Barb Collins Helps Make a Difference One Dinner at a Time

by Lori Pumphrey

Barb Collins and her family are members of Messiah Lutheran Church in Mauldin, S.C. Growing up in the Lutheran church helped Barb form her belief in giving back to the community and helping others who live in less fortunate circumstances than her own. She was raised in a philanthropic, service-oriented family. Her father, Norm Fintel, served as president of Roanoke College (N.C.). After retirement, he was invited to help lead training sessions in Tanzania for the institutions of the Northern diocese of the Lutheran church in the Kilimanjaro area.

It was during one of her parents’ Tanzania trips that Barb and her husband took their elementary-age daughters to visit their grandparents and learn of the life and culture in Africa. The trip to Africa changed them. Barb had a new understanding of extreme poverty and of the issues confronted by women living in a developing nation. Seeing first hand the Africans' strength of faith and desire to improve their situations, Barb returned to a more unsettled life, questioning how she could make a difference from so far away. Meeting Marsha Wallace changed all that.

In the fall of 2002, Barb's neighbor, Marsha Wallace, read an article about a group of friends who got together for potluck dinners and made donations to families in need, using the money that they would have otherwise spent in restaurants. Marsha was struck by the thought of using "dining out dollars" to support women and children in developing nations. The first Dining for Women dinner was held on January 20, 2003, with 20 women in attendance; $750 was raised. At that dinner, Barb knew she wanted to join Marsha in her vision to change the lives of women and children around the world. She began to research organizations working with women and children in some of the poorest countries in the world. Soon she became the vice president and director of research for Dining for Women.

Since that first meeting in 2003, Dining for Women has achieved tax-exempt status, and was included in a national study on Giving Circles published by New Ventures in Philanthropy. From this study, Dining for Women attracted national media attention and has been featured on Good Morning America and in publications including The New York Times, Woman's Day, Guideposts, and the Delta airline in-flight magazine. Today, nearly 70 DFW chapters have been established throughout the country and in Europe and Australia. Donations have increased from $400 to $600 dollars a month to $4,000 to $6,000 each month. Last year, Dining for Women donated $49,000 to grassroots programs in every corner of the world

As vice president and director of research, Barb works to find programs that assist women and children at the grassroots level. At the same time, these programs must promote self-sufficiency. Dining for Women supports programs that train women in a vocation, increase their level of education, improve their health, and encourage their economic independence. Through careful investigation, some of the most impoverished countries are identified, along with various nonprofit organizations working within them.

Often Barb and Marsha are asked why they have chosen to donate internationally. When answering, they speak of the far-reaching effect of helping women who live in extreme poverty (defined by the United Nations as living on less than $1.00 per day). Most women who live in developing nations do not have access to the support systems that exist in much of the developed world. They work tirelessly and endlessly. They are the unseen hands that accomplish the majority of the agricultural labor and homemaking tasks needed to keep their families and communities afloat. When helping women, their children, their families, and their villages benefit. The result of what we in the United States may view as a small donation can impact generations.

Barb has witnessed the power of collective giving as the donations help empower the lives of women and children. The initial and primary focus has always been to impact the lives of those living in extreme poverty. However, over the course of time, Barb, Marsha, and the members of Dining for Women found they were educated about the issues faced by the women and children they helped. It became apparent that education of the plight of those living in extreme poverty was an integral part of the mission of Dining for Women. Last year, they teamed with Dr. Corrie Norman, who has taught women's studies at a local university. Each month, Dr. Norman writes, "Making Connections," which is an educational tool providing information about the month's selected organization, the country, and the culture, as well as the issues faced by the women and children living there.

Barb has acted boldly by partnering with Marsha and turning into reality their vision and passion to help women around the world. As a result, women and babies in Tibet survive childbirth, widows in Afghanistan receive microloans to establish businesses so they can support their families, young girls in Africa receive an education and a future, and women from war-torn countries are given assistance as they seek to rebuild their lives.