Newman’s Director of Admissions Georgia Drewes ‘10, ‘12 was recently nominated a Queen Bee for Catholic Charities, and she said she is “buzzing with anticipation.”
The Queen Bee campaign is a six-week, peer-to-peer fundraiser that began Oct. 1 and ends Nov. 10. Now in its 10th year, the initiative has raised more than $776,000 cumulatively to support Harbor House Domestic Violence Shelter and St. Anthony Family Shelter in Wichita.
Drewes joins a select group of local female leaders chosen for their civic involvement, professional leadership and dedication to philanthropy. Each participant aims to raise at least $5,000, which contributes to an overall campaign goal of $211,000. At the conclusion of the campaign, the top fundraiser will be crowned Queen Bee Woman of the Year at a Nov. 12 celebratory dinner banquet.
According to the Catholic Charities website, the campaign “honors a local female leader and brings safety, dignity and shelter to families and individuals in need. Every contribution empowers parents and children in shelter programs to grow beyond circumstances, to dream, work toward a better future and ultimately, take flight — much like the bumblebee.”
For Drewes, accepting the nomination was another way to live out her faith and community stewardship.
“I didn’t realize how much Queen Bees raised for Catholic Charities, but I figured it would be a cool thing to do,” Drewes said. “And I started considering my networks at Newman, the bowling community and my parish, and thought, ‘I could do this.’”
Safe havens celebrate 20 years
The 2026 campaign comes at a milestone moment: Both Harbor House and St. Anthony Family Shelter are celebrating 20 years in their current facilities.
Alongside operational support, this year’s funds will assist Catholic Charities’ Restoration campaign to renovate both buildings with trauma-informed decor, refreshed spaces and modern amenities that promote healing.
Harbor House provides emergency shelter, a 24/7 crisis hotline, case management and outreach support for individuals fleeing domestic violence. St. Anthony Family Shelter serves as one of the few shelters in the region that is capable of keeping families with minor children together during times of homelessness.
Drewes toured both facilities in September and witnessed firsthand the vital services these shelters provide to vulnerable parents and children, including newborn infants.
Each Queen Bee’s $5,000 fundraising goal directly covers the cost to house, feed and provide essential supplies for one family in shelter for an entire month. This is a huge motivator, Drewes said.
“It makes me want to raise 10 times that amount,” Drewes said.
Living out Newman’s mission
Drewes credits her Catholic faith and Newman background for shaping her drive to serve. For her, “faith is just home,” she said.
“I don’t know what else I would do without it,” Drewes said. “And if I’m going to be pro-life, I have to be pro-life at every stage. It can’t just be babies, diapers and formula. … It has to be making sure that families have homes … that women and their children are safe.”
Her connection to the Adorers of the Blood of Christ (ASC) community has also grown deeper over the years. As a Newman student, she received the ASC Service Scholarship and volunteered regularly through campus ministry and Catholic youth organizations. She also volunteered with ICT Food Rescue and Meals on Wheels — two local efforts that combat food insecurity for those who need it.
“Providing food is a really big part of being pro-life,” Drewes added.
In 2025, after more than 12 years as a Newman employee, Drewes also said “yes” to becoming an ASC Associate, whose commitment extends the reach of the ASC mission to “heal a broken world through ministry to our dear neighbor.”
Drewes views her participation in the Queen Bee campaign as a natural extension of Newman’s purpose as a university: to empower graduates to transform society.
“We always show students who come and visit our mission statement,” Drewes said. “But I tell them you can do that in big ways or small ways. It doesn’t always have to be this giant, grand, overarching gesture. You can support students, give back to Newman and be a good beacon out in the community.”
How to support
To reach her goal by Nov. 10, Drewes is planning a mix of outreach efforts, letter and email campaigns and even a bee-themed trunk or treat.
Her pitch to the campus and Wichita community is straightforward:
“This is a good chance for people to give back to two shelters that have been serving the people of Wichita,” Drewes said. “Whether we know someone who’s used their services or not, they’re doing great work and a little bit goes a long way.”
To learn more or to support Drewes in her Queen Bee campaign, visit her fundraising page or explore the main campaign.
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