What if a bingo card, a backpack, and a pot of chili could add up to $27,000 for your neighbors? In Bucks County, that math works every single year.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Christine Kerly and Anne Stroup of Makefield Women's Association (MWA) on Bucks Co Living, where they share how 55 women turn fundraising, hands-on service, and real friendship into lasting local impact. I walked away seeing my own community differently.

Here’s a preview of that episode:

Why Two Retirees Chose a Busier Life Over a Quiet One

Plenty of people retire and chase "me time." Christine and Anne went the other way, which is why I wanted them on my show.

Christine oversaw the philanthropic arm at a Philadelphia financial services company and wanted to carry that purpose into retirement. Anne worked in advertising and marketing in New York and never had time to volunteer.

Both found MWA and its local community service work, a women's service organization now in its 46th year. As a REALTOR who shares Bucks County neighborhood guides and local stories, I know buyers want to understand the people behind a zip code.

Watch the full episode here:

How a $35 Bingo Night Funds an Entire Year of Giving

The association's biggest engine is its Designer Bag Bingo fundraiser, now in its 11th year after members decided to grow beyond their Yardley Harvest Day games.

The event at St. Francis Cabrini holds 300 people and sells out every year. Businesses from Newtown to Lambertville donate to town baskets, while themed baskets cover chocolate, bourbon, and grilling.

It feels like a tailgate, with pizza, wine, and plenty of husbands playing to win a bag as a gift. Updates are posted on the MWA's Facebook page for event news. A low price and a genuinely fun night fill the room every year.

Why a Backpack Can Change a Child's Entire School Year

The group's motto works as a framework. Caring is the fundraising, commitment is the service, and community is the friendship.

Members prepare meals for homebound neighbors through Caring for Friends, serve at the Trenton Soup Kitchen, and maintain a three-mile stretch through their Adopt a Highway project on Edgewood Road. Christine put the impact in perspective.

"We also gather items. We buy new items, like it could be back-to-school material for the kids from the homeless shelter and A Woman's Place. So we're helping, trying to help the folks just feel good about themselves too and really feel like they're fitting into the community. When you think about it, donating school supplies to one of the organizations (book bags and magic markers and glue sticks), if you didn't donate these materials, maybe your child wouldn't have a book bag that year for school. So every little thing that you do really affects people's lives. When you go to the food banks, we go to one over in Morrisville, one of the churches, and pack up bags, and I think they have about a hundred families that they pack up bags for every week. And you think maybe a child wouldn't get a pack of cookies that week, or maybe they wouldn't get cereal that week if it wasn't for the food bank. So again, every little bit just changes somebody's life."

That is the heart of volunteering in Bucks County. You need a few hours, not a big check.

Letting Every Member Vote on Where the Money Goes

I loved how accountable their model is. Members nominate local 501(c)(3) charities, and a formal vote runs into spring.

Voters must have attended recent meetings, and anyone can campaign for a cause.

Winners receive their donations at the April meeting, which totaled $27,000 this year. The current MWA beneficiaries and service projects include Bucks County Housing Group, A Woman's Place, Pennsbury Scholarships, and Family Services of Bucks County.

It is a transparent way to fund Bucks County nonprofits.

The Small Business Generosity That Surprised Even the Organizers

Anne handles the raffle baskets, which means knocking on doors. She expected a rough year.

"I think the one thing that has really shocked me particularly this year is, in doing the raffle baskets, I go out and knock on doors and ask businesses to donate gift cards or items. And I really thought this year was gonna be tough. And the generosity of the small businesses throughout Bucks County and in parts of Jersey that we call on just blew my mind this year. And it's been a lot of the small businesses. It's amazing. And they're caring for the community, and they're donating because they believe in the community and they want to support what we're doing."

Restaurants, boutiques, and hardware stores rarely say “no.” The mistake to avoid is assuming a tight economy means nobody will give. I spotlight these businesses on my Facebook page for Bucks County real estate and community updates, because they carry this county.

What Changed for Me After This Conversation

Christine said something that stuck with me.

"I was also looking for an organization locally. Most of your friends, when you work as much as we do, are at work, so you don't get enough time to be really out in the town, getting to know people, getting to know neighbors. So again, that was one of my goals. And Makefield Women's does have a social arm to it where we go once a month to play trivia or just go to a restaurant and have dinner and have a drink and chat, because our meetings are so full of doing for the community that I don't get to know Anne in that type of situation. So, you do build some good friendships."

Trivia nights, a book club, and a walking club keep members connected, and younger members bring fresh ideas.

I joke that REALTORS never retire, but this changed how I see community service after retirement. What Christine Kerly and Anne Stroup of Makefield Women's Association proved to me is that one small act, repeated by neighbors, reshapes a whole community.

Want to hear my full conversation with Christine and Anne on how small acts build a stronger Bucks County?

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Makefield Women's Association do for the local community?

The group raises money, runs hands-on service projects, and donated $27,000 collectively to its selected beneficiaries at its April meeting.

How does Designer Bag Bingo support local charities?

Ticket and raffle proceeds from the sold-out event at St. Francis Cabrini fund the association's annual donations to member-voted beneficiaries.

How can someone join Makefield Women's Association?

Visit the association's website, fill out the form under the Join tab, and the membership committee will reach out. Annual dues are $35, with $5 supporting the Sunshine Committee.

Apply as a Guest on the Bucks Co Living Podcast

Bucks County is shaped by people who quietly show up for their neighbors. If you lead a local organization, run a small business, or serve this community, I want to hear your story.

Christine and Anne proved that caring, commitment, and community mean something when real people put in the hours. That is what my show exists to find: the neighbors who make Bucks County feel like home. Apply below to be a podcast guest!

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