PITTSFIELD — For Amy Chin, joining Together Women Rise was a way to step beyond the daily worries of the world and make a tangible difference in the lives of women and girls.

"It reminds you that … we are doing our little bit to make the world better for women and girls," said Chin, a leader of Pittsfield’s chapter of the organization.

On Tuesday night, the Friends of the Berkshire Athenaeum hosted a free informational presentation by Together Women Rise where attendees could learn more about what members do.

“It gets me excited … just doing this presentation,” Chin said. “We were hoping for the opportunity to let more people know about what we do and gain more members for our group.”

Together Women Rise, headquartered in Greenville, S.C., is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing global gender equality by supporting women and girls in low-income and marginalized communities around the world. The organization was founded in 2003 and has over 300 chapters in the U.S.

The Pittsfield chapter has existed for more than 10 years and currently has 121 women receiving information about its meetings, according to Marjorie Safran, a leader of the group. In 2025, the Pittsfield chapter donated more than $10,000 to Together Women Rise, Safran said, adding that in its entire existence, the chapter has donated $107,375.

Members of the Pittsfield chapter of Together Women Rise. The Pittsfield chapter has existed for more than 10 years and currently has 121 women receiving information about its meetings.

Attendance for meetings, which are normally on the first Wednesday of every month, ranges from 10 to 30 people, Safran said. Typically, meetings are held at a member’s house, starting with a potluck before diving into the grantee for the month.

Safran said that the meeting was held at the library this month to help raise awareness of the organization. Next month, the group is partnering with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute's distinguished speaker series for a Zoom conversation with Together Women Rise CEO Beverley Francis-Gibson on March 12.

On Tuesday, Chin led the presentation, which featured a brief overview of Together Women Rise and a description of the month’s grantee, The Camfed Transition Program, which supports vulnerable young women in rural Zambia as they transition from school to employment and entrepreneurship. Following the presentation, the group discussed the grantee and its impact.

Chin, who has been a member since 2017, said she joined the group at a time when she was looking to look outside herself. “I discovered that I was passionate about women’s issues,” she said, adding that it’s exciting to know that she is doing something positive.

The Pittsfield chapter does not have a fundraising goal for 2026, instead hoping to continue spreading awareness and highlighting the work being done.

“We don’t stress the fundraising part,” Chin said. “We stress what is the grantee doing?”