$19.00

About Suffer & Grow Strong

Ella Gertrude Clanton Thomas was an intelligent, spirited woman born in 1834 to one of the wealthiest families in Georgia. At the age of fourteen she began and kept a diary for forty-one years, documenting her life before, during, and after the Civil War. In 1851 she graduated from Wesleyan Female College in Macon, Georgia. Then in 1852 she married her Princeton-educated husband expecting to live a charmed life. However, with the coming of the Civil War and its aftermath, her life changed forever. Thomas experienced loss of wealth, bankruptcy, the death of loved ones, serious illness, and devastating family strife. In 1893, Thomas moved to Atlanta where she became active in many women’s organizations. She found comfort in her work with the Women’s Christian Union and the Suffrage Movement, and began producing articles for newspapers that describe her work after the war. In 1899 Thomas was elected president of the Georgia Woman Suffrage Association. Because of her own losses, she was sensitive to the well-being of other women. Her life is an amazing story of survival and transformation that speaks to women in our own time.

is a 501 (c)(3 ) non-profit organization founded by author Carolyn Curry:

EDUCATION & EMPOWERMENT

Because of their relevance through all phases of life, Women Alone Together focuses on the three categories to the right for our educational events.

Each seminar offers substantive information presented by a credentialed expert – often a successful woman – objectively and without any aspect of business solicitation.  These presentations focus on the positive and  offer a fun learning atmosphere.  Our members learn to “know what they don’t know;” decide when they should consider expert or outside help; and gain the confidence necessary to meet the future with happiness and excitement.  Knowledge is power, and it helps our members to LEAD their lives in every sense of that word.

1) FINANCIAL AND LEGAL

Gain confidence in your financial future and security in the knowledge that your legal affairs are in order.  Ensure that all of your planning remains current through changes in the law and fluctuations in the economy.

2) HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Break the dangerous habits of worrying more about the health of others than your own and of visiting the doctor only when you are ill.  Take control of your health with the latest trends and research in women’s vitality and healthcare.

3) EMOTIONAL &  PERSONAL GROWTH

Change – whether it involves the loss of a loved one, becoming single again, occupational crossroads, or the other ups and downs of life – can be spiritually and emotionally crippling.  Let the knowledge and experience of counselors, mental health experts, and other women who have navigated the same challenges you are facing help you to stay on (or regain) your truest, best, and happiest path.

BOOK GROUP

Our Women Alone Together Book Group meets once a month on the second Thursday beginning in September and continuing through the school year. We do not meet in December or the summer months of June, July and August.

Meetings are held at the Colonnade Restaurant at 1879 Cheshire Bridge Road NE, Atlanta, Georgia, from 6:00 PM until approximately 9:00 PM.

Each attendee pays in advance for her meal at a cost of approximately $27.00 to $30.00 which includes tax and gratuity.

Following our meal together, discussion of the book will be led by the author, a professor, teacher or group member. Members select books in advance which include fiction, non-fiction, best-sellers, classics – any worthy book thought appropriate by members.

Anyone who enjoys reading is invited to these interesting, lively discussions.

CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF ALL PAST BOOKS/AUTHORS>

SPECIAL EVENTS & GATHERINGS

We present several seminars a year from one of our three focus areas:

1) Health/Wellness

2) Legal/Financial

3) Emotional/Personal Growth.

Experts from these various fields are invited to present the programs which are usually held on the Agnes Scott Campus in Decatur or in the Club Room at 2660 Peachtree Rd. NW, in Buckhead.

A small fee of $15.00 or $20.00 will be charged to help pay our speakers and cover cost of refreshments. Occasionally, we will have a covered dish luncheon in conjunction with these seminars when participants bring a dish to share.

Anyone interested in these important topics is invited.

We also have gatherings of special interest to our members such as plays, field trips and other such excursions. Arrangements will be made in advance and minimal fees charged to cover costs of tickets and other expenses. These events add to our knowledge but also help to develop community and camaraderie among our members.

Amanda Vining photo

Amanda holds a BS in Biology from Georgia College & State University. She began her career as an educator with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. After leaving the DNR, Amanda became a formal educator with Baldwin County School System and Jasper County School System. Amanda began her museum career at the Museum of Arts and Sciences (MAS) in Macon, Georgia, where she served as Curator of Environmental Science
(2011-2020). While at MAS, Amanda developed a love for sharing the world around us with the many students who visited on school field trips. During her time as Curator of Environmental Science, Amanda launched a storytime
program for preschool children.

Since 2020, Amanda has been serving Georgia Writers Museum as a volunteer on the Education Committee. Amanda has brought her love of sharing stories with students by launching Peaches’ Reading Pasture. As Museum Manager, Amanda looks forward to serving the community and helping to inspire those within our community to put words to paper and share their stories.

Amanda was born and raised in nearby Shady Dale, Georgia. Her husband, Rodney, is a native of Eatonton, and they currently reside in Putnam County. They have three children.