The Woman's Club of Radford

06/02/2026

Woman's Club of Radford is participating in this yard sale on June 6th. Please come visit us on River Course dr.

05/05/2026

Thanks to Donna Knarr for the May Newsletter.



MAY 2026
The Woman’s Club will meet May 12 at 10:30 a.m.
at the Radford Public Library

ZOE ROWELL
It is with great sorrow that we share news of the passing of Zoe Rowell on March 22. Zoe was a valued member and a wonderful person. Sadly, Zoe’s husband, John (Jack), passed away on April 16. A memorial service for them will be at Mullins Funeral Home in Radford on May 30 at 2 p.m. We extend condolences to their family and friends.

READING IS FUNDAMENTAL
Our spring book distribution is underway with McHarg, Riverlawn, and Snowville Elementary schools completed in April. Dublin Elementary school is scheduled for May. Head Start Centers in Radford, Dublin and Pulaski will also be visited in May. As in the pre-kindergarten classes in the schools, the Head Start children will be read to and all will receive the same book.


BABIES INTO BOOKS
The Woman’s Club’s BIB (Babies Into Books) provides a board book for every baby born at the Carillion New River Valley Medical Center in Radford. We have a year’s supply of books on hand. The titles include “The Pudgy Book of Mother Goose,” “Are You My Mother?” and Richard Scarry’s “Best Little Board Book Ever.” Mothers receive a brochure from the Radford Public Library on the importance of reading to children.


MARY SHERLOCK IS THE FEATURED MEMBER FOR MAY

MARY SHERLOCK
Virginia Tech is well known for its many excellent programs, but a welcome result of a VT education is the number of graduates who fall in love with Southwest Virginia and decide to live here. Mary Sherlock and her husband, Ken, are in that category.
Mary was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the middle child of five girls. Her father was an engineer who worked for refineries in Illinois. When the refinery closed the family moved to Newport News, Virginia. Mary attended Virginia Tech and majored in Mechanical Engineering. “I was the one who followed my dad around and was interested in his work,” she said. At Tech Mary met Ken who also majored in Mechanical Engineering.
They both pursued their careers in engineering and added a daughter, Andi, an electrical engineer, and Kevin, an accountant, to their family. Andi’s two-year-old son, Griffin, is their first grandchild. During the COVID pandemic when Ken and Mary talked about taking early retirement, they were living in Maryland. “We came back to where we met,” Mary commented. “I love the area.” Since they became residents of Heron’s Landing golf has been one of their regular activities. “Ken is a golfer,” laughs Mary, “I have golf clubs.”
Mary is a new member of the Woman’s Club who attended her first RIF distribution at McHarg Elementary this year. Her second was at Snowville Elementary. “This age group is new to me because I taught at a community college but it all begins with literacy. I always had wanderlust, and books satisfied that for me.”


YARD SALE
On June 6 from 8a.m. to 12:00, the Woman’s Club will be participating in the annual Heron’s Landing Yard Sale. This event is a good fundraising opportunity as well as a means of increasing visibility of the club and its programs. We will be set up at 8224 River Course Drive at Vicki Tupman’s house. We will be selling baked goods along with yard sale items. Donations may be brought to Vicki’s on Friday, June 5, from 4 to 8 p.m. Any large items, such as furniture, that do not sell must be picked up on Saturday.

Woman’s Club of Radford Contact Information

Email address: [email protected]: www.facebook.com/WomansClubOfRadford
Web Site : (our web site is not currently active)
Mailing address: Woman’s Club of Radford – P.O. Box 1524 – Radford, VA 24143-1524

WCR Officers for 2026-2028

President Vicki Tupman [email protected]
Vice President Teresa Swarthout [email protected]
Treasurer Nancy Kolb [email protected]
Secretary Carole Ellison [email protected]

WCR Board of Directors
Maureen Thomas Betty Overdorf Ellaine Wilson

The Woman's Club of Radford, established in 1901, is a volunteer organization made up of women of all ages. Our mission is to encourage and support literacy in children.

04/16/2026

Some great pictures from RIF at McHarg and Riverlawn Elementary School.

03/02/2026

Read the March Newsletter thanks to Donna Knarr.

MARCH 2026 NEWSLETTER
The Woman’s Club will meet March 10 at 10:30 a.m. at the
Radford Public Library, 30 West Main Street, Radford.

Slate of Officers for 2026-2028 Term

Officers were elected at the February meeting and will be installed at the end of the March meeting. The current officers have graciously consented to serve another two-year term. The President may serve two consecutive terms.

