Charles Dickens said it best: “I will honour Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year.”

The act of giving and helping our fellow man warms our hearts and becomes a blessing to those receiving the gift.

The Montrose community has proved that it can keep the giving spirit alive all year long. A new social networking and philanthropic effort has blazed its way into the hearts of women throughout the area.

The Giving Club of Montrose is a growing group of women who are excited about making a difference. Phoebe Benziger, one of the club’s founding members, said that Illene Roggensack, a member of the Grand Junction Giving Club, was instrumental in helping to get Montrose’s club up and running, just as she helped a group of men form the Guys’ Giving Club in Grand Junction.

The Giving Clubs promote a simple way of giving. Members pledge $100 at each quarterly meeting and the club donates the evening’s total contributions to a local charitable organization. Members have the opportunity to nominate a worthy nonprofit and drop names into a hat. Three names are drawn later in the evening, and those involved in the selected charities give a five-minute pitch, speaking from their heart and selling their nonprofit to the members in attendance. The members cast their votes for one of the three charities, and the winner takes all.

The club’s most recent meeting in May resulted in $10,800 donated to the winning charity, the Dolphin House Child Advocacy Center. In just two meetings, it’s donated almost $20,000 and grown to more than 90 members.

“For me, being able to do something as small as donating to community charities allows me to see where my money goes, helps build my community and makes me feel like I am making a difference,” said club member Carly Jones.

Benziger hopes that members will begin to think outside the box when considering areas that can benefit from the donated money. Women of all ages are encouraged to become members.

“The Giving Club has surpassed all expectations,” said Benziger. “It’s like watching magic happen.”

Join the Giving Club of Montrose

The club meets on the first Mondays in August and November at the Bridges

Golf & Country Club, 2500 Bridges Dr. in Montrose. For more information,

email [email protected].

Men, want to get involved?

For more information about joining the Guys’ Giving Club of Montrose, contact Kevin VanGundy at 243-8829.