Special to the Times Vedette
The 10 Squared Women of Guthrie County began its 10th year by holding its 2026 first quarter meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at St Mary’s Catholic Church in Guthrie Center. The group welcomed four new members this quarter.
Presentations were made by Panorama PTO, Little Panther Daycare and Preschool, and the Guthrie Center Firefighter’s Association. After hearing all three presentations, the group announced that a total of $15,000 has been awarded to the Guthrie Center Firefighter’s Association. This donation consists of member contributions and several employer matches.
The Guthrie Center Fire Department (GCFD) is a public safety organization responsible for fire suppression, assisting emergency medical services, hazardous materials mitigation and technical rescue operations. The GCFD strives to provide immediate, organized responses to crises, serving as an essential pillar in the community.
This funding from the 10 Squared Women will be used to strengthen their communications. The funds will be used to help purchase new portable radios that will replace outdated ones. These new radios allow the department to greatly improve its communication both within their own department as well as within surrounding departments. They will function on multiple frequencies and wavelengths with more available channels resulting in clearer communication between multiple departments at one time.
“On behalf of the GCFD, we truly appreciate the support and partnership of the 10 Squared Women of Guthrie County in helping us achieve our mission of safeguarding the community and the volunteer men and women who make up this incredible department. This donation will directly strengthen our department’s capacity to respond safely and effectively to emergencies with the updated communications equipment to protect the public and the firefighters. We are sincerely grateful and honored to receive this donation” Brandon Schreiber, president of Guthrie Center Fire Department, said.
The Guthrie Center Fire Department encourages anyone interested in joining the department to reach out to any current member, city hall or their social media page for instructions.
10 Squared Women has now contributed a total of $445,500 since its inception in 2017. The group meets quarterly on the fourth Tuesday in February, May, August and November. Members in attendance hear from three organizations drawn at random from a pool of member-nominated organizations and then vote that night on the winning cause. Future 2026 meeting dates and locations are:
- Tuesday, May 26 at Café on the Hill, Guthrie Center
- Tuesday, August 25 at Summit Grove, Stuart
- Tuesday, Nov. 17 at Lake Lumber Co., Panora (held a week early due to Thanksgiving)
The group currently has 138 members and approximately 20 organizations nominated. To learn how to get involved, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/10squaredwomengc or email 10squaredgc@gmail.com.