Who We Are
The Heritage League was organized for charitable and educational purposes and is a 501 (c)(3) organization. The club meets on the fourth Tuesday for general meetings. The club also enjoys special interest groups including Bridge, Books, and Home & Away.
History
THE HERITAGE LEAGUE originated in 1966 when some members wished to retire from the Junior Women’s Club and affiliate independently with the General Federation of Women’s Clubs and Nebraska Federation of Women’s Clubs, District I. LaVerne Cook was the first president. Other charter members were Bess Ash, Cec Cather, Olive Copple, Gloria DeVoe, Kay Keister, Ginny Rohrbaugh, Dee Schmadeke, Ellen Smiley, Ruth Van Boskirk and Joan Wentz. After years of various kinds of fund-raising, Cec Cather proposed sponsorship of a Holiday of Trees event for community participation and benefit.
Officers
The Heritage League officers for 2020-21:
Amy Dusenbery, President
Shalla Young, First Vice President
Colleen Batten, Second Vice President
Paula Boyd, Secretary
Peg Connealy, Treasurer
Amy Dusenbery, President, 2020-21
Shalla Young
First Vice President
Colleen Batten
Second Vice President
Paula Boyd
Secretary
Peg Connealy
Treasurer
Department Chairs
Arts & Culture
Janice Crewdson
402-464-8812
Arts & Culture
Joyce Genoways
402-488-5467
hjg511@neb.rr.com
Environment
Marge Duncan
402-261-6190
mradneyduncan@yahoo.com
Education & Libraries
Margaret Griesen
402-489-8393
mgriesen@neb.rr.com
Health & Wellness
Janet Domeier
402-483-2743
domeier@inebraska.com
Civic Engagement & Outreach
Pat King
402-489-3695
patfking123@gmail.com
Civic Engagement & Outreach
Peg Conneally
402-450-0595
pconneally@me.com
What We’re Doing
Arts & Culture
The Heritage League supports the arts by providing two music camp scholarships to middle school musicians. The youth perform at the club’s September meeting. Pictured below: Band Camp scholarship students Olivia Hookham from Mickle Middle School and Ethan Nathan Huynh from Park Middle School and their teachers.
Heritage League assisted with preparations for Artzilla at the Lied Performing Arts Center.
Environment
A 2016-2017 project of the Nebraska Federation of Women’s Clubs is Recycle, Reuse, and Repurpose.
The Heritage League donated $1000 to Community Crops. The money was used to provide additional water sources for gardens on slopes.
The Heritage League raised over $750 to help provide clean water for children in Haiti. The money was donated to “Water is Life,” an organization that provide small, portable filtration straws that hang around a child’s neck guaranteeing them clean drinking water for a year.
Education & Libraries
For more than a century, education has been a cornerstone of GFWC beliefs and practices. The Heritage League supports education in a variety of ways.
Health & Wellness
The GFWC Home Life Community Service Program is designed to inform members of issues that affect the well-being of individuals, families, and communities by providing opportunities and resources to meet and address needs through volunteering.
Civic Engagement & Outreach
GFWC and NFWC encourage members to reach beyond their own clubs and communities to help make the world better through education, advocacy and action. GFWC partners include: Heifer International, Operation SMILE, Shot@ Life, and the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.
Before the coronavirus interrupted group meetings, a monthly drawing was being held to raise funds for mosquito nets for children in Africa.
In 2018 the Heritage League donated $430 to Operation Smile. The money came from a Game Month fundraiser. Various games were played at members’ homes…bridge, Mexican train, etc. An additional $100 was sent to Operation Smile from the family of deceased member, Josie Sheffield.
The Heritage League worked in cooperation with the Cooksville (Tenn) Junior Women’s Club and the Friendship Force of Lincoln to send vitamins to the Ukraine Women’s Club. The vitamins are distributed monthly to children who had lost a parent in the war.
Money was collected to send vitamins to Ukraine in 2016 and 2017. The club also provided de-worming pills to a village in Kenya.
Civic Engagement & Outreach
High school sophomores from across the state of Nebraska, along with their local women’s club sponsors, have a wonderful day at the Capitol meeting with government officials, sitting in on a legislative hearing session, having lunch at the Governor’s Residence, and visiting the Supreme Court Chambers.
On the north entrance on the Nebraska State Capitol are the words “The Salvation of the State is the Watchfulness of the Citizen”. The GFWC Nebraska Federation of Women’s Clubs, a volunteer service organization, started Sophomore Pilgrimage in April, 1984. The purpose of the program is to create interest and educate the students about Nebraska Government. It provides an opportunity for them to meet and hear their elected government officials.
The Heritage League provides one scholarship to the Sophomore Pilgrimage to each public and private school in Lincoln. Pictured below are the 2018 students who attended the Sophomore Pilgrimage.
The GFWC Public Issues Community Service Program is designed to actively connect members with effective projects and activities relating to civic engagement.