Altrusa of Columbus Ga || Club History

Club History

The Altrusa Club of Columbus, Georgia, Inc. was organized on October 4, 1951 with a dinner meeting at the Ralston Hotel. Altrusa began in Columbus with fifteen members. At the Charter Night ceremonies, March 14, 1953, there were 29 members. We currently meet at TTOI on Brown Avenue. In 1953, Altrusa began a regular association with other women's clubs in our area. This led to leadership in the spearheading of the "Fight Blight Association," a joint effort of women's clubs to clean up Columbus. We continued this project until 1961 when the drive was discontinued.

In 1954, Altrusa Club of Columbus awarded the first music scholarship. This scholarship stands today and is given to two or three deserving students each year from the Chattahoochee Valley area. The scholarship was named the Rex and Kathleen Lavender Music Scholarship in 1986 in honor of Mrs. Kathleen Lavender who was a charter member of Altrusa Club of Columbus and remained a member until her death in 1985.

In 1970, Altrusa Club of Columbus organized a book drive, securing 1,000 books and establishing a library for the Muscogee County Jail. The club received honorable mention for the District Three Mamie L. Bass Community Service Award for this project.

In 1971, Altrusa Club of Columbus served the Listening Eyes School (a school for the deaf and the severely hearing-impaired children) by furnishing educational materials and supporting the parents association. This continued for a number of years.

In 1979, Altrusa Club of Columbus pioneered the first adult literacy program in Muscogee County. Again, in 1980, the club was district runner-up for the Mamie L. Bass Community Service Award because of this project. Altrusa and its members were responsible for the founding of the Muscogee Area Literacy Association and its sole financial support until 1986 when other civic clubs and local businesses became involved.

In 1957 and 1985, Altrusa Club of Columbus, now called Altrusa International, Inc. of Columbus, Georgia, hosted the District Three Conference for our organization. Both occasions were very successful and productive.

In 1988, the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer joined Altrusa with their support for our used book sale. The book sale began in 1976 as a bi-annual fund-raiser but was soon upgraded to annual at the request of Columbus Square Mall where it was then held. With the added support of the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, this became a major joint fund-raising and service activity. The book sale is timed to cover the week including National Literacy Day, September 8.

In 1993, Altrusa supported the effort to build a Ronald McDonald House in Columbus by pledging a $10,000 donation and agreeing to furnish the library in the house. The pledge was met in 1995. The Club has now focused on providing yearly support for one or more rooms and basic food and paper product staples, as well as, maintaining the library. See About Us for more recent history.