The Women of Saint Michael Gifts Committee By Monique Black and Sheryl Wylie
It’s Impact on Our Community and How to Get Involved
By Monique Black and Sheryl Wylie
History of the Gifts Committee & How It Works
Since 1967, the Women of Saint Michael (WOSM) Gifts Committee has approved grants totaling over $12,300,000. This past year, the committee, comprised of 30 women, visited agencies, spoke to their leadership, and granted $712,000 to 73 agencies across the Dallas community.
The funds available for distribution do not come from the church budget. Rather, the funds represent the combined proceeds from the St. Michael’s Woman’s Exchange at Highland Park Village, designated donations, and profits from the bi-annual parish party. Every time you direct a gift towards WOSM or shop at the Woman’s Exchange, you are contributing to the Gifts Committee!
In November of each year, the WOSM Gifts Committee opens an online grant application process in coordination with The Communities Foundation of Texas. Any organization is welcome to apply if it meets the criteria in our guidelines on our website: www.saintmichael.org/wosmgrants.
Beginning in February, the WOSM Gifts Committee of 25–30 new and returning volunteers convenes weekly to evaluate the submitted grant applications, focusing its giving on grants that help to stabilize and empower those living in poverty in Dallas County. Guided by the spirit of giving expressed in Matthew 25:35–36:
For I was hungry and you gave me food.
I was thirsty and you gave me drink.
I was a stranger and you welcomed me.
I was naked and you clothed me.
I was sick and you visited me.
I was in prison and you came to me.
Each researcher is assigned to two to three agencies. After making site visits and completing a thorough review of the application, she makes a funding recommendation in collaboration with her subcommittee. In March and April, the Gifts Committee meets weekly for presentations and discussion, and each member votes on a final grant amount.
At the annual WOSM luncheon in May, the process culminates in the blessing of the checks being mailed to the agencies.
What it is Like to Be on the Committee & How to Join
Serving on the committee is a very fulfilling experience. Here’s what a few members shared about their time as researchers on the Gifts Committee:
Parishioner Becky Odlozil says, “My time with the Gifts Committee has been my favorite volunteer job at Saint Michael. I have loved meeting others, making new friends from Saint Michael, and learning about the needs in our community. My favorite part had to be the subcommittee process, discussing grant requests and working out the best ask for the Gifts Committee presentation.”
First-time committee member Elizabeth Buchanan says, “Being part of the Gifts Committee helped me to grow spiritually. It made me more acutely aware of how different our ‘neighbors’ in the Dallas community can be. As a first-time committee member, I was impressed with the kindness and sympathy that our leaders reflected. There was an incredible sensitivity to others and how we could best impact pockets of our community.”
Anne Crawford reflects on her time, “Besides meeting a network of women I had never met before on the committee, I found myself being overwhelmed by the needs in Dallas and blessed that we can help so many people in our community as I was listening to the presentations of each individual grant request.”
Sheryl Wylie expresses, “Serving as the 2024 WOSM Gifts Committee chair was especially meaningful. I loved working with the 30 smart, dedicated volunteers on the committee, as well as with the many nonprofit agencies submitting grant applications. Years ago, I was inspired by a sermon at Saint Michael to step out of my comfort zone to make a difference to others. I worked for a nonprofit agency in Dallas for a good number of years and even wrote grant applications to the WOSM Gifts Committee. Through my personal experience, I know how WOSM grants clearly impact the lives of impoverished, downtrodden people in Dallas.”
As you can see, being a member of the committee is very rewarding, and any woman who is a member of Saint Michael is welcome to join. If you would like to learn more about serving on the committee, please send an email to Monique Black, [email protected].
Agencies Share What It’s Like to Be a Grant Recipient
Three of the agencies we funded this year shared with us what our grant meant to them.
A new recipient of WOSM gift funding, the Texas Ramp Project provides free wheelchair ramps for low-income older adults and others with disabilities. The ramps are built by volunteer crews, providing safety, independence, and improved quality of life for the clients receiving the ramps. Funding from WOSM was designated for lumber and materials to build ramps in Dallas County. “Volunteers love to build the ramps,” says Executive Director Sandra Knutson. “Where else can you transform a person’s life in a single morning?”
“Brother Bill’s Helping Hand relies on the generous support of the Women of Saint Michael to meet the needs of the neighbors we are called to serve. Thanks to this support, we have been able to open four new free food pantries and markets in the southern sector of Dallas, providing over 1 million additional meals to those who need them most. With continued funding, we anticipate serving over 3.5 million meals across all five of our food service locations in 2025. We are deeply grateful to organizations and individuals who, like the Women of Saint Michael, care for those in need. Thank you for helping us love our neighbors. God bless you.” –Wes Keyes, CEO, Brother Bill’s Helping Hand
For over 10 years, the WOSM Gifts Committee has awarded grant funding to One Man’s Treasure to purchase clothing and shoes for indigent men returning from incarceration to the Dallas area. Over 12,000 men are released annually from incarceration to the Dallas area. They are provided with $100, and only one ill-fitting shirt and pants. While they face many hurdles, finding employment is the key to successful reintegration into their families and the community. One Man’s Treasure supplies appropriate clothes to help them seek employment. Our Saint Michael’s Farmers Market has donation drives for these clothes, and WOSM funding enables the agency to purchase items rarely donated, such as underwear, work boots, and extra-large sizes.
Executive Director, Alan Raines, expressed it this way. “At the heart of One Man’s Treasure is the restoration of dignity, the rekindling of hope for vulnerable men, and the vital second chance that can help change the direction of their lives. Through the generosity and partnership of the Women of Saint Michael, One Man’s Treasure is eager to move forward in our 20th year of serving the least of these.”
**This article was written by Monique Black and Sheryl Wylie and was featured in the 2024 – 2025 Winter Archangel.