by Dennis Dalman
The St. Joseph Women of Today currently has 14 members, and it wants more.
With that goal in mind, the group is going to host a “Meet and Greet” session from 9-11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 10 at the Local Blend coffee shop/restaurant in downtown St. Joseph. All women are welcome to attend the informal session, just to get to know one another and for participants to get to know the many fun and socially connective activities taken on by the Women of Today.
Women from any city can join the St. Joseph Women of Today club.
“We want new members,” said Frances Nelson. “We always want new members.”
The mission of the non-profit St. Joseph Women of Today is “to provide our members with the opportunity to serve our local communities, learn from the experiences within the chapter (group), and make new friends and have fun.”
Anita Smoley of St. Stephen has been president of the St. Joseph chapter of Women of Today for the past four years. In an interview with the Newsleaders, she talked about the group.
The St. Joseph Women of Today meets every second Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the St. Joseph Fire Hall, 323 Fourth Ave. NE. It is one of seven such clubs in central Minnesota – the others being in Albany, Avon, Melrose, Rice, St. Cloud and Sauk Rapids.
This spring, on May 11 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., the St. Joseph Women of Today will host its fourth annual “Bike Safety” event for children at Klinefelter Park in St. Joseph. One hundred safety helmets will be given away to children who attend, and the group hopes to raise enough to buy five bicycles and five tricycles to give as prizes.
Other activities of the St. Joseph Women of Today include the following:
Making purses for women in homeless shelters with each purse filled with comfort and hygiene items.
Donating Christmas cards for residents in senior-care centers in St. Joseph. All residents receive cards in stamped envelopes, then all they have to do is sign a message on the card, put an address on the envelope and mail it.
Making “Birthday Bags” to donate to people who come to the St. Joseph Community Food Shelf. The bags each include a special gift, a cake mix, napkins and plates for a birthday party.
Creating tie-blankets to donate to patients at the Coborn’s Cancer Center in St. Cloud.
To raise money, the group now and then holds meat raffles at Sal’s Bar & Grill in St. Joseph.
“The members themselves donate a lot,” Smoley said. “They’re wonderful.”
During one of the St. Joseph Women of Today’s “Bike Safety” events, children gathered at Klinefelter Park to receive safety helmets and to have lots of fun. The next Bike Safety day is set for May 11, also at Klinefelter Park.
