Eat Out or Help Out

It's a simple recipe, really. Bring a dish to share and a check for $35, also to share. The suggested donation of $35 represents the cost of going out to dinner. This simple formula is also accompanied by a simple motto: "If you have lemons, make lemonade. If you have women, make Womenade."

Womenade was started by six women from the Washington D.C. area as an informal annual potluck dinner for a small group of friends taking turns hosting at their own houses, according to an article in the Washington Post. Now, thanks to an article two years ago in Real Simple magazine, this simple idea has turned into a national phenomenon. Womenade-like parties can be found in houses, banquet halls and church basements across America. Groups in many states have used the Womenade formula to raise money for countless men and women who have medical issues, are victims of domestic abuse, or are facing financial turmoil.

The wonderful part of these charitable gatherings is the simplicity. There are no forms, receipts, or tax deductions. There are also no overhead or salaries, and definitely no perks, such as the ones some of the large charities have been criticized for recently in the news. Womenade's simple acts of charity are the basis for the financial gifts to individuals that can be the difference between whether or not the recipient makes this month's rent, pays the heating bill, or can afford a needed prescription.

Check out a few groups listed on Google who are doing their own version of Womenade in states such as Indiana, Florida, and North Carolina.

For more information, please read the Washington Post article: "A Giving Circle of Friends: Six Area Women Turn Potluck Party Into New Charity for the Poor" (registration required.)

Catholic Connections

"Scripture teaches that God has a special concern for the poor and vulnerable.... Jesus, who identified himself with the least of these, came to preach the good news to the poor and told us, 'Give to him who asks of you, do not refuse one who would borrow from you.' The Church calls on all of us to embrace this preferential love of the poor and vulnerable, to embody it in our lives, and to work to have it shape public policies and priorities.
...Because of the interdependence among all the members of the human family around the globe, we have a moral responsibility to commit ourselves to the common good at all levels: in local communities, in our nation, in the community of nations. We are our brothers' and sisters' keepers, wherever they may be. As Pope John Paul II has said, 'We are all really responsible for all.'"
Faithful Citizenship: Civic Responsibility for a New Millennium," U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1999

Reflection Questions

How could you incorporate a charitable act into an activity you already do or to replace another activity?

Join us in our Forum to discuss these questions!