[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23240]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO WOMEN'S CLUB--90 YEARS YOUNG AND STILL GOING STRONG

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                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 7, 2004

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, in 1914 the South San Francisco Women's Club 
was founded to promote the educational, civic, and social well-being of 
the community. Today, on the occasion of the clubs 90th Anniversary, I 
am delighted to report that the South San Francisco Women's Club 
continues to deliver for the South City community.
  Since its inception, the South San Francisco Women's Club has 
remained committed to its core goals. Their commitment to beautifying 
the town has never wavered. Whether hosting flower shows, sponsoring 
classes on floral arrangement, or planting trees and flowers throughout 
the city, the Women's Club continues to be one of the primary sources 
of beautification in South San Francisco. In addition to beautifying 
South San Francisco, the Club has also focused its efforts on 
conservation; both by adopting a recycling program and by purchasing 
many Penny Pines Plantations to help in the reforestation of our 
national forests.
  Additionally, the club has continued to keep all aspects of 
children's well being a priority, a tradition dating back to the club's 
founding when members made layettes for babies of people who had fallen 
on hard times. Since then, the members of the club were instrumental in 
forming the first Parents Teachers Association (PTA) in South City, and 
for the past ten years have assisted the staff at the well baby clinic 
where club members help test pre-schoolers for amblyopia. Members of 
the club also continue to volunteer with the local Drug Abuse 
Resistance Education (DARE) program and with the Grandma Pen Pals 
program that fosters penmanship and communication skills with 5th 
graders.
  Mr. Speaker, at the time of its founding, the Club lacked a permanent 
meeting place and was forced to hold meetings at various social halls 
or in member's homes. Although club dues were initially 10 cents a 
month, the ladies were determined to own their own clubhouse, and 
through hard work and a variety of fundraising activities including 
card parties, luncheons, dinners, auctions, rummage sales, musical 
shows, carnivals, and cook book sales, their dream became a reality 
when the clubhouse was completed and dedicated on October 15, 1940. 
Shortly after completion, the United States found herself at War, and 
the Club did its part, contributing to the USO and also allowing the 
Office of Price Administration to rent out the building. This 
partnership proved valuable as the rent greatly assisted the Club in 
paying down their mortgage as well as the fact that the OPA left a very 
large table behind that the club continues to use to this day in their 
main hall.
  Over the course of the last 90 years the South San Francisco Women's 
Club has fully integrated itself into the South San Francisco 
community. Today under the stewardship of Club Chairman, Jean Altizio, 
the South San Francisco Women's Club continues to provide remarkable 
service to the Bay Area. Whether by providing refreshments and 
volunteers for the annual South San Francisco Scholarship Association 
Scholarship Tea or providing nursing homes with slippers and lap robes, 
or creating the Little Red Toy Box, which provides new toys for 
children undergoing chemotherapy, it is now impossible to think of 
valuable organizations in South San Francisco without the South San 
Francisco Women's Club coming to mind.
  Mr. Speaker, although the industries of the ``Industrial City'' have 
changed during the 90 years of the Club's existence as companies such 
as Jupiter Steel and Shaw-Batcher Shipyard have been replaced by 
companies such as Genentech and other bio-tech firms, the South San 
Francisco Women's Club has remained steadfast to its original purpose 
of promoting the educations, civic and social well-being of the South 
City community. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in 
congratulating the organization on the occasion of its 90th Anniversary 
and to wish them continued success for the future.

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