Power Of The Purse Luncheon Benefits High Country Women’s Fund High Country women can demonstrate the power of their purses this month. The High Country United Way (HCUW) will hold the Power of the Purse luncheon to benefit the High Country Women’s Fund Friday, Aug. 25 from noon to 2 p.m. at Blowing Rock Country Club. Keynote speaker, Ellen Cimino, will address “Women Creating Social Change,” and a local woman will share her personal story of how she overcame adversity. The cost of the luncheon is $40, which includes lunch, program and a jewelry auction. Tables of 10 are available. Bridging the Gap The HCUW supported 38 programs for 28 local agencies last year. Recent cuts in federal and state support have led to inadequate funding of many programs, especially those that provide needed assistance for women and the variety of challenging situations they face. Allocation of United Way funds was a long and deliberate process where decisions based on which programs to fund with limited moneys were extremely difficult to make. HCUW leaders are taking steps to bridge this gap in funding for women’s programs with the Power of the Purse luncheon. A grant by the Josephine S. Leiser Foundation and Johnson City Medical Center has enabled the HCUW to create the High Country Women’s Fund (HCWF). Using the motto, “Women Matter,” the fund will work with leading service agencies to provide moneys for under-funded programs and emergency support that would otherwise leave many women short of reaching their potential. The HCWF will aid women in the areas of health and safety, education, self-sufficiency and family issues. For more information about Power of the Purse or the HCUW call (828) 265-2111, send an e-mail to hcuw@boone.net or look online at www.highcountryunitedway.org.