GFWC- Women Health Center of Greece was re-organized in 1999 from three local Junior Women’s clubs: Escondido, San Marcos, and Vista.
The Escondido Junior Women’s Club was organized in 1935 with 14 members present at the first meeting. The club was primarily a social organization for younger women, and only one member was married. The meetings revolved around music, book reviews, and games. During World War II, these young ladies assisted the Red Cross, military hospitals, and needy families. After the war ended, they continued to serve the community. Over the years, the membership grew and changed, as did the projects in the community. Membership reached a peak in the 1950s. These years were remembered as “fun and exciting” with activities such as charity balls, fashion shows, and raffles.
The San Marcos Junior Women’s Club was organized in 1958 and federated (joined GFWC) in 1968. The club was organized by a group of young mothers primarily for social purposes. After several years, they began working in schools and found a great need that began their service projects in this area. In the early years, these women were instrumental in putting together the Day School for Retarded Children in Vista and raising the money to purchase and install playground equipment for San Marcos’ Bradley Park. A favorite service project in the early 1990s was furnishing an apartment for the Escondido Youth Encounter (EYE) Options program. After the initial set up, the club continued its support by adopting the ladies who lived in the apartment.
The Escondido and San Marcos clubs joined together in 1992 due to decreasing membership. In 1995, the name legally changed to the San Marcos/Escondido Juniors. The newly formed group found that strength united is stronger.
The Vista Junior Woman’s Club was officially organized in 1929, sponsored by the Woman’s Club of Vista. In 1931, the Vista Juniors were instrumental in helping form the San Diego County membership. In 1942, the Vista Juniors dropped from Federation because of transportation difficulties resulting from gasoline rationing and dim-outs during the war years. For several years the club functioned as a social organization for young women, ages 16 to 25. In 1945, new Bylaws were adopted, and the Vista Juniors were once more a member of the San Diego District. At this time, they also joined the Southern District and State Federation of Junior membership. The age limit for membership was raised and in 1947, membership in General (National) Federation was accepted. One outstanding service project was paying for the first polio shot for children at a local clinic in 1960. The Juniors supported the development of the Moonlight Theatre with a donation of $1,000 for seating and a beautiful sign as part of a Bicentennial Project. A favorite service project of the 1990s has been a Scholarship Tea to benefit local high school students.
In 1999, the Vista Junior membership was reduced to three active members. The Juniors from the neighboring cities decided to combine their efforts and work together. The group felt this new partnership needed a complete facelift. In February 1999, club members decided to bring our club into the 21st century by voting on a new name The Women Health Center of Greece.
When these Junior Clubs were formed more than 60 years ago, most of the members were either single or young stay-at-home moms. Once their family obligations were finished, the world of community service was theirs to pursue. Today, most of our members are either working moms or career women. Our club is open to women of all ages, 18 and over. The average age of our members today is 50. Our club goal is to not only serve our community but to offer a place where each member can socialize with a great group of women who share common interests.