At a time when people face increasing demands on their time and attention, a group of women in Cranston are working to make a difference in the community.

The Cranston Community Women’s Club is one of six Rhode Island chapters of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, or GFWC. The local chapters have 186 members, part of the national group’s 85,000-person roster.

On April 10 at Cucina Rustica on Atwood Avenue, Donna Gibb, the local club’s president, provided an overview of the group’s activities, programs and charitable efforts.

“There are six community service programs that we focus on –the arts, conservation, education, home life, public affairs and international affairs,” she said. “Actually, we were able to recently help pay for a cleft lip repair through the Operation Smile initiative.”

Grace Swinksi of the Cranston Family Center praised the club for its ongoing support.

“They have always been generous to the Family Center. They donate books and gift cards. For years, they have partnered with us,” Swinksi said.

Recently, the club has been awarding college scholarships to a graduating senior from Cranston East and West.

After Gibb spoke, she turned the floor over to Karen Leach, the current state president for GFWC. She spoke about the recent all-woman Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., on April 6, which was sponsored by GWFC with support from The Beauty Lounge at Magnolia salon and spa in Cranston.

“Each state president has to pick a project. I presented it to the Cranston Community Women’s Club first because I’ve been a member there for over 20 years as well as a past president. I also belong to the Bristol County Women’s Club,” Leach said. “This project involved all six clubs equally. No one club did it. Only two GFWC members went on the flight – Debra Capuano, head of the Board of Trustees and past GFWCRI president, and myself. There were 44 veterans [on the flight] along with Chief George Farrell from Honor Flight RI and six of his staff whom are trained for emergencies and health problems, as well as Mike Montecalvo from WPRI news and four family members of the veterans. The younger veterans were guardians to the older ones,” Leach said.

On April 27, the Cranston club is participating in Healthy Kids Day at the Cranston YMCA. The club also supports the SSTARbirth residential substance abuse treatment program for pregnant, postpartum and parenting women.

“This group is membership driven,” Gibb said. “We work on what are their areas of interest. You get so much more than you give.”

For more information on the Rhode Island GFWC and the Cranston club, contact Karen Leach at sackett159@aol.com or Janice Adler at gfwcnewsri@gmail.com. The group can also be found on Facebook.