For two years, a group of women from Tellico Village has been gathering for food and fellowship in hopes of making a difference through Dining for Women.
“It’s hard to believe we just celebrated our second anniversary, and we remain motivated agents for change,” Dee Lilley, Loudon County Dining for Women founder, said. “Each time we meet, members open their minds, expand their hearts and reaffirm their dedication to women and children around the globe.”
Dining for Women is an educational giving circle dedicated to transforming lives and eradicating poverty among women and girls in developmental countries.
Lilley was originally part of a Dining for Women chapter in Arizona. Once she made the move to Tellico Village, she felt the need to create a chapter for the county.
“When we got here, I was talking to some friends and they asked me what did I miss and I said, ‘You know, I kind of miss Dining for Women’,” Lilley said. “I really missed that when I came here and I spent about a year looking for women’s organizations around Tellico Village and Loudon County, but it just wasn’t the same — it wasn’t global, so I started a chapter and here we are.”
Dining for Women funds grassroot projects in more than 40 countries. The projects address a wide range of issues and needs, from education and vocational training to maternal health, food security, human trafficking and violence against women and girls.
Since the organization’s inception in 2003 in Greenville, S.C., by Marsha Wallace, Dining for Women has raised more than $6 million and has awarded 192 grants to 129 grassroot organizations in 42 countries.
“There were frequent reports describing the reality of staggering oppression against women and children in developing countries,” Lilley said. “So, in 2002, (Wallace) asked friends who planned to celebrate her birthday to dine in. Each person took a dish to share and the amount that would have been spent in a restaurant was combined for a donation toward programs that empower women worldwide. This simple idea resonated, the word spread, Dining for Women was organized in 2003 and today it is recognized as the world’s largest educational giving circle.”
Each month, Dining for Women aligns with a different project. In October, the grantee was Sahar Education, which focused on reducing early marriage in Afghanistan. For November, the organization’s grantee is Safe Hands for Girls, which will place an emphasis on the need of prohibiting female genital cutting, as well as other forms of violence and abuses of women’s rights in the Republic of The Gambia.
“Aside from the global consciousness that I really enjoy, I also really like the accountability,” Glennie Browne, group member, said. “I love the accountability of the grantees. It’s a big process to get the grant money, but it’s not just one and done. They have to file reports and check on them to make sure the money is being used wisely.”
Dining for Women provides monthly educational materials about featured grantees. Members then take part in a dinner where donations are made for the cause.
“They’ll give us materials, website links, music, books and all kinds of stuff related to whatever country is being emphasized that month,” Barb Eidenmuller, co-president, said. “It’s always interesting because we’ll get together and try a different country’s native dishes and they’re usually delicious. It’s a small, unique of way of relating to them.”
“Really, it’s a way of connecting globally with these women,” Browne said. “I know we were talking in particular with this latest Afghanistan project just about how brave these women were to approach this subject of delaying marriage. As you can imagine, that’s not real popular with the fellows in that country. I haven’t been a member that long, but I imagine these women are going up against major physical, emotional and cultural obstacles, so they’re very courageous.”
Dining for Women is continuing to grow nationally, with two chapters in Knoxville and another one recently started in Nashville.
“We want this entire organization to grow,” Lilley said. “Women across the world need our help, and that’s what we want to do.”
The Tellico Village group has reached its limit for members, but encourages others locally to start chapters.
“If an individual or a few were interested in starting their own chapter, they can reach out to any of us,” Nikki Calvano, member, said. “We could answer any questions they’d have about where they could start. This chapter could really serve as a mentor chapter to one, say in Lenoir City or the town of Loudon or wherever.”
“We’d love to reach out to anyone interested in doing that,” Lilley added. “We want to encourage others around the area to get involved and know that together, we can change the world one dinner at a time.”
For more information about Dining for Women, visit www.din ingforwomen.org or contact Dee Lilley at 623-466-2719 or misty morn1995@gmail.com.