President: Vicki Tupman
Vice-President: Teresa Swarthout
Treasurer: Nancy Kolb
Secretary: Carole Ellison

WELCOME NEW MEMBER NANCY PUGH

An avid reader herself, Nancy was drawn to the Women’s Club by the Reading is Fundamental program which encourages children’s literacy. “I want to do something good,” she commented.
Nancy and her husband, Billy, moved from Florida to Pulaski County in 2022. Originally from the Philadelphia area, she was working in administration in the athletic office at South County High School in Fairfax, Virginia when she met her husband. Billy taught Social Studies at Hayfield Secondary School and coached several sports, including football. When he retired, they moved to Cape Coral, Florida because four of their children live in Florida. They have a daughter who lives in northern Virginia.
Billy grew up in Danville, Virginia and is an alumnus of Virginia Tech, so when they decided Florida was too hot, they relocated to Fairlawn. “We moved six months before Hurricane Ian,” recalls Nancy. “That was a slow-moving Category 5 storm that completely destroyed Fort Myers.” Cape Coral and Fort Myers are next to each other.
“Sanibel Island is my favorite place in the whole world, but I like living here,” she said. “It is a peaceful neighborhood and has lots of kids for my grandsons to play with when they visit.” However, she “doesn’t like the deer that eat all my flowers.”
In addition to reading historical fiction, Nancy enjoys sewing, particularly counted cross stitch. Her display of pictures that she has made features exquisite Williamsburg scenes, historical samplers and the names of notable people.

FEBRUARY MEETING

Traditionally at the February meeting members share their crafts. This activity is especially meaningful this year because, as an opportunity for fundraising, the club participated in two craft fairs in 2025. Our clever, creative members brought mason jar candles, fabric coasters, wine bags and eyeglass cases for us to admire. Since baked goods sold well last year, several members brought baked goods for sampling, all of which were judged to be delicious.

READING IS FUNDAMENTAL

This month we will be scheduling the Reading is Fundamental spring book distributions. Our supply of books is ready. We will be going to McHarg, Riverlawn, Snowville, and Dublin Elementary Schools and also to Head Start in Radford and Pulaski County.

Woman’s Club of Radford Contact Information

Email address: [email protected]
Page: www.facebook.com/WomansClubOfRadford
Web Site : (our web site is not currently active)
Mailing address: Woman’s Club of Radford – P.O. Box 1524 – Radford, VA 24143-1524

WCR Officers for 2026-2028

President Vicki Tupman [email protected]
Vice President Teresa Swarthout [email protected]
Treasurer Nancy Kolb [email protected]
Secretary Carole Ellison [email protected]

WCR Board of Directors
Maureen Thomas Betty Overdorf Ellaine Wilson

The Woman's Club of Radford, established in 1901, is a volunteer organization made up of women of all ages. Our mission is to encourage and support literacy in children.

12/12/2025

It was a great Christmas get together at the Inn at Virginia Tech this week. We also supported the NRV Women's Resource Center by donating from their wish list.

11/20/2025

The Woman's Club of Radford participated at Smithfield Plantation last weekend at Thanksgiving during the Revolutionary War. As a fundraising event, WCR had a booth, sold crafts and baked goods. Thanks to everyone that worked the booth, sewed and baked.

11/10/2025

Here is the Woman's Club of Radford November Newsletter, thanks to Donna Knarr.



NOVEMBER 2025 NEWSLETTER

The Woman’s Club will meet November 11 at 10:30 a.m. at the Radford Public Library.


READING IS FUNDAMENTAL

The Woman’s Club’s fall RIF distributions have been completed with the successful addition of Dublin Elementary School. We now serve four schools and Head Start through RIF. The next distribution will be in the spring. Additionally, the Babies into Books program at Carillion New River Medical Center provides board books for newborns. We give more than 3000 books each year in our mission to increase children’s literacy.


FUNDRAISING

In November the Woman’s Club focus turns to fundraising. Our annual letter campaign is underway. Letters will be mailed in November. The community response to our letter is greatly appreciated and has been the foundation for our success in providing books to children since the nineties. The Woman’s Club, a non-profit organization, is a 501(c)(3). All donations are tax deductible. Donations can be made by check, PayPal, online or through the QR code below which will also be on the letter.

If you prefer to make your donation now, you may use the code below.

Additionally, this year we will be participating in two craft fairs. On November 15 we will be part of “Thanksgiving during the American Revolution” at Historic Smithfield in Blacksburg, the home of Revolutionary War patriot Colonel William Preston. This event features 18th century Thanksgiving traditions, historical demos, and seasonal vendors, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

On December 13 we will be at Glencoe Museum in Radford, the home of Confederate Brigadier General Gabriel C. Wharton, for their Holiday Craft Fair from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Our members have been preparing items for sale. These craft fairs are an opportunity to increase the club’s funding, but they are also a wonderful means of telling the community about our work. We hope you will come to these events to support us. They are always interesting and fun and there will be baked goods for sale!

