Brian Hagberg
WARREN, Pa. – The Young Mothers Study Club donated the proceeds from its annual live auction to a trio of local organizations on Friday.
Checks were presented to A Safe Place, Caring for Life, and Choosing Openness Regarding Experiences in front of the fountain in downtown Warren. YMSC members vote for which entities to donate to each year.
“Every year we just brainstorm and pool a group of local charities and then we vote,” YMSC President Lauren Keddie said. “The three to get the top votes are the three we donate to for that year.”
The Club held its annual fundraising event on Aug. 2 at Bent Run Brewing Co. Keddie said the options that the venue provides helped contribute to a large turnout.
“We definitely had a better turnout this year,” Keddie said. “And I think it’s just been more enjoyable having it down there. There’s an outside environment. There are definitely more people coming that may not have come to our previous live auction.”
Though the name may sound somewhat dated, the YMSC is most accurately described as a social club for women with school-aged children.
“You just have to have children that are of school age, at any grade,” Keddie said. “We meet once a month. We also do a few (extra) meetings throughout the year, and some adult-only events as well. The mission is to raise funds for local charities, which we do once a year with the auction.”
Keddie said the best way for anyone interested in joining the group is to reach out via Facebook or to connect with a current member.
“We do have a limit of 30 members per year,” Keddie said. “But we do have a few open spots right now.”
While the live auction is their only fundraising event, Keddie said anyone who is so inclined can donate throughout the year as well.
“We can take cash donations at any time,” Keddie said. “Cash or gift card donations we can use in the auction pretty easily as well.”
