Through the BOOKS ARE CANDY FOR THE MIND literacy project, MRW members collect new and gently-used children’s books which are donated to churches, schools and shelters, for distribution to families and children who have no books. Members have contributed 6,000 books in the past decade. A treasured MRW tradition is to have the speaker at each monthly meeting sign a new book to add to the donations.

Instituted in 2013 in honor of iconic member Jeannette Wier, PROJECT SPARE CHANGE is a monthly collection dedicated to expanding the scope of various club efforts. To date, members’ donations of small change have helped Operation Duffle Bag assist local wounded veterans’ programs, contributed to Success on a Hanger’s efforts to supply transportation vouchers and other needs of folks re-entering the labor force, and established a Founders’ Fund to provide honorary MRW memberships.

THE MITTEN TREE is a fall project where the club collects winter items – mittens, hats and boots – and money to purchase books for children at the Hope Academy School in Minneapolis and Westmorland School in West St. Paul. In the five years since the project started we have donated over a hundred pairs of boots and several hundred other items to children in need.

The club donated to 3 women veterans each a $100 gift card for their personal needs. We also donated dozens of handmade quilts by Donna Kauffer, a member of the club, to the VA Hospital.

MRW donates money to help packs gift boxes for children in Foster Care (see photo below). And new for 2023 is the addition of Amnion Pregnancy Center. MRW Members donated over $850 in funds and boxes of diapers and other supplies.