Woman’s Club of Radford Contact Information

Email address: [email protected]
page: The Woman's Club of Radford
Web Site : (our web site is not currently active)
Mailing address: Woman’s Club of Radford – P.O. Box 1524 – Radford, VA 24143-1524

WCR Officers for 2023-2025
President Vicki Tupman [email protected]
Vice President Teresa Swarthout [email protected]
Treasurer Nancy Kolb [email protected]
Secretary Carole Ellison [email protected]

WCR Board of Directors
Maureen Thomas Betty Overdorf Ellaine Wilson

09/21/2025

It's Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) season and the members of Woman's Club of Radford are in the schools distributing over 1200 books free to Pre-K thru fifth grade.

Pics are from Snowville and Dublin Elementary Schools. This is Dublin Elementary's first time with our RIF program. We welcome Dublin Elementary.

08/31/2025

Thanks to Donna Knarr for our September Newsletter.

SEPTEMBER 2025 NEWSLETTER

The Woman’s Club will meet September 9 at 10:30 a.m.
at the Radford Public Library.

FALL RIF DISTRIBUTION

The 2025 school year began in August with very warm temperatures. Now, at the end of August, there is a definite feeling of autumn in the air, and of course, it is time for the Woman’s Club Reading is Fundamental fall book distribution.
Inventory of supplies was taken after the spring distribution. Books have been ordered over the summer with the new addition of Amazon as a vendor resulting in some very good pricing.
Snowville Elementary (204 students) is scheduled for September 5, Riverlawn Elementary (392 students) for September 12, and McHarg Elementary (383 students) for September 26.
Head Start fall distribution is still to be scheduled. We will visit Head Start classrooms in Pulaski (34 students) and New River Community College (17 students). The Radford Head Start program has been combined with the Pre-K program at McHarg and these students will be reached with the regular McHarg distribution.
Dublin Elementary School librarian, Amanda Midkiff, contacted the Woman’s Club requesting RIF distribution for 194 students in Pre-K through second grade. This has been scheduled for September 19. We are excited to add Dublin Elementary to our RIF distributions.
The expansion to Dublin Elementary brings the number of students we serve twice a year to 1224 which means that 2448 books will be given to children to encourage their love of reading.

THE LOGISTICS OF RIF

Our RIF book distributions follow certain procedures some of which are determined by the policies of the Reading is Fundamental organization. The books given to the children are to be new books, and they are to choose their book themselves. The Pre-K students differ in that they are read a story by a Woman’s Club member and all the students receive the same book.
The Woman’s Club’s RIF coordinators order books based on inventory. The books are delivered to and stored at each individual school. On the day of the distribution, the school custodian brings the books to the designated distribution room. After the distribution the custodian returns the books to storage.
When club members get to the school at 8 a.m., their first task is to arrange the display of books. Picture books for the younger students, easy readers, chapter books, and non-fiction are presented in a colorful array on tables around the room.
Classes are brought to the distribution room in ten-minute intervals. A member of the Woman’s Club speaks to the students to welcome them and explain that the book they chose is theirs to take home and it is free. Then the real fun begins as the children select their books.
Teachers stay with their classes which is very helpful in book selection by students as teachers can guide them toward books that are appropriate reading levels. Some children choose their book very quickly and others take more time. Often after they have made their choice they sit on the floor and start reading it immediately.

For those of us of the Woman’s Club who volunteer with RIF our reward is seeing the children’s excitement and pleasure at receiving a book they can keep. Volunteers at RIF distributions do not have to be members of the Woman’s Club. The time commitment is very small as the distributions are only twice a year and volunteers can choose their schedule. For example, if RIF is scheduled from 8-12, a volunteer may choose to be there from 10-12.
We welcome non-members who would like to volunteer for RIF but we also welcome new members to the club. People say they don’t like to go to meetings, but our meetings are efficiently run and are fun too. Please consider joining us.

Woman’s Club of Radford Contact Information

Email address: [email protected]
page: www.facebook.com/WomansClubOfRadford
Web Site : (our web site is not currently active)
Mailing address: Woman’s Club of Radford – P.O. Box 1524 – Radford, VA 24143-1524

WCR Officers for 2023-2025
President Vicki Tupman [email protected]
Vice President Teresa Swarthout [email protected]
Treasurer Nancy Kolb [email protected]
Secretary Carole Ellison [email protected]

WCR Board of Directors
Maureen Thomas Betty Overdorf Ellaine Wilson

The Woman's Club of Radford, established in 1901, is a volunteer organization made up of women of all ages. Our mission is to encourage and support literacy in children.

06/13/2025

Woman's Club of Radford enjoyed a summer luncheon at The Inn at Virginia Tech last week. We enjoyed great food and did planning for next school year.

The big news is that we have added a new school to our rotation of fall and spring book distributions. We will be going to Dublin Elementary this fall. We feel lucky!