Burlington Womenade: More Than a Legacy of Giving

Burlington Womenade has been an extraordinary non-profit organization dedicated to helping families in need since 2011. Recently the board members of Burlington Womenade made the tough decision to close. 

The legacy of the group, particularly on those whose lives have benefited is immeasurable. Since 2012 Burlington Womenade has organized fundraisers for 267 families in need, raising over $325,000. In the process the organization also created awareness of the generosity of local businesses and the Burlington community. Korey Barkley is the founding board member of Burlington Womenade. 

“I founded it but I definitely didn’t do anything on my own,” said Barkley. 



Barkley told how in 2010 she attended a Bedford Womenade benefit for a friend of hers who was going through chemotherapy treatments. So moved by the effort, she met with Bedford Womenade to learn more and soon enough she gathered people in Burlington and they hosted their first charitable event in 2011.

“It just grew from there. Our first event was really small, we had maybe seven people there. And the second event had like 12 people, the third event had 18. Then all of a sudden we were having events with 40 to 50 people at them,” Barkley explained.

In 2012 Barkely started teaching at the Marshall Simonds Middle School, extending Womenade’s reach and connecting with more families. Womenade also developed strong relationships with local businesses. 



“I think the most important thing we did, as an organization, was work with businesses in the area. The chamber of commerce was huge for us and helped us grow our organization and raise more money,” Barkley continued. “We were just so lucky. It sounds crazy but it was really easy to raise money because people really wanted to help and the local businesses really wanted to be involved. As a community Burlington is so lucky to have so much support out there for people”.

After 75 events, hundreds of thousands raised and countless lives touched, the organization attempted to find others to step up and recruit younger members. However after 14 years Burlington Womenade made the difficult choice to stop. 

In their departure from local philanthropy, Barkley cited all the other great nonprofits in Burlington; Wee Care, HELPIS, Burlington Youth and Families, and People Helping People.

“I feel like we’re able to leave the community in really good hands. There are so many places for people to go that we didn’t feel as badly needed if there weren’t other options.”

Raising a large amount of money, in small increments, over a long period of time, and developing charitable relationships with local commerce, Burlington Womenade generated more than funding and hope for families in need; it created a legacy of selflessness and generosity to be aspired to. 

“We love what we did, it was a labor of love,” said Barkley. “It was a way for us to feel more connected to the community while giving back.”

Article from BCAT TV