"It seems there are so few opportunities for women to come together and share hopes, successes and resources (to say nothing about doing so over delicious meals for great causes, to boot!). Thank you for Third Thursday!"

What my emailing guest is talking about is Third Thursday Women at FareStart. The idea began about seven years ago, when four friends met for dinner (at FareStart, of course). We wanted to accomplish several goals: expanding the donor base for this wonderful non-profit program while having fun in the process; weaving together a networking using the dinner hour, and spreading the cost - we weren't going to individually become major donors!

What emerged was this, beginning with our 4-woman core. We each invited other "fun and interesting" women to join us for dinners on the Third Thursday of each month. (FareStart serves lunch 5-days a week lunch, dinners on Thursdays). There are now about 80 women on the roster. Every woman was invited by a woman who'd come to dinner before who, in turn, had been invited by someone else. Each, except the originating four, had her first dinner paid for by the woman who invited her. If she had an enjoyable time, she then signs onto the list - and it grows.

All women are reminded at the beginning of each month of the upcoming dinner. An organizing volunteer makes a reservation and 2-12 women meet at 6:00 for dinner and conversation. And once a year The Third Thursday Women become the Volunteer Wait Staff!

FareStart has been hugely successful with its new location, its training program, and its graduation of hundreds of formerly-homeless men and women into the culinary scene of our city. We have been a part of this. And it's not been too big a chore to keep it going. A survey sent out last week has 95% of us wishing to continue.

Feel free to use this example, adapting to your favorite cause. Community rocks! And we're better together.