Welcome to August! The first Sunday in August is celebrated as National Friendship Day. It reminded me of the first BPWEV meeting I attended 14 years ago and how welcomed I felt. Many of us have developed close friendships, shared stories and have been there for one another. We at BPWEV are a unique group of women. Each of us with our own unique stories come together for the common good. We realize the importance of friendship and extending a hand. Our group is generous with their time and resources, always rising to better the lives of those around us. We bring hope to the lives of our scholarship recipients, make the Holidays a little brighter for those in need, help students by providing school supplies and so much more.

As we celebrate our friendships, let’s continue to “put away all pretenses and meet each other face-to-face without self-pity and without prejudice. May we never be hasty in judgment and always generous”. That is the essence of our organization and our members!

Morina Chmielak