›› Community Involvement
Business & Professional Women is an organization of “women helping women”. Uptown BPW supports our community through the following programs:
Scholarships – Uptown awards 4 - $500.00 scholarships to women both Spring and Fall semesters. Our scholarship recipients are “non-traditional students” women returning to school for career advancement. Many of our scholarship recipients are single moms. Three of our recent scholarship recipients were honored during our Program Luncheon. These women were given the opportunity to tell us about their college experience.
All of these women expressed a deep gratitude for our support. The great thing about our scholarship program is the money can be used for anything. Some recipients use the money for babysitting while they are at school. We allow our scholarships to continue to receive money each semester as long as they maintain a 2.5 grade point average. As a result we have seen many scholarship awardees graduate and fulfill their goals.
Mabee Home Christmas - Christmas will always be the best time of the year, especially when there is giving and sharing surrounding our lives. Giving to the Mabee Home and Foster Children this past Christmas was very rewarding and uplifting for our Uptown BPW members. The selected family was very gracious and appreciative for everything our Club provided.
Safe Place – Uptown BPW sponsors a room at our local battered women’s shelter. Once a year we purchase bedding, towels decorations etc. for our room.
Hurricane Victims – The devastation of Hurricane Kathrina touched Midland. Our club purchased essentials for a family that was relocated to our city.
National Business Women’s Week (NBWW) - Each October BPW celebrates women by hosting a NBWW event. Uptown honors women from our local community during this luncheon. Proceeds go towards our general fund and raffle ticket proceeds are contributed to MD Anderson. BPW/TX has a long history (we were there at the ground breaking) with MD Anderson Hospital. Uptown has the honor of donating the most money to MD Anderson Hospital of all BPW clubs in Texas this past year. Some of our honorees include – First Lady Laura Bush (we honored her when George was governor of Texas), Judge Barbara Culver-Clack and 2005 former Golf Pro Judy Rankin. In 2006 Uptown honored entrepreneur Susie Hitchcock Hall owner of Susie's South 40.
In October 2007 Uptown honored Vicki Jay - Rays of Hope Children's Centre Executive Director as our 2007 Woman of Achievement during National
Business Women's Week.
Spring Style Show – Uptown hosts this annual event in April with proceeds going towards our scholarship fund. We hold a silent auction with proceeds going to MD Anderson Cancer Research.
Business and Professional Women/USA, founded in 1919, promotes equality for all women in the workplace through advocacy, education and information. With 1,500 Local Organizations across the country and members in every congressional district, BPW Foundation is the leading advocate for millions of workingwomen on work-life balance and workplace equality issues.
