September 2 – As most of you know, I am the President of the Abilene Homemakers' Club. I thought some of you might be interested to know a little of the history of the homemakers clubs.

The origins start back in the early 1900s with the start of the Extension Service. The roots of Extension work in Virginia can be found in the Congressional district agricultural schools. These agricultural schools were state and locally funded schools which had the primary purpose of teaching agriculture and home economics. A school was established in each Congressional district and typically had a farm or experiment station attached as well as a dormitory. There was a strong relationship between the development of the Congressional district schools and the beginning of Extension work in the state.

Things were changing very rapidly in the early 1900s with the arrival of electricity, indoor plumbing, etc. Extension agents went out into the communities to do demonstrations and the “Home Demonstration Clubs” were born in the small communities. From those Home Demonstration Clubs eventually came what we call the Homemakers Clubs today.

The Abilene Homemakers Club started meeting in the 1930s. Some of our present-day members have been around almost from the beginning.

The Homemakers have a Creed: “As Homemakers, we will strive to: have our organizations foster the highest ideals in home, church, school and public life; have our homes reach out in service to the communities and help unite the people; have cooperation and progress the leading forces in our community; study the best ways to do every-day work, that we may find joy in the common tasks well done; be kind beyond standards of charity; avoid thoughts and words that condemn; be more thoughtful than love requires; maintain the highest ideals of Christian life.”

The Abilene Homemakers Club has a very strong outreach program. Over the past several years, we have made Christmas, Valentine, and Easter favors for several of the nursing homes in the community – a little decorated bag with a few pieces of candy.

We have made Halloween and Easter goodie bags for the children at the Piedmont Juvenile Detention Center. Additionally, each month, one of our members bakes a cake or cookies and takes it to the children to have one birthday for everyone during the month.

Over the past couple of years, we have made and donated over 300 “pocket hearts” to the Kids' Haven project in Lynchburg. This program provides unique assistance for grieving children and their families through programs of support and education. The pocket hearts – about two inches in diameter – are given to the children so that at times when they are particularly hurting because of the loss of a loved one, they can reach into their pocket and touch that heart and have something to hold onto.

The Club has also made donations to FACES, the Patrick Henry Boys and Girls Plantation, and the Multiple Sclerosis Society. To fund all of these activities, each year we make a quilt and raffle it off. We have just completed this year's quilt and the raffle tickets will be available soon.

The Abilene Homemakers' Club meets the third Tuesday of each month at 1 p.m. at the Abilene Community Center or in a member's home. Each month we have a program or an activity followed by refreshments. New members and guests are always welcome. For our September meeting on Sept. 21, everyone is going to bring a salad and the recipe. We will also get started on the Halloween favors for the children at the Detention Center.

If you would like more information about the Abilene Homemakers' Club, please give me a call at 223-2271 or e-mail me at kz5ro@kinex.net.

Friends And Neighbors

Congratulations to Dennis Nelson on making the Dean's List at ECPI College of Technology in Richmond. Dennis also received an award for perfect attendance for two consecutive terms.

On August 20, Jean and Shyrl Marston took a cake to the children at the Piedmont Juvenile Detention Center on behalf of the Abilene Homemakers Club.

On Sept. 1, I attended the first meeting of the new Club year of the Farmville Woman's Club GFWC at the Prince Edward Rescue Squad building.

The Cardinal Quilt Guild of Prince Edward County will hold their first meeting of the new season on Tuesday, Sept. 7, at 10 a.m. at the Douglas Presbyterian Church on Douglas Church Road. Visitors, guests, and new members are always welcome.

Mark your calendars: On Saturday, October 9, from noon to 5 p.m. the Douglas Presbyterian Church will be holding a Pork Barbecue. For $7 you will get a delicious barbecue sandwich, side dishes, drinks and dessert. In addition to the meal, there will be games, entertainment, and other activities.

In conjunction with the barbecue, there will be a quilt raffle benefiting Meals on Wheels. A beautiful quilt has been made by one of our neighbors, Marilyn Philbrook, and is on display at Lib's Place on Route 460 in Rice. Tickets are $2 each. If you would like more information or to purchase raffle tickets, call Maureen at 434-223-9980 or Donna at 804-720-0287.

Belated birthday wishes are sent to Susan Scruggs who celebrated on Aug. 29.