The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Altrusa celebrates century of service
Local members dedicated to providing ‘help where it is needed’
Altrusa International of Lorain County is celebrating the organization’s 100th anniversary.
Altrusa International of Lorain County is celebrating the organization’s 100th anniversary.
Members of the company gathered at Papasitos & Beer Mexican Grill in Lorain on April 11 to celebrate the nonprofit organization’s 100th anniversary.
The Lorain County club was founded in 1949 and currently has 24 members who are dedicated to service projects in the area.
Spokesperson Janet Meck said the group presently is involved in projects promoting literacy among youth in addition to providing supplies for Lucy Idol Center for the Handicapped, as well as providing warm hats and gloves for children in local elementary schools.
They have also participated in Light Up Lorain by decorating a tree at Black River Transportation Center for the holiday season, Meck said.
“Our club is dedicated to community service projects no matter how small,” she said. “We are dedicated to serving and providing for our community in any way we can.”
Donna Kuczynski, 82, has been a member for 27 years and has travelled around the world to international conferences with the organization. She said meeting fellow Altrusans from different parts of the globe in her travels to New Zealand, Australia and Ireland among other locations has given her and other members in Lorain an idea of what women face and how they can collectively work together to solve problems.
She emphasized focusing on the “little things that fall through the cracks” and asking what they as women can do to make life a little bit better for those in Lorain County.
“It is a sincere effort on our part to show that we love Lorain and we love this area and we want to do whatever we can to provide help where it is needed,” Kuczynski said.
Altrusa is an international non-profit organization focused on community service. It was founded in Nashville, Tennessee in 1917 by Dr. Alfred Durham as a chain of national clubs for business and professional women. In 1935 Altrusa became international when the first club in Mexico was organized. As of January 2008, Altrusa had around 10,000 members in 383 clubs from 13 countries.
This year’s international convention will be held in Nashville to mark 100 years of service.
Lorain will send four representatives to partake in the festivities.
On April 28 Lorain County Altrusans will be holding a storytelling event at Arabica Restaurant at 254 Park Ave. in downtown Amherst between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. where attendees are welcome to tell their best tales.