How It All Began

GFWC Illinois was chartered in 1894 and over 120 years later, our members continue to work tirelessly to better their communities and the lives of others.

One statewide example is our relationship with Prevent Child Abuse (PCA) Illinois. Since 1994, our GFWC Illinois members have been working to eradicate the devastating effects of child abuse through a project we call “Our Promise . . . A Safe Place for Every Child”.  We raise funds and awareness at our annual Blue Ribbon Fashion Show and Luncheon held each year in early April.  In addition, thousands of members plant pinwheel gardens during the month of April to bring awareness of child abuse to their communities.

Today, GFWC Illinois is home to 180 clubs with almost 5,000 members throughout our state. We would love to have you join us in helping design better lives! Our members follow our tagline “Living the Volunteer Spirit” each and every day. To be around our clubwomen in action is to understand that this description fits us perfectly and Illinois communities benefit from the commitment, compassion, and generosity of our GFWC Illinois members.

The Club Collect

Keep us, Oh God, from pettiness;
let us be large in thought, in word, in deed.
Let us be done with fault-finding and leave off self-seeking.
May we put away all pretense and meet each other face to face,
without self-pity and without prejudice.
May we never be hasty in judgement and always generous.
Let us take time for all Things; make us to grow calm, serene, gentle.
Teach us to put into action our better impulses, straight forward and unafraid.
Grant that we may realize it is the little Things that create differences,
that in the big Things of life we are at one.
And may we strive to Touch and to Know
the great, common human heart of us all.
And, oh Lord God,
let us forget not to be Kind.

Junior Pledge

I pledge my loyalty, to the Junior Club Women,
by doing better than ever before, the work I have to do,
by being prompt, honest, courteous, by living each day                                                              trying to accomplish something, not merely to exist.

Juniorette Pledge

I pledge my loyalty, to the Juniorette Club Women,
by doing better than ever before, the work I have to do,
by being prompt, honest, courteous, by living each day                                                              trying to accomplish something, not merely to exist.