Altrusa International of Xenia Ends Thirty Years of Service to the Community

The Xenia Chapter of Altrusa International, Inc., chartered on May 21, 1990, will disband as of May 31, 2020. Original charter members include: Dolores Alston, Linda Beaver, Mary Gale Simpson and Urcelle Willis. Altrusa of Xenia is a service club that has worked for the betterment of the Xenia Community. The group’s focus has been to support activities around literacy and leadership. These recently included: Days for Girls, Dolly Parton Imagination Library, X-Out Hunger Backpack Program and the Xenia Community Schools Foundation’s Sponsored Grants Program. The Club will be making a final contribution to each of these organizations.

The Urcelle Willis Xenia Altrusa Scholarship, established in honor of the club’s first president and one of several remaining charter members, is being awarded for the final time this year to Xenia High School 2020 graduate Freya Vellia. Freya is a senior at Xenia High School and will attend Johnson and Wales Culinary College in the fall.
The group had a total of ten active members in its final year, including the four active charter members. Other members included: Carol Atzbach, Grace Tinsley-Clark, Irene Colbert, Cheri Dixon, Barbara Stafford and Phyllis Wisecup. Many other valued members have come, served and left over the years.

The groups major fundraiser, hosted each year for twenty-seven years, was the Kathryn Hagler High Tea.

Projects over the years included:

Little Free Libraries
Buckeye Girls State Sponsorship
Make a Difference Day Projects
The Caring Place Meals
Flower Garden Maintenance at the Greene County Library Garden
Xenia Schools Projects
X-Out Hunger Backpack Cuisine Project
American Education Week
Cox Elementary Schools Supplies
Stuff the Bus
K- 5 Book Giveaways at First Fridays
Friends of the Library Book Giveaway
Greene County Supervised Visitation Renovation Project
Black History Month Projects
Contributions to the Greene County Emergency Red Cross Shelter
Food Pantry Donations
Family Violence Shelter and Projects
Xenia Adult Recreation and Services Center

The first Altrusa Club was organized in Nashville, Tennessee on April 11, 1917. It was the first national organization of business and professional women. The organization became international on June 30, 1935 with extension into Mexico. As of 1987, bylaws were amended to admit men into membership.

International Theme: Leaders in Service

Mission: The purpose of Altrusa International, Inc., is to promote community service by an international network of executives and professionals in diversified career classifications.

Altrusa Motto: “Leading to a Better Community”