Women’s Symposium at SMU to address volunteerism

WINONA, Minn. — In 2010, 36 million women (29.3%) dedicated 4.7 billion hours of service to communities across the country.

This year’s public “For the Common Good” Women’s Symposium, hosted by Saint Mary’s University’s Saint Teresa Institute, delves into the question of why women choose to give so generously of their time and the impact it has on the quality of life and the security of citizens in the United States and around the world.

The event will be held from 3:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 12, in SMU’s Toner Student Center.

Beth Forkner Moe, executive director of the United Way of the Greater Winona Area, will set the stage in her opening address. The keynote by Sister Tierney Trueman, OSF, will provide an inside look at the work of faith-based organizations. She will highlight one of the Sisters of Saint Francis ministries, which provides education for approximately 1,000 girls at Colegio Santa Francisca Romana in Bogotá, Colombia.

Participants can select from three breakout sessions:

• Does it Matter? Does volunteering really make a difference in securing, retaining or being promoted to a position in the workplace?
• In Community: Why does business actively encourage employee volunteerism?
• Still Serving: Why emerging leaders, mothers and senior members of our communities volunteer.

Register online at www.smumn.edu/womensymposium by April 5. SMU students will be admitted for free; other student tickets are $10, and adult tickets are $30.