WLS is gearing up for its annual fundraiser at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Feb. 16, incoming president Janice Eisen said. In 2025, she is focused on increasing the organization’s membership and growing their network of nonprofits in Brazoria County.
“It’s the year of reconnecting,” Eisen said. “I want to attract new, and younger members.”
Get involved
The fundraiser has a “Roaring ‘20s” theme and attendees will play bunco, a social dice game where players take turns rolling three dice to score points. Outgoing president JoAnne Knodel said the event typically attracts 160-200 attendees each year.
The event will raise money for the nonprofit’s programs, which include an outreach fund, an education assistance program, and a “single moms closet” for back-to-school essentials.
WLS’s outreach fund provides emergency financial assistance for single parents who need temporary assistance to pay for utilities, rent or childcare.
In addition, the organization provides scholarships to provide additional aid for tuition and other costs associated with obtaining a degree or learning a trade, Knodel said.
During the summer, WLS also collects clothing and school supplies for their single moms closet, which it gives to families in need before the school year begins.
Why it matters
In 2024, WLS raised $19,000 to help 15 families in Brazoria County, Knodel said.
Eisen said she joined the nonprofit when her children were in college. She said her passion comes from personal experience as a single mother for several years, she said.
“I was blessed to have family support, and not everybody has that,” Eisen said. “I’ve seen so many requests where they had nobody, just them and their children.”
“One of the fun things about the group is we have a very service-minded perspective, and we're very community-minded,” Knodel said. “So anytime you meet some of the members of WLS, you're going to discover that they desire to ... make [Brazoria County] a better place to live.”
- P.O. Box 683, Pearland
- www.wlspearland.org
