By Mike Finney

LEWES — It’s easy to see the strength and resolve of 100 women when they set their minds on bettering their communities — and that’s what the group 100 Women Who Care Southern Delaware is all about.

100WWCSD presented an award of $10,500 to the Lighthouse for Broken Wings, which helps those who are homeless in eastern Sussex County, at the Unitarian Universalists of Southern Delaware church in Lewes on Tuesday.

The women’s organization also recently partnered with the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation of Minnesota, which contributed an additional $4,650 to the agency for homeless individuals.

Toni Short, Lighthouse’s founder and director, was appreciative of the pair of checks given to her nonprofit.

“This money is going to help (homeless people) stay in hotels a little longer than usual, and that’s going to help them and their families be in a stable place, to have something to eat, because our volunteers come out twice a day for lunch and dinner,” Ms. Short said.

“Other volunteers and donors come out, and they donate money, and they also donate things that we need — laundry detergent, body wash and lotion, shampoo. … A lot of people don’t think that (unhoused people) bathe, but they do bathe, and the girls like to be girls, and they like their makeup and their jewelry, so that’s really important that they keep that identity of who they are.”

Ms. Short, who also was once homeless and living out of her car, said her organization takes care of 60-plus unhoused people living in hotels and also some that live outside.

She added that she receives between 10 to 15 calls every day from those who have found themselves in need of assistance, whether they are families, individuals or older adults.

“The children are children,” said Ms. Short. “They’re going to run around, and some of them (act like they) don’t care, but they do really care. … They want to help. They want to live back in their houses, but they’re making do in the area they are. Some are depressed, and some are happy just to have a shelter.

“I just took a woman and her husband off the street. They stayed in Millsboro in their car for two-and-a-half years with their two cats, and it was really a shame. We should do something. They’re our elders, and we should help our elders like every country does. We should not throw those who become older away. They are people, too.”

Jeri Berc, founder of 100 Women Who Care Southern Delaware, said that Tuesday’s donation was a natural fit for what 100WWCSD is trying to accomplish.

“The clients who are here might be living out in this parking lot or in the woods behind us,” she said. “(Ms. Short) has helped so many people deal with the difficulties that any one of us could be facing at any time.”

Kevin Lehman, who is currently homeless but is receiving help from the Lighthouse for Broken Wings, said he is living proof that hardships can fall upon anybody.

“It’s incredible,” he said. “(Ms. Short) has such a big heart, and it’s very honorable that she wants to do this because, I mean, who would want to do this? Sometimes, you have no control over your life, and you end up being homeless, and you don’t want to be homeless, but it happens.”

Ms. Short knows about homelessness firsthand, so when she met others in similar situations, she decided to devote her time and energy to aiding as many as she could.
Beyond arranging temporary housing, she works with clients to become more self-reliant by guiding them to community resources.

Her efforts have proven so successful that, in 2021, she was one of five people nationwide given the highest Jefferson Award for grassroots organizing: the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award for Outstanding Public Service Benefiting Local Communities.

“The people who are experiencing homelessness need a safe haven and support through the crises in their lives, as well as to strive for a better life,” Ms. Short said.

Tuesday’s donation by 100WWCSD to the Lighthouse for Broken Wings was the fourth round of giving by the group.

The first recipient was the Teach a Person to Fish Society, which received $8,130 on May 19, 2021, to support its effort to provide COVID-19-safe meals to homeless individuals and to achieve its goal of a sustainable eco-village to house and provide food and services for the needy.

The Richard Allen Coalition in Georgetown received $7,800 on Aug. 12, 2021. That funding supported renovation and restoration projects and the continuation of the coalition’s historic legacy — serving as the heart of the African American community in Sussex County.

La Esperanza, also in Georgetown, was awarded $9,255 on Nov. 17, 2021, to support immigrants on their pathways to citizenship, integration and success through the facility’s counseling services.

100WWCSD members each commit to donating $100 to the local nonprofit selected at each quarterly meeting.

Local businesses are encouraged to partner through matching funds. To date, establishments like Mariachi, SoDel Concepts, Signarama and Irish Eyes Restaurant & Pub have contributed.

“We have more money coming in. For 100 Women, everyone is welcome if you are a woman,” Ms. Berc said. “We want to get a men’s auxiliary started, but we’re going to have at least $10,000 each quarter (to make a charitable donation) into the future.

“We want to welcome all women to join us for our future donations. Every quarter, we’ll meet, and we’ll be sending out a notice for our next meeting, which will be at the end of April, so people can come and join us.”

For information, visit here, email 100womencaresd@gmail.com or call Ms. Berc at 302-233-6897.