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On July 11, 2021, an article by Alaina Rooker appeared in the New Hope Sun Post. Click here to read our latest MNWT Blog post, where President Anna is also featured.
Welcome to the Minnesota Women of Today Media Center. We look forward to working with your media outlets. For more information about Minnesota Women of Today, please contact Executive Director Tanya Rothstein by email at csc@mnwt.org; by mail at PO Box 216, Albany, MN 56307; or by phone 320-845-2250.
If you ask yourself, “Why should I purchase sweatshirts, vests, baseball hats and other items with MNWT logo on it”? This story is a great example of why branding works.
MNWT Executive Director Katie Castro had recently stopped by the new local O’Reilly Auto Parts store in Eden Prairie to pick up new wiper blades. She struck up a conversation with the staff at O’Reilly while wearing her MNWT shirt and baseball hat which became part of the conversation. A few weeks later the O’Reilly store had its grand opening and as part of the store launch they are to support local organizations in the city of the new store location. The staff at O’Reilly remembered Katie because of her MNWT branded clothing and that is how MNWT received a $200 donation to our organization.
Just keep in mind that people are viewing your apparel, besides it being so stylish, and wondering about our organization. This is a great tool to start a conversation about your chapter and our organization. Thank you, Katie, for sharing the MNWT organization with the staff at O’Reilly’s.
In 1950, a group of dedicated women formed the Mrs. Jaycees of Minnesota with a mission of community service. Several name and organizational changes occurred over the years, and in July 1985 we became known as the Minnesota Women of Today. Our three areas of focus are Community Service, Personal and Professional Growth, and Fellowship.
Through membership, the MNWT organization has brought together over the last 70 years 7,000 women in Minnesota who are passionate about improving their lives and the lives of people around them; encourages young women to become involved and hold positions of leadership; and provides opportunities for all members in the areas of community service, growth and fellowship.
As a result, MNWT is clearly making a difference in the lives of women and their communities all around the state. Therefore, we celebrate our members efforts during the third week of September each year, and call it Women of Today week.
During Women of Today Week 2021, we celebrated our projects, the friendships we have made, honored our past and looked forward to our future with pride and optimism. We also had some amazing Public Relations opportunities. The Enger Tower (Duluth), I-35 Bridge (Minneapolis), and the Lowry Bridge (Minneapolis) were all lit up in blue for MNWT throughout the week!
The Straight River Women of Today (SRWT) chapter was extended by the Owatonna Women of Today in 1981 when Cherry Schwartz was District Director. Gary Schwartz has been a member/advisor to Straight River, whose members were special needs, since they were chartered. They met monthly for many years at the Careers Training Center, a sheltered workshop where many members worked. They grew to about 50 members maximum and worked with the Owatonna Women of Today, Owatonna Jaycees and several local groups to sponsor programming.
Officers were elected every 6 months; paperwork, etc., was completed by "advisors" who also arranged programs at meetings and set up fundraising. Their major fundraiser for many years was a pumpkin harvest in a local farmer’s field and then marketing them.
About 1990, the pumpkin harvest ended as the city fall festival was scrapped. They then began working with the Owatonna Jaycees to help with fertilizer spread and took over the entire project when the Jaycees quit. They had up to 80 customers, and spread fertilizer and crabgrass preventer/fertilizer, as well as sprayed for broadleaf weeds twice a year.
Over the next 30 years they raised over $200,000. This money was donated to several charities, many of which were for people with special needs. This included Owatonna Parks and Recreation for their programming for special needs individuals, adaptive playground equipment for Jaycee Park (with grants from the Women of Today Foundation), flowers for the planter each year, and handicapped accessible picnic tables at the Jaycee Park. There is a plaque at the park with credit to the MNWT Foundation for the adaptive playground equipment.
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