Women Helping Women: A Fairy Godmothers’ Fund (WHW) will host its sixth annual Brunch fundraiser on April 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at a new location this year, Kansas Crossing Casino.
The event will feature a silent auction and raffle with themed gift baskets from local businesses, restaurants, and boutiques. Larger raffle prizes will also be available, including Kansas City Chiefs tickets located directly behind the end zone.
Women Helping Women provides one-time emergency financial support grants to women throughout six southeast Kansas counties: Allen, Bourbon, Cherokee, Crawford, Labette, and Neosho. The nonprofit operates entirely through community donations, along with select grants through the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas.
Community partners who help connect women with the program say the support can be life-changing.
“Your help would not only restore her ability to work, but also give her hope, stability and the chance to move forward with dignity after trauma,” said one partner agency representative.
The annual brunch serves as the organization’s largest fundraiser and provides the majority of the funds used to support local women throughout the year.
In 2025, WHW exceeded its previous record for financial assistance, helping more than 225 people through 82 grants totaling over $42,000. However, the need continues to increase each year. The organization’s funds are currently nearly depleted, with less than $5,000 available. The brunch fundraiser, along with continued donations throughout the year, is vital to sustaining the group’s mission.
Sponsorships help defray event costs, and as community need grows, the demand for additional sponsors continues to increase as well. Additional support opportunities include donating raffle items, experiences, or gift certificates from local businesses.
Women Helping Women fills critical gaps when other assistance programs are unable to help. Grants may cover urgent needs such as unexpected medical expenses, vehicle repairs, household repairs or appliances, and basic household items for women establishing new homes after leaving domestic violence situations. Many recipients are single mothers or disabled women without strong social support systems.
In one recent case, a grant helped cover dental extractions so a woman could move forward with a long-delayed shoulder surgery.
“The grant will fund the extractions for the patient’s dental health, and she will be cleared to get her shoulder surgery,” a partner agency representative explained. “The patient also shared that her teeth are painful, so this will help her feel better as well.”
In 2025, the average grant amount was $514, and the average recipient age was 47. While modest, these grants can make the difference between maintaining transportation, keeping employment, or avoiding homelessness.
One grant recipient shared how assistance with vehicle repairs changed her situation: “It will help fix some of the issues with my vehicle and make it safer to drive. I will have independence again.”
Since its founding in 2014, Women Helping Women has distributed more than $150,000 to over 500 women and their families.