The Welfare League of Santa Rosa
Mission Statement
To provide care and guidance for the impoverished, undernourished, underprivileged and needy. To promote the social welfare of its members, and to provide a practical means of forming enduring friendships and building a better community.
The History of Welfare League
Santa Rosa, California
When first written, our history was meant to be an introduction to our new members as to “what we were all about.” But; as we reviewed our past activities, we began to realize that we had an impressive list of accomplishments that most certainly had an impact on our community - and that we were quiet proud of all of them! We began to think about how many of our members had probably never seen a history of our organization and it would be wise to include it in The Bylaws and Standing Rules book, which should give you a good reason to look at the book more often.
Welfare League was founded in 1939 by 20 women who met with a public health nurse with the idea of forming a “Well Child Conference.” The original concern of taking care of children gradually changed to encompass the community. There were many ways of assisting the needy during those early years and they became part of the Christmas Program that included food baskets and toys. With increased involvement, they felt they should have a monthly meeting to coordinate their efforts. It was in 1943 that they finally settled on the first Friday of each month. Vi LeBaron created a seal/logo – which we still use - to give the organization an identity.
During the War years, we increased our commitment to the Well Child Conference, worked with the American Red Cross, the War Chest, and helped with local Hospitality House activities for service men and women in the area. We sold and purchased War Bonds, Knitted for Britain, and found any number of ways to be helpful to the home front of the early 40s’.
In 1947, our emphasis was TB Seals drive, American Cancer association, and a continued effort with the now named “Children’s Conference.” Doll wardrobes were needed and we made them. Broken toys were available. They were repaired with the help of willing husbands and volunteer helpers. We staffed the Los Guilucos facility. We became more organized within - setting up a card file to record our volunteer hours.
As one activity phased out, we added or substituted. Funds were raised for the Crusade for Children. Several summers we made commitments to be story tellers at the library and helped Campfire Girls on their projects and even delivered (anonymously) a few graduation dresses for some needy girls. It was clear by now that we were in need of a source of income to continue all our good works.
A “THRIFT SHOP” was the most often heard suggestion and in 1950 we decided to open the WELFARE LEAGUE SHOP. We rented a store on Mendocino Avenue and opened our doors with $600 capitalization. We amazed everyone by taking in over $495 in the first six months. Our profit of $304.74 was used to provide encyclopedias for the Hanna Boys Center, care for 24 families via the Food Bank and to provide 185 children with small toys for Christmas. It certainly was an amazing result of Welfare League’s dedication to the community - and to realize what $1 could do in those days.
As the 50s passed, Welfare League grew and prospered. There was Swim School help, camperships for needy children, clothing needs for children and adults, an occasional tonsillectomy, a bit of emergency dental work, and an offer to help with tuition and books for SRJC students. We experimented with paid workers for our Friday meeting day and by 1953, we decided Saturdays were difficult to staff, so we closed on Saturdays. We volunteered our members to assemble books for the Health and Recreation Department and found space at the Fair Grounds to assemble and work on toy repairs.
Our dedication was sprinkled with Guest Days-our imaginative chairman coming up with wonderful places for us to visit with our Guests, even a Crazy Hat party-which is revisited occasionally. There were Masked Balls and Winter Wonderland Christmas Balls, often intended to be a financial boost,- and they were. Bridge Parties were added to the mix and often were a source of funds.
We outgrew the Mendocino Shop by 1955 and decided on a shop on Third Street. The League was now using fire houses to collect toy donations that needed repair for our Christmas event. We continued to donate to special causes in the community. Wheel chairs – TVs - teacher salary supplements for child care, but always Christmas. There was a loan fund set up at the Junior College for financial aid. With all this activity, we caught the attention of the National Assistance League, who invited us to join them. After much discussion, our members - who felt we would lose our local identity - voted not to join. We opted to remain a local organization.
We had many needs and new ideas - Associate Membership, a renovated shop that helped us see we needed more space. We thought about a paid manager but, decided against it. Our help to the Salvation Army and YMCA continued and we provided Boy Scout camperships. It was about this time we began to add up the hours that our members were putting into Welfare League. By 1960, we gave up the requirement for having members bring in at least $50 worth of saleable merchandise to the shop each year as we found there was now a steady flow of donations. Our Christmas program was growing to such proportions we needed to set up a budget for it. During our first year with what we call “Christmas Unlimited”, we helped 315 families and 450 families the next year. As the need grew - the American Red Cross and eventually the Salvation Army, agreed to screen all applicants for help at Christmas. This assured all agencies offering help would not duplicate donations. We dubbed it our “Clearing House.”
In 1961 we purchased our Fourth Street Building. This was a huge obligation, but by 1962, it all seemed to fall in place. In spite of large building expense, we were still able to help with the Swim School, Well Baby Clinic, do Christmas Unlimited, and show a profit of $1,000 based on $10,000 plus receipts for the year.
In 1963 a former member’s estate provided funds for us to pay off the second mortgage. Along with her generosity, fund raising (Christmas Ball – Destination Unknown Guest Day – etc.) we celebrated our 24th anniversary – we paid off the first mortgage in 1964. Plans were made immediately to expand community projects.
