By Lisa Carolin
The Homemakers Club of Chelsea is celebrating its golden anniversary this year, and the club held its fundraising event on Feb. 21 at Chelsea Lanes.
All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Waterloo Natural History Association.
“We chose the WNHA because it’s local, deals with nature and our environment, and is a great resource for the community,” said Janis Horning, president of the club, who adds that they also want to raise awareness about WNHA.
There are 18 members currently in the Homemakers Club. Horning attributes the club’s 50-year longevity to its members’ commitment.
“We meet only once a month, and the planning committee changes every year so people don’t get burned out doing the same thing year after year,” said Horning.
Members volunteer to host meetings and activities. They go to plays and on day trips as well as playing board games and arranging special holiday dinners.
“We also have ‘secret pals,’ which tends to be the favorite part,” said Horning. “Secret pal names are drawn within the group in September, and gifts are exchanged at Christmas and on birthdays, and a final gift given at next year’s September meeting when the secret pal is revealed.”
The Homemakers Club of Chelsea was started in 1964 as a spin-off of the Michigan State University extension service where people learned to do everything from taxes to hanging wall paper to cooking. A group of women broke away and began planning their own monthly activities.
“It gets us out of the house for some ‘me’ time,” said Horning.
The Homemakers Club began fundraising in 1991 and has donated to such organizations as the Hope Clinic, Alpha House, Ele’s Place, SRSLY, the Foundation for the Blind, the Red Cross, and the St. Louis Center.
This year’s donation to the WNHA will help finance the production of a new audio-visual program for the Discovery Center Auditorium, which is slated to be unveiled in the spring. Tamara Charney from Michigan Public Radio is recording the program’s narrative. The 12-minute digital program will tell the story of the Waterloo Recreation Area’s history from the ice age to the present.
The Homemakers have donated more than $26,700 to local nonprofits since 1991.
Thank you Homemakers Club of Chelsea for generously supporting the Waterloo Natural History Association. Your donation will be used to produce a new audio-visual program for the Discovery Center.
Work on the program is already underway and will be completed this spring. Chelsea is a better place thanks to your efforts over the years.