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The Valencia Lakes West Women's Club is the place for you. Our focus is charitable giving and outreach in our local community. We hold bi-monthly meetings that are great for networking and socializing. Please come to a meeting and learn more about us.
As requested, here is Michelle Shaefer's fascinating and informative slide show from our November meeting.
UPCOMING EVENT
JUNE 12 @ 1000 in MP2: Volunteer Meeting for Walk & Roll for a Cure (10/25/25)
Walk & Roll for a Cure Donations
Donations for the Walk & Roll for a Cure benefit Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation research and clinical care across all locations. https://www.vlwomen.org/donations/?view=campaign&cid=1257.
Dollars for Scholars Campaign 2025
The Dollars for Scholars Campaign accepts donations for scholarships for local high school students to advance their education in four-year university, two-year college or vocational studies.
Volunteer
Click on the link to complete an online volunteer form. The appropriate team leader will contact you to give you more information.
Our Donations 2025
Click HERE to see how our fundraising is going in 2025.
Donations 2024
Click here to see how we donated $67,400 in 2024!
Club News
VLWWC Awards Scholarships to Students from Sumner High School
Posted on May 20th, 2025
The Valencia Lakes West Women’s Club (VLWWC) has been awarding scholarships to deserving students since 2010. The scholarships are both needs-based and academically oriented. Recipients tend to be students who are motivated, self-directed with leadership skillsets, exhibit academic excellence and possess a spirit of community mindedness.
The VLWWC Scholarship Committee initially reviews the applications to determine eligibility. The applications contain an essay on how students would give back to the community. The application process is then followed up by committee members interviewing eligible students.
Scholarships can be awarded for education at four-year university and two-year college programs as well as technical/vocational studies. Throughout the 15 years that the scholarship program has been in existence, the Valencia Lakes West Women’s Club has awarded a total of $122,000. This year there were seven scholarship recipients for a total of $13,000 in award monies. Events such as the Spring Tea and Fashion Show as well as monetary donations from club members and the VL community helped to fund the scholarship awards.
The scholarship recipients for Sumner High School in 2025 were Olivia Alvarez, Katelyn Carter, Madysen Gant, Sariah Jeffery, Rachel Nyarkoh, Kaliyah Preston, and Sasha Rachel. Fields of study for these graduates include Nursing, Criminology, Environmental Science, Film and Animation.
The May 17th ceremony concluded with an opportunity for the club members to meet the students and their families with light refreshments being served.
VLWWC donates to the SCC EMS and SouthShore CAHT
Posted on Feb 19th, 2025
VLWWC presents checks to Sun City Center EMS and SouthShore CAHT
The Valencia Lakes West Women’s Club (VLWWC) presented checks the week of February 17 to both the Sun City Center Emergency Medical Squad (SCC EMS) and the SouthShore Campaign Against Human Trafficking (CAHT). The VLWWC has 225 members and members must be residents of the Valencia Lakes community. The focus of the Club is charitable giving and outreach in the local community.
In order to raise awareness about cardiovascular health risk, which is the leading cause of death among women, the Club held a “Wear Red Dinner Dance” on February 7, 2025. The event coincided with the American Heart Association National Wear Red Day. SCC EMS Chief Michael Bardell was in attendance and spoke briefly about the role of the EMS.
The squad benefits the community by responding to emergency calls, providing education and medical equipment, and assisting with disaster communication for the Valencia Lakes community.
The squad benefits the community by responding to emergency calls, providing education and medical equipment, and assisting with disaster communication for the Valencia Lakes community.
A total of $2000 was raised and donated to the SCC EMS. With the check presentation, Deputy Chief, Ed Whitehead provided the VLWCC President and Vice Presidents with a tour of the facility.
The SouthShore CAHT has a mission to raise awareness, prevent human trafficking and to support victims and help put an end to human trafficking. Florida DCF revealed that in a county-wide data, Hillsborough County had the highest number of reports of human trafficking in Florida for 2024.
The Rescue Backpacks Program was formed eight years ago and is part of CAHT’s Victim Services Program. Since the survivors of human trafficking often have nothing but the clothes on their backs - and sometimes not even that - rescue backpacks are filled with items a newly rescued victim will need to begin a new life. They are given for free to the victims but cost approximately $60 each. Almost 800 backpacks have been distributed during the past five years. The VLWWC will again be donating $1000 to the SouthShore CAHT to purchase additional backpacks. They expect to need 224 rescue backpacks this year. Additional donations to CAHT will be accepted via their website sccblueheart.org.
The VLWWC would like to thank the entire Valencia Lakes community for their generous donations to these community partners. Additional support was obtained from the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay SouthShore Council.
Published in SCC Observer 3/20/25
Walk & Roll for a Cure 2024
Posted on Oct 30th, 2024
On Saturday October 26thth, the Valencia Lakes West Women’s Club held their annual Walk & Roll for a Cure. Over 200 Valencia Lakes residents participated in the 2.2 mile walk around the community, led by cancer survivors. The 2024 proceeds benefit Moffitt Cancer Center SouthShore, the new facility opening in Ruskin next year. Philanthropic funding is critical because cancer continues to affect over 10 million people worldwide as a cure is being sought.
Moffitt representative Melody Sofi was in attendance and provided a brief presentation. T-shirts were generously provided by realtors Zoki Mbolekwa, Kelly Peer, Phillip Wade from Dalton Wade Realtors, and Lisa Gudath from Turner Title. Culligan Water supplied over 20 cases of water and Einstein Bros. donated bagels for the breakfast that followed the event.
In addition to the light breakfast following the walk, raffles and a silent auction, with items donated by local businesses, Valencia Lakes residents, and VL clubs were held. Historically, Valencia Lakes West Women’s Club has donated a total of $195,000 to the Moffitt Foundation and this year will surpass the $200,000 figure. Donations will be accepted until the end of the year, and anyone wishing to donate can do so at https://www.vlwomen.org. The final 2024 Walk proceeds will be presented to Moffitt in January 2025.