Temple Terrace Women Serve Community

The General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) is an international service organization for women who want to make a difference in the world.

In Temple Terrace, women and girls ages 12 and older can participate in one of three women’s clubs.

“You can be a GFWC member your entire life,” said Temple Terrace club spokeswoman Anita Long.

Young women in seventh- to 12-grades can join the Juniorette Club. Women of college age, young mothers and working women can join the Junior Woman’s Club. Women who are older than 40 and primarily retired, comprise the Woman’s Club. All three clubs are members of the GFWC, Florida, District 8.

The three clubs will have a joint membership social on Monday at 6 p.m. at . It is open to any female age 14 or older.

In order to understand each club a bit better, Temple Terrace Patch gathered the following information.

Temple Terrace Juniorette Club

The GFWC Temple Terrace Juniorette Club was organized in 1988. The Temple Terrace Woman’s Club was the sponsor, and Glenda Venable was the first advisor. The Juniorettes were federated at the Florida Federation of Women’s Clubs convention in 1989. They added GFWC to their name in 1997.

The Temple Terrace Junior Woman’s Club began shared sponsorship of the Juniorettes in 1991.

Through the years, members of the Temple Terrace Juniorettes have served in leadership roles at the state level in addition to their local club responsibilities. The club has received the “Best Juniorette Club in the State” eight of the past 10 years and has been a finalist for the Temple Terrace “Citizen of the Year” twice.

GFWC awarded the club first place in the area of Community Improvement Projects (CIP) in 2006. This two-year project centered on child abuse awareness and prevention and included a baby shower for teen moms. Club members did maintenance work at the child abuse council’s headquarters and made and sold child abuse awareness bracelets.

“We were especially honored to receive this award,” said advisor Joyce Johnston. “No Juniorette club had ever won the CIP award.”

Some current Juniorette projects include the community Easter egg hunt, Dr. Seuss reading program at the , holiday parties for a special needs Girl Scout troop, American Cancer Society Relay for Life, bingo parties for Hope Lodge residents, mother-daughter dinner, and the recently-added daddy-daughter game night.

The club continues interaction with the Junior Woman’s Club and the Woman’s Club for activities, such as the , Sincerely Santa, Riverhills Park Riverwalk and Holiday Social.

GFWC Temple Terrace Juniorettes meet the first Monday of each school month from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at . Contact club advisor Joyce Johnston at 813-985-3533 or joycejbear@aol.com for more information.

Temple Terrace Junior Woman’s Club

The GFWC Temple Terrace Junior Woman’s Club (TTJWC) was organized and federated 1958. It is a non-profit service organization for women and is active in community service projects throughout Temple Terrace and internationally.

The TTJWC meets in the evening to better accomodate college students, busy mothers and working women, who cannot attend daytime meetings.

Making a difference in the community are not just words for these busy women.

“We focus on projects that directly impact the community,” Long said.

Projects include the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life (Temple Terrace), , , Teacher Appreciation Week and the Heritage Ornament Project.

The TTJWC sponsored the Festival of Lights for 26 years and the American Girl Fashion show from 1998 to 2007.

The Juniors have won five awards for Outstanding GFWC Florida Junior Club in their category.

The club has helped form three new junior clubs: GFWC New Tampa Junior Woman’s Club (1997); GFWC USF Junior Woman’s Club (2009); and GFWC Lutz-Land O’Lakes/Pasco Junior Woman’s Club (2010).

Juniors raise money to support their projects through sales of "Doors of Temple Terrace" prints. The prints showcase the diversity of doors in the city. These prints are available by calling Long at 813-988-6159.

Cookbook sales also contribute to the service budget. In August, the group finished selling advertisements for its 50th anniversary edition cookbook.

The TTJWC received a certificate of appreciation in June for its service to MADD (Hillsborough County). In cooperation with Tampa Juniors, the club provided and served refreshments to victims and survivors at the MADD Candlelight Vigil in December.

“The MADD Candlelight Vigil is a sobering example of what happens when someone is intoxicated and careless behind the wheel of a car,” said Chairwoman Lynn Werner. “The results can be devastating, not only for the victims but also for the survivors left behind.”

The club meets from August to May on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at . For more information, visit www.ttjuniors.org, www.gfwcflorida.org, Facebook.com/ttjuniors, or email info@ttjuniors.org.

The Temple Terrace Juniors work together with the Temple Terrace Woman’s Club to sponsor the Juniorettes. Efforts are combined on projects such as the father-daughter dance in February, mother-daughter tea in May, combined team for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life, Meals on Wheels volunteers and National Night Out (Temple Terrace).

Temple Terrace Woman’s Club

The GFWC Temple Terrace Woman’s Club (TTWC) was founded in 1959 and became part of the Florida Federation of Women’s Clubs (FFWC) and the GFWC, the largest woman’s organization in the world.

Sixteen past presidents are active members. Three hold dual memberships with the TTJWC.

The groups first project was to start a city library. The GFWC is credited by the American Library Association with establishing 75 percent of America’s public libraries.

In 1964, the TTWC began publication of a business and residential directory, the Temple Terrace Guide, as a public service and major fund-raiser. The club was named “Citizen of the Year” in 1974 for publishing the guide. Its final issue was in 2009.

The first non-denominational prayer breakfast was in 1974 for members and guests. This annual event was opened to the public in 1992.

The TTWC takes a major role in the each November. The club, in conjunction with the parks and recreation department, began the event in 1977.

The FFWC encourages annual reports of their clubs.

“While the goal is not strictly for recognition or collecting of awards, it is a pleasant byline of our efforts reaped at state and national,” said TTWC President Marge Groene.

The GFWC recognized the TTWC with two first-place International Outreach Community Service awards at the 2011 national convention. TTWC won for collaboration and for partnership.

Along with the TTJWC, the TTWC was recently awarded the GFWC Florida Judith Lutz Federation Interaction Award for the second consecutive year. The award goes to a general and junior club that have worked together to serve their community’s and members’ interests and to further the objective of federation interaction, said Long.

The TTWC has developed “A Lasting Legacy” foundation under its non-profit status. The brochure reads: “Tribute gifts link the past, present and future. Your loved one can be remembered with a gift that is used to help serve others in our community today, as well as secure our community’s future.”

“We are accumulating a nest egg that will generate interest to use to offset annual fund-raising,” said Groene.

This is part of the creativity vested in the club’s focus of service to the Temple Terrace community, national and internationally, she said.

Celebrations, tradition giving and philanthropy are suggested tributes, said Groene. Cash, securities, real estate, charitable gift annuity and tangible property are some ways donations may be made.

The club will bring back its “Spring Boutique” fund-raiser next March. It is a luncheon and shopping opportunity.

TTWC meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month at . A social begins at 9:30 a.m. The meeting follows at 10 a.m.  

For information, visit www.gfwc-templeterrace.org.