Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country | Founded 05-05-05

July 10, 2008 issue

High Country Women’s Fund Sponsors Believing Is Seeing Program


Story by Corinne Saunders

Beginning this week, the High Country Women’s Fund (HCWF) will offer a six-week program, Believing Is Seeing – Creating the Person You Really Desire to Be, to the women the fund serves.

After attending an HCWF Power of the Purse luncheon, Teri Wiggans, RN, MSN, FNP was inspired to call the office and offer her expertise to help local women, said HCWF Coordinator Catherine Scantlin.

Wiggans will donate her time and skills for half the program, and the HCWF will pay for the other half.

The program is indicative of the grassroots and community-based nature of the HCWF, Scantlin added.

The program goals include empowering participants to become interdependent, to reduce stress and increase positive coping mechanisms, to create dreams and learn how to manifest them, and to communicate effectively.

“[This program] is helping with the thriving part of our mission. We do a lot of work with the surviving part and [giving them tools to] maintain but this is for them to thrive,” Scantlin said.

Eight to 10 women are expected to attend the sessions that will take place every Thursday night, July 10 through August 14, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
“The women had to be referred by one of our agencies,” Scantlin said, adding that they are ready for these non-tangible skills to help them reach self-sufficiency.

Believing Is Seeing not only offers insight and important tools for self-sufficiency to the women in the program, but also offers an opportunity for community women to do more than write a check to help the women aided by the HCWF partner agencies.

The HCWF Circle of Friends members will provide dinner for the women and their children at each session.

The first 45 minutes or so will allow the participants time for sharing fellowship. During the second hour of the program, the Circle of Friends members will volunteer their time to provide childcare so the women can work with Wiggans to achieve the program goals.

“One night a week, [the women] don’t have to worry about making dinner, cleaning up after dinner or entertaining the kids,” Scantlin said. “They can focus on themselves and we can take care of the rest.”

The Wesley Foundation, located on Howard Street in Boone, has donated its space and will be the program site for all six Thursdays.