, the Women’s Club hosts a membership drive, Tedford said. Members send out invites to friends and community members to a recruitment tea.
“We share with them what we do,” Tedford said. “If they are interested in joining, we vote as a group on whether or not to accept their membership. The tea helps because we can tell them more about our club. It’s so much more than our monthly meetings.”
The Poplarville Women’s Club meets the first Thursday of each month from September to May and for more information about the organization, contact Tedford.