Every local nonprofit has a story — and we’re here to tell it. In this edition of Behind the Mission, we caught up with the Hanover Woman's Club Juniors, to talk about how it all began, the lessons learned along the way, and what keeps them inspired to serve the South Shore community.
Can you tell us the story behind your group—when and why it was founded?
Hanover Woman's Club Juniors (HWCJ), a local volunteer organization, is part of the International General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC), of which there are 60,000 members worldwide. The organization is dedicated to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service. Our local club's purpose is to enrich the quality of life within our community through civic, cultural, educational and charitable activities. The local club was founded in 1970 by a group of Hanover residents interested in giving their time, effort and resources to some of the needs of the community.
What is your group's mission, and what needs in the community does it aim to address?
Many residents of Hanover benefit from our motto of “living the volunteer spirit.” Needs in the community have and continue to address safety issues, food insecurity, children and families in need, awareness of town policy and veterans and elders needs.
Who is involved in the group today, and how can residents get involved or support your work?
Long-standing members continue to be active in group projects, inviting friends and guests to meetings to find out what the membership involves. Several meetings have been open to guests such as meet and greets resulting in membership gains. Club information is circulated at town fairs and farmer's markets that town residents attend and publicity in newsprint, in our Hanover Living local monthly magazine and our Facebook page encourages women to join the club. Membership is not limited to Hanover residents.
What kinds of programs, events or initiatives does your group currently offer?
Our programs have included speakers to educate members and guests at open meetings. One fun and meaningful project is our annual Holiday auction. The auction is twofold, being a fundraiser for town needs and an open meeting for guests to attend and get to know us. This past auction raised funds which were donated to our local COA. Past recipients have included the local food pantry, the VNA, the Hanover fire and police departments (the police to help support their comfort dog). The past year we had a program with a speaker from a domestic violence shelter and another speaking on the history of women in the military. Needs for the shelter with donated goods by members and a monetary donation for a Coast Guard museum were made by the club. An annual event for over 45 years is our annual Breakfast with Santa. Residents from several towns attend with their children enjoying crafts, games, face painting and more, including pictures with Santa and Mrs Claus.
What impact has your group had on the community so far? Are there any moments or accomplishments you're especially proud of?
We've had an impact right from the beginning of our incorporation as a federated club. The first group of women initiated school bus safety for kindergartners with a flyer they circulated and by helping them get on the buses safely. This led to a town wide fundraiser by the club to purchase and install bus arms on all school buses in Hanover. The first bandstand at Sylvester field was built with monies raised by the club with the support of town residents, organizations and town funds. Another proud moment was in 1991, when our club joined with five Hanover church groups to form the Hanover Emergency Food Pantry. One of our club members is now president of the pantry, and six club members continue to man the pantry, supplying food to those in need. We have always supported veterans and civic projects delivering gifts to patients at the VA Medical Center in Brockton at Christmas and for sponsoring a Candidates Night each spring.
What challenges has your club faced, and how have you worked to overcome them?
As many organizations have found, membership can be a challenge. We lost many members when women began working more and had less time to devote to club activities. We have begun to see an uptick in membership through open meetings, word-of-mouth from friends who are current members, and getting the word out through publicity. Fundraising is another challenge we face each year. We are attracting some younger women who have some good ideas as to how to raise funds. This past year we had a Savers fundraiser with many club members, their neighbors and families donating goods to be brought to Savers. We were able to raise funds to be put to the support of our annual scholarships we award to senior students. This year we applied for a grant through the GFWC of Massachusetts to fund the needs of a shelter for domestic violence victims. $650 was awarded for this cause.
How does your organization collaborate with other local groups, schools, businesses or town officials?
We collaborate with local groups as often as we can for support of our projects. In addition to our Breakfast with Santa, students at the high school have assisted with our valentine project of cards, bagged candy and puzzle books to be brought to 53 recipients of Meals on Wheels. The Hanover Honors Music group from the high school helped us with the collection and packaging of all things needed for children's birthdays through our Birthday Wishes project. In addition, town residents contributed to the collection box left at the library for birthday supplies. The Hanover police and fire departments benefitted with Comfort Bears made by club members to be given to children at times of stressful situations. Members also made blankets to be distributed to teens at the Home for Little Wanderers. We also work closely with town hall and candidates running for office through our yearly Candidates Night. It is an informative event now held as a Zoom webinar. One member works closely with the national Quilts of Valor group, and with the help of other club members, handmade quilts are presented to deserving veterans. Each year we work with the high school guidance to publicize our Arts, Community Service and Achievement Scholarships presented to a Hanover senior graduating from high school and continuing with their education.
What upcoming projects, events or goals are you excited about in the months ahead?
Coming up in the remainder of the club year is the annual state meeting, where awards and citations are presented to clubs for their projects and events of the past year. The Hanover club has been the recipient of many of the awards. In March we have a fun meeting with a crock-pot contest, with members bringing their favorite crock-pot dish. In April we will collaborate with the COA with a program on dementia. Our final meeting of the year will feature our scholarship winners, who will give us a brief talk on their goals in the years following high school. In addition, the club sponsors MA Star, which sends a sophomore student to a weekend-long conference that empowers citizenship and to expand the talent they possess to become strong leaders. We invite that recipient to speak to us about the conference. They are always interesting and excited about what they have learned. We will also continue our book collection for DOVE and Books for Boots, donation for veterans.
Is there anything else you would like readers to know about your group or its work?
HWCJ would love to have you as a member. Despite its name as Juniors, the club members' ages range from 40s to our oldest member at 100, who is a charter member of the club. The club meets the second Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. September to June, with most meetings at the John Curtis Library. For more information about the club, see our website at www.hanoverwomansclubjuniors.weebly.com.