Our History
In November 1935, twenty-four women met to consider ways to aid the nursery of the Somerset Hospital. With dues set at twenty-five cents per moth, they held bakes sales, rummage sales, and had a lawn fete to augment the treasury. These charter members performed a myriad of tasks: they made in fact clothing, blankets, curtains, and hand hemmed Birdseye diapers. They purchased the nursery’s first incubator and refrigerator. Realizing that additional members would greatly add to the range of service, in 1938 it was decided to increase the membership to sixty women. Thus, the scope of interest broadened to include the Children’s Aid home, the Gladehurst School for the Handicapped, and an education loan fund. The facility the opening of the Gladehurst School, the League purchased specialty built furniture and outdoor playground equipment.
Charter members
Vida Walker Eleanor M. Evans
Martha Gnagey Florence Musser
Dorothy Barnett Caddie Dickson
Peg Wright Essex Wagner
Hester Barchfield Kay Kissinger
Martha McNutt Dorothy Seibert
Romain Gilmour Elizabeth Gallagher
Katherine Snyder Ruth V. Hoffman
Ethel Kantner Elizabeth Sifford
Sally Shoemaker Dorothy Courtney
Betty Hershey Judy Musser
Dette Jones Elizabeth Varner
Somerset Hospital
For many years, the League provided linens for the nursery, and gradually assumed complete responsibility for furnishing all equipment and supplies including a formula table, resuscitators, bassinets, isolates, oxygen analyzer, aspirator, vaporizers, and a pediatrics table. Building fund pledges enabled us on several occasions to completely remodel the nursery, add a baby isolation room, a formula room, a clean-up room, delivery room equipment, and a Father’s room.
In 1992 the League pledged $15,000 paid over two years to the addition of the Women’s Health Center. Additionally, the League expanded its objectives in 1996 to include other areas of the Hospital. Some of our major contributions include a solarium, EKG machine, Sensograph (mammography x-ray), orthopedic instruments, pathology and medical laboratory equipment, and an Emergency Room Cardiac Care System. The League also contributed funds toward a pulmonary care unit, furniture for the pediatric unit, vital life monitoring machines, and a digital scale. In 1998 a pledge was made to help fund the MRI unit.
The Children’s Aid Home
For over 125 years the Children’s Aid home has provided care and services for the children and families of our ares. In the fall on 2001, a new era began with moving into the new Shoemaker Children’s Home on Wheeler Campus. The new Children’s Aid Home affords more space, resources, and opportunities to serve children.
AS the Children’s Aid Home Programs expand and progress, traditional and important values will remain. Foremost will be that direct care for eh children is the first priority. Furniture and decorations will be planned to create a home-like atmosphere as well as being functional. Normal children’s activities and experience will continue such as summer camp attendance, sports participation, and dance classes.
New areas of programming and services have been implemented. These include art therapy, family counseling, and specialized residential care.
Educational Funding
For many years we’ve maintained an education loan fund whereby money, without interest, was made available to students seeking higher education. This program was phased out when federal and state scholarships became more readily available. The League has sponsored students in the Licensed Practical Nurse Program and the Practical Nursing School as well as provided scholarships to qualified Allegany College and Maryland, Somerset Campus students.
Miscellaneous
As the needs of the community continue to evolve, so too do the cause and organization we work to support.
Our service record shows a sum earned and expended of over $1,000,000 for the benefit of the Somerset County community. We, the present and future members, find it a rewarding experience to serve the interest of others. We will continue to further the goals set by the twenty-four women who found this organization in 1935