(from The Washington Post, by Phillip Rucker)
About two dozen women, in bright summer dresses and bare feet, formed a circle around Claudia Thorne's dining table and held hands. They were there to enjoy fellowship and to feast on Thorne's signature salmon, curried shrimp salad and mango ginger ale.
The women of varied ages and backgrounds make up a sisterhood of philanthropy working to change the lives of the District's women and girls by confronting the city's social ills. On a recent Sunday, they gathered to give back.
As members of the African American Women's Giving Circle, they pool their charitable dollars, debate their passions and award grants. Like a book club, they meet monthly -- at their homes, in offices and even during yoga classes held in parks...
