GFWC TAMPA JUNIOR WOMAN'S CLUB Tampa Juniors was founded in October, 1935 by forty-five members. During the first 10 years we helped the needy, handicapped children, collected blankets for the Red Cross, provided a supplementary mild fund for children of servicemen, furnished a reception room at Tampa General Hospital, collected funds for the war relief and sold thousands of dollars in War Bonds. Post War years Tampa Juniors contributed to the State School for the Deaf, Tampa General Hospital's Pediatric Ward, and The Children's Home. Tampa Juniors founded The "Clothes Closet", The Diagnostic Reading Center and helped form the Educational Television Council. In the 1970's the focus moved to Juveniles by initiating a new program called "Operation Outreach". The 80's and 90's still found the focus on Children working with the Palma Ceia School for Children with Special Needs, The Learning and Achievement Center, Hillsborough County Children's Services for Severely Emotionally Disturbed Children, Roosevelt Elementary Special Needs Cub Scout Troop and Steppin' Stone Farm. The 90’s also saw the birth of the TIGER Scholarship. This program was developed by a member of our club in honor of her father Ralph F. Schiller. The Scholarship program is still strong nearly a decade later. The new millennium drew our club closer to many of the same causes it did nearly twenty years ago. We continued to support Hillsborough County Children’s Services, Steppin’ Stone Farm and the Roosevelt Elementary Special Needs Troup. We have also seen a growth in the area of Public Affairs by showing support for Hillsborough County Fire Rescue during Fire Prevention Month and the Victorian Stroll sponsored by the University of Tampa. GFWC Our National Headquarters is located in Washington, DC. The headquarters building houses the administrative offices, the National Women's History and Resource Center and our International president during her two-year term. GFWC and FFWC have rich histories spanning over 100 years. Mrs. Jane Cunningham Croly, a newspaperwoman with the New York World, writing under the name of "Jennie June"' wanted to attend a banquet to honor Charles Dickens. Mrs. Croly was told she could not attend because she was a woman. This gave Mrs. Croly the determination to found a club for women only, thus The General Federation was founded in 1890, our motto "Unity in Diversity". This group of women has grown into one of the largest organization of volunteer women in the world with more that ten million members worldwide. FFWC The Florida Federation of Women's Clubs was organized in 1895 in Green Cove Springs, Florida. FFWC has been active in the preservation of the Everglades and building the first home at Hacienda Girls Ranch in Melbourne. First organized as the "Junior Department" of the Florida Federation of Women's Clubs, the Juniors were formed in 1922. Our State headquarters are located in Lakeland, Florida. The President of the FFWC and the Executive Committee members oversee the operation of our state federation. GFWC TAMPA WOMAN'S CLUB The Tampa Woman's Club is our mother club in Tampa. They organized in 1900 and in 1913 joined the Florida Federation of Woman’s Clubs. Today, the organization could agree, “You’ve come a long way, ladies” from its literary/social beginnings. Although many of the women still play bridge at the clubhouse on Bayshore Boulevard, “It’s not just fun and games” for their very hard working members. The Tampa Woman’s Club has and continues to support a great many cultural, civic, philanthropic and charitable programs and causes within our community. Copyright 2006 GFWC Tampa Junior Woman's Club, Inc. 2901 Bayshore Boulevard Tampa, Florida 33629 (813) 835-7320		GFWC Florida Federation of Women's Clubs "One of the largest organizations of volunteer women in the world!"