During the next year, we “burned the mortgage” in a grand way, purchased a small building to donate to South Park Child Development Center and aided in the opening of the Family Services Agency. As the Federal and State programs were now filling many of the need we addressed, we began to seek other areas outside government agencies where we could help. This was the genesis of our Special Projects Committee. Because of a generous legacy, Lesta Boyle – an honorary member – was honored with her name on a SRJC scholarship. She was responsible for great Christmas lunches and donated many handmade items to Christmas Unlimited.
We found a need for a Boy’s Club bus and for $25,000 to complete a Mini Park on North Street in 1969. We no longer served at the Well Baby Clinic by 1974, so we took some money to renovate our shop. We were asked by Santa Rosa Fair Officials of the Flower Show Preview – an elegant event at the Fair Grounds – to provide and serve champagne and hors d’oeuvres. Welfare League continued this for many years and received half of the proceeds to add to our Christmas Unlimited program. Our shop was now earning around $1,000 per month in profit. We were recognized with a plaque by the Sonoma County Social Services Department for our past efforts and continuing contributions to the community.
In 1977, the program that had primarily repaired toys and hand sewn clothing for the girls, and some limited food provisions for our families, was changed enormously. Due to insurance liability changes we were not able to provide wheeled and repaired toys. We also found that the increasing numbers of plastic toys were more and more difficult to repair. The decision was made to purchase our toys and eventually purchase clothing for the children. We turned over the food giveaway to Redwood Food Bank and the Salvation Army. The increasing sales at the shop gave us the necessary funds to change our programs. With a shop remodeling and a publication of the Welfare League Cookbook in 1978 as a fund raiser, we managed to continue with most of our programs.
We departmentalized our Marking Room procedure; added a Provisional Member designation, established a Memorial Fund to honor our members – and took on the Senior Nutritional Activities Project (SNAP) – serving meals at Silvercrest and the Salvation Army Senior Living facility. We also joined the Railroad Square Association.
We felt we could pledge $30,000 to the Luther Burbank Center for the Performing Arts (now called Wells Fargo) to create a garden in 1981. There is a plaque there recognizing our donation. Our shop was earthquake proofed and we were designated a Historical Landmark. Our shop income and fundraising totaled $57,000. In 1982 Christmas Unlimited served families representing over 1200 children with new toys and clothing.
Welfare League has always looked for other ways to serve the community and we certainly did find ways we could help: there were Car Seats when a new law was passed, and we offered clothing for those just out of jail that had to find a new job. We were a source of emergency supplies if some family was in need. We have since agreed to supply Bike Helmets for children, and to have a Clothes Closet for children in need of clothing. There were always hospital layettes, one time grants for special needs during he year (Special Projects) and eventually a Back to School shopping experience for selected children greatly helped by Mervyn’s of Santa Rosa, The number of families and children served at Christmas continued to grow.
We no longer do the Flower Show Preview but have sought other means of continuing fund raising activities. We have had some luck with raising funds for the Human Race where we get a percentage of funds raised. Our members have generously given their hotel cosmetics gifts so that we are now able to put together “Make a Difference” packets for girls at various locations. We have furnished a room at one of the safe houses – and we have given to other organizations that need extra funds to carry on their programs. We have also implemented a Mad Hatters project where members knit hats that are distributed to children and adults. Hats are distributed to local schools, cancer and dialysis patients, and other organization supporting children and families. Little Dresses, is the most recent addition to our list of programs. In this program, members make dresses from pillow cases for distribution locally and to children in orphanages in Africa.
We have an occasional Open house for Christmas Unlimited – and it has been interesting to see our helpers and neighbors come into our shop for that event - all decorated for the Christmas Unlimited Distribution. We have actually had recipients of our Christmas Unlimited Program return to give a donation or work with us during our distribution. We still have volunteers that make cradles for our dolls – the legacy of those husbands and friends that made doll houses, rocking horses and lovely doll beds. Our members continue to paint the doll beds and sew mattresses, pillows and quilts for the small cradles, knit hats for the layettes, and work hard at the shop and marking room to make all this happen.
We did find that the Shop Director position was far too complex and time consuming for one of our member volunteer to handle. We now have a salaried person that runs our shop and organizes our workers. This has been a very good decision since we now have a person that is completely focused on directing and supervising all activities and business of our Thrift Shop. We have increased our Shop hours to include Sundays and special events happening in Railroad Square. Increasing Shop hours was done because of the changes in the Railroad Square area. The area has transformed from “on the other side of the freeway” to a destination spot for visitors to the Sonoma County Area. The area is now replete with restaurants, wineries and tasting rooms, and the Russian River Experience.
We now have a Publicity Committee that focuses on marketing of our Shop through various advertising venues. We have also left the “cash drawer” behind and now operate with a cash register and credit card reader.
We continue with our League programs – aiding those in need in our community. We set aside funds for Scholarships, Special Projects, Layettes, Bike Helmets, Car Seats, Clothes Closet and Christmas Unlimited. The Christmas Unlimited program had grown so that over 2000 children are served annually.
Each of you deserves a great cheer and a pat on the back for being such great members. It is work – but also unlimited satisfaction.
The Welfare League of Santa Rosa
