IN CELEBRATION OF its 50th anniversary, Northwood Woman’s Club (NWC) established the Northwood Woman’s Club Patient Care Endowment Fund with a gift of $250,000 to The University of Texas at Dallas’ Callier Center for Communication Disorders. The endowment will provide access to clinical services for patients of all ages with speech, language and hearing disorders who otherwise would be unable to afford their care.

“The endowment is a tribute to the nine women who founded NWC 50 years ago and to the members who have held true to NWC’s mission for 50 years,” said Vaughn Gross, NWC 2018-19 president. “We wanted to do something significant that will live beyond us into the next 50 years.”

A women’s civic organization that helps meet the philanthropic needs of the community, Northwood Woman’s Club has supported numerous North Texas charities and typically funds multiple organizations each year. To commemorate its 50th year, NWC selected the Callier Center as its sole beneficiary and raised $250,000 that was matched by other gift funds at the Callier Center to create the $500,000 endowment.

“We wanted to partner with an organization that had high visibility and respect in the community,” Gross said. “Our members realized that this was an extraordinary opportunity to support Callier and to be associated with a multifaceted, well-known organization that makes a difference in people’s lives.”

NWC raised the funds by hosting a Divinely Decadent Birthday Bash Luncheon that was co-chaired by NWC members Rosemarie Ewton, Pam Meyercord and Beth Sutera. The event included a live auction, concert and raffle.

“This gift from Northwood Woman’s Club will ensure that individuals with communication challenges will receive the necessary services to improve their ability to communicate with the world,” said Dr. Tom Campbell, Ludwig A. Michael, MD, executive director of the Callier Center and Sara T. Martineau Professor. “We sincerely thank the leadership and members of Northwood Woman’s Club for their continued support of UT Dallas and the Callier Center.”

In 2018, NWC awarded the Callier Center a grant for $40,500, which provided audiology and speech-language services for children in need who are deaf or hard of hearing through the cochlear implant program.

“Communication is critical. If you cannot communicate, it is difficult to learn and participate in life. Giving people the tools to communicate opens doors and changes lives. It is a blessing to have this research, training and treatment institute in our backyard. The Callier Center is an asset for North Texas, a real gift for us all.”
— Vaughn Gross, Northwood Woman’s Club 2018-19 president

In 1979, NWC began an enduring relationship with The University of Texas at Dallas, when the club became interested in providing scholarships to University students.

“UTD was in its beginning,” Gross said, “and NWC decided to focus on raising money for women who wanted to get their degree or who wanted to go back to school and couldn’t afford the financial commitment.”

NWC established the Northwood Woman’s Club Scholarship Fund and has awarded annual scholarships to approximately 100 students over the years, making NWC the second-longest consecutive giving organization to the University.

“Many of our members are former educators, and everyone is passionate about education,” Gross said. “We all know that education is how you lift people up, and that is why we have continued to support UTD.”

Since 1968, Northwood Woman’s Club has awarded more than 300 grants to community organizations, and its 356 members contribute approximately 15,000 volunteer hours each year. NWC has given more than $690,000 to UT Dallas and more than $6 million to the community.