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Lutz Little Women Give A Lot

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By B.C. MANION

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 20, 2008

LUTZ - It's a sunny Sunday afternoon, and the girls come streaming into Marilyn Wannamaker's home, ready to roll up their sleeves to do some baking.

Today's goal is to make several dozen dog biscuits, most of which will go to a local humane society.

On another night, members of the GFWC Little Women of Lutz Club gather at Nye Park to watch a handler and two dogs from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Other times they may be out with trash bags, picking up litter beside the road, helping with a bingo game at a nursing home, cooking lasagna for a fundraiser or pitching in at a crafts festival.

Those are just a few ways club members get involved in community life.

The club, sponsored by the Lutz-Land O'Lakes Woman's Club, associated with the General Federation of Women's Clubs, aims to instill a sense of civic involvement in young women.

"If you catch the children while they're young and teach them to help with the community, then as they grow older they still have that mindset and they continue to help the community," said Sandra Elmore, an adult adviser.

Besides helping others, the girls develop skills that will be useful to them as they go through life, said Wannamaker, another adviser.

They learn how to run a meeting. How to deal with setbacks. How to improvise. They have a say in everything, from which activities they will take on, to how they will accomplish those tasks.

Karianne Rivera, 17, a club member for three years, appreciates being able to help chart the group's course. The adult supervisors don't dictate what club members do, Rivera said.

"They actually care what we think," she said. "They think our opinion of society is actually worth something."

The adult supervisors help club members develop good habits, Rivera said.

"They prepare you on how to conduct a meeting, on how to get to things on time, on how to act when you are doing community service," she said.

Lauren Burns, 12, said she joined the club because her sister was involved and she thought she would enjoy it more than Girl Scouts.

"I didn't want to have to earn patches and have to wear the vest. I just wanted to do community service and have more fun with it," the Liberty Middle School student said.

Christine Hodgdon, 15, who attends Freedom High, enjoys the social interaction.

"It's not like you're doing it by yourself," she said.

She also likes the nature of the projects they do, which include landscaping buildings near the fire station, raising money for cancer research and cleaning up the environment.

"We don't just do little things," she said.

Diana Nunez has three daughters - Christian, Courtney and Casey - who belong to the club. She likes the club because it gives her girls a chance to give back.

"We've lived in Lutz for 13 years," Nunez said. "It's a community that's been good to them."

Christian Nunez, the club's president, said the group has helped her develop skills that have been useful as a member of the Mayor's Youth Corps last year and the Mayor's Youth Leadership Council this year.

"This has really given me an opportunity to excel in public speaking, and it's a comfortable environment to learn how to do so," said Nunez, a Freedom High senior who has been a club member for four years.

"It's a good way to get started if you want to get involved on a larger scale," she said.

Shannon Rehak, 16, who attends Freedom High, expects the club to have a lasting effect on her life.

"It makes me feel good when I'm giving back," she said. "I think it's important to give back to the community. I'll probably volunteer my whole life."
Wannamaker said the club gives the girls a chance to show others how much teenagers have to contribute.

"Usually all you hear about is the bad kids - and there are so many good ones out there," Wannamaker said.

GFWC LITTLE WOMEN OF LUTZ

WHO: Open to girls ages 12 through 18

WHAT: A community service club. Girls can earn community service hours good for scholarship opportunities and to help fulfill requirements at some high schools.

WHEN: Regular meetings are at 7 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month.

WHERE: Nye Park, 630 Sunset Lane, Lutz

COST: $25 annual dues; $10 for a T-shirt; $14 for a pullover. Some activities have additional costs.

INFORMATION: Call Marilyn Wannamaker at (813) 949-1482.

Reporter B.C. Manion can be reached at (813) 865-1507 or bmanion@tampatrib.com.

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