Read Full Article Here

Article Snippett:

Earlier this year, Elwood resident Heather Mammolito had a conversation with a friend about a new group concept – 100 women banding together to help support their communities in an act of collaborative giving. “Thinking that it was an amazing idea, I immediately got to work and reached out to some of my closest friends, friends that I knew I could count on to start building our network,” she said.Within a month, Mammolito and friends – the same women she sought out because she considers them “doers” – scheduled the first 100 Women of Huntington meeting. The group grew organically, eventually exceeding its goal of 100 members, with like-minded women joining because they too wanted to make a difference. Many of the group members are business owners or community leaders, Mammolito said. Some of them are already involved in local nonprofit organizations.“You kindly joined forces for the betterment of the Huntington community. Your voice and determination are the reason why we’re all here tonight,” Mammolito said to a group of 118 women who met at LaMantia Gallery in Northport Village on the evening of March 1, the first day of Women’s History Month.It took Mammolito and her fellow leaders exactly 24 days to brainstorm the concept, build a website, and spread the word about the group. Members meet quarterly, with each individual woman pledging to donate $100 per meeting to an organization chosen by the group. The process not only raises money for these community nonprofits, but increases awareness of the many charitable organizations that exist within the Town of Huntington while creating a practical network of relationships for the group’s participants.The concept for 100 Women of Huntington was born from similar circles in Canada and the Adirondacks; Mammolito mimicked many of their guidelines as she began to form the group. “From there we just ran with it and threw it out there, and people seemed to be receptive,” she told the Journal.

Read Full Article Here