Eva Worden to be keynote speaker at Women United Luncheon
by Angie Matthiessen, Executive Director – United Way of Charlotte County
Traditional New Year’s resolutions come more easily for those who live in privilege.
Don’t get me wrong, anyone can make small adjustments to their caffeine intake, organizational skills and overall mindset. But eating more healthy foods and getting a gym membership (that you actually have time to use) is a lot trickier for folks who live paycheck to paycheck and may work more than one job to make ends meet.
Local families who fall into the category of ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) aren’t always able to afford healthier foods like fresh produce. I cannot imagine not having fresh produce on the table regularly, as I was privileged to spend significant chunks of my childhood on my grandfather’s farm, where I grew to love a variety of produce. It was an incredible experience that lives on in the memories I have of catching fireflies, milking cows and gathering together for big family meals. When my daughter was born, I sought out a taste of those memories at Worden Farm.
Fifteen years later, we are still connected to that farm and the veggies we bring home from there. I love the veggies and I love spending time at Worden Farm.
That is why I am thrilled that this year’s annual Women United Luncheon will be held at Worden Farm. Even more exciting to me is that Eva Worden has been selected as the keynote speaker of this event, where she will speak about her passion for families and for healthy eating. Worden Farm has partnered with United Way of Charlotte County (UWCC) and Women United in recent years to bridge the divide for lower income local moms who want to raise their children to love the farm and love their veggies as much as I do.
The Women United Luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 24 at Worden Farm in Punta Gorda. As a strong partner with our Women United program, providing veggie boxes and farm experiences to moms in the Kids Thrive program, Worden Farm helps empower these women to raise healthy children and keep those New Year’s resolutions.
Funding for this partnership has come from a few different sources over the years, most recently Mosaic. They provided funds to cover 280 boxes of organic local produce over the course of a 20-week farm session to Kids Thrive families. By supporting these parents and their young children (before some of them are even born), we are setting a vulnerable population up for success. Their success will impact the future of Charlotte County in a variety of ways, including reduced costs to our local hospital systems, reduced costs to our local school district and increased economic opportunity as parents are supported in broader ways. At UWCC, we know that when a family has a need, they usually have other needs. By engaging these parents through healthy food boxes from Worden Farm, we are opening the door to a deeper relationship with them, where we can help support them when other struggles arise.
I invite you to hear more about the wonders of local veggies at this seed-to-table event on Jan. 24. Chef Erik Decker will be preparing a delicious menu for you to enjoy as we celebrate the women of Charlotte County under the Worden Farm gazebo. Event tickets are $50, and a donation of a children’s book is requested.
Your participation in the annual Women United luncheon is an opportunity for you to experience the privilege it is to enjoy healthy food, network with likeminded members of our community and savor the atmosphere of Worden Farm. To learn more or to purchase your tickets, visit unitedwayccfl.org/women-united-lunch.
For more information about United Way of Charlotte County’s mission: Mobilizing the power of our community to break the cycle of poverty, please contact Angie Matthiessen, Executive Director. She can be reached at director@unitedwayccfl.org.