Size: 0.75 linear feet

Provenance: Dorothy Zemper

Access: Open

Copyright: The literary rights to this collection are assumed to rest with the person(s) responsible for the production of the particular items within the collection, or with their heirs or assigns.  Researchers bear full legal responsibility for the acquisition to publish from any part of said collection per Title 17, United States Code.  The Ward M. Canaday Center for Special Collections may reserve the right to intervene as intermediary at its own discretion.

Completed by: David Chelminski, April 2006

Historical Sketch

     The Center for Women’s Concerns (CWC) began in 1980 as the result of a study undertaken by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo’s Role of Women in the Church Committee of the Toledo Diocesan Parish Council.  Formed through the efforts of an ecumenical group and grounded in spiritual values, the Center worked to promote the advancement of women based upon justice, human rights and equality of opportunity.  The group’s incorporation papers were made under the name “Women’s Awareness, Inc.” (formed June 11, 1982) since there was an already established Center for Women’s Concerns at the University of Toledo (later re-named the Catherine Eberly Center).