Houston
Historical Background Information
Altrusa International Inc., Club of Houston was organized in 1925, as part of Altrusa International which was founded in 1917, in Nashville, Tennessee. The Altrusa motto, “Patriotism, Efficiency, Service”, reflects their dedication to community involvement and volunteerism. The Club of Houston has established several community volunteer programs, including the Friends and Neighbors Project (FAN), Make a Difference Day, and Hearts-Hands for Service Foundation. The FAN Project encompasses Story time Saturdays, a Summer Reading Program, and Holiday Gifts for seniors. Altrusa works with Literary Advance of Houston, in connection with the FAN Project. Make a Difference Day is held every October, with the Galveston Bay Foundation. Hearts-Hands for Service, founded in 1983, assists women, children, and seniors in the Houston area. Members of the Club of Houston also participate in a mentoring program for the ASTRA Club. The Houston Club awards scholarships and grants to local students.
Club Archives located at University of Houston
The collection is organized in 17 series and is housed in 6 boxes that document the organization and community volunteer programs of the Altrusa Club of Houston. The collection includes meeting minutes, financial records, and annual records. Concerning the club's yearly activities, there are newsletters from 1956-2008 and yearbooks ranging from 1936-2008. The collection contains information regarding community volunteer programs, as well as photographs from several events. There are four scrapbooks in this collection, as well as artifacts.