Salt Lake Ladies of Charity fund women's projects

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Lori Donnester

My mother and I were talking about how negative the news is, and she told me she wished she heard about good things once in a while. Looking around, I see good things. I’d like to tell you about one of them.  

When I first joined the Salt Lake City Ladies of Charity, I heard about various programs to which we donated. One of them was Kiva. I had no idea what that was, but when I finally dug in and asked some questions, I was delighted with what I discovered.

Kiva is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that helps fund people through a lending program. You donate to someone, they create their business dream, and you get your money back. Ninety-six times out of 100, the lender is repaid. You can lend money to anyone throughout the world who applies to be considered and approved by the organization.

In 2017, the SLC Ladies of Charity decided we wanted to donate to support women’s organizations. Our remarkable treasurer, Carol Huffman, chose Kiva. We made our first of many loans, and we’ve been repaid in every instance. Then we turn around and lend again. Since our first advance, we’ve made 33 loans to women in 14 different countries. A few of our loans have been as small as $25. With Kiva, you can choose to whom your money goes, and Carol usually picks women who don’t need too much to complete their project.

The small amount loaned does so much good. For example, a woman in Paraguay saved up money to open her own grocery store. Then she used a Kiva loan to stock the shelves. She is now a successful grocery store owner and has paid back the loan. There are many, many stories like that on the Kiva website.

A small loan can do so much good and create a positive story. I didn’t have to look farther than the SLC Ladies of Charity to find it.

And remember, if you see a beautiful moment, talk about it no matter how small. The ripple effects can drown the negativity.

Lori Donnester is a member of the Ladies of Charity of Salt Lake City.