The work done by a few in a village can create a strong sense of community.
That idea is what led Shaun Wethington to charter a local chapter of the National Council of Negro Women for the tri-county area in June 2024.
“(Dr. Mary Bethune) is the founder and we are standing on the shoulders of her beliefs. She was a true advocate and educator,” Wethington said. “We want to play a big part in bringing the Black community together by bringing positive change to help the community. Through our work, she is never forgotten.”
The NCNW was first founded in 1935 by Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, activist, educator and founder of Bethune-Cookman University. The nonprofit organization works to lead and empower Black women by promoting education, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, health care access, social justice and more.
Since the creation of the local chapter, 40 members, including four men supporters, have joined to do work benefiting the community.
In an effort to raise awareness about the group’s arrival to the area, the organization hosted a community health outreach event and participated in events such as the Soulfest celebration in Leesburg and the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the community of Royal.
To promote health care access, organizations including Charter Research, United Health Care and others were invited to participate in the community health outreach event held in November. During the event, health professionals encouraged attendees to get flu vaccinations.
The group also hosted the Smile and Dial voter education program in November to get people registered to vote.
Wethington said the goal behind these events is to get the group participating in events to bring positive change and help the community.
Although it’s only been a nine months since the local group was chartered, Wethington said it already has made a great impact.
“We’ve accomplished a lot even though we are new and still growing,” Wethington said. “Right now, we are still learning the area and the people we need to be focused on helping.”
To help have a greater impact to areas that need it, the local NCNW plans to collaborate with other groups and organizations, including the Sophisticated Gents of Florida, a club largely for Black men, and members of the Delta Sigma Theta National Sorority Inc.
The group meets 10 a.m.the first Saturday of each month at the Leesburg Public Library, 100 E. Main St. in Leesburg. During the meetings, the group reviews the basics for new members who are first learning about or participating in NCNW -related work.
“We have members who have never heard of NCNW, but want to help the community,” Wethington said. “We educate them about positions, how a meeting works, everything they would need to know to succeed.”
For more information about the local chapter of the NCNW, visit ncnw.org.
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@thevillagesmedia.com.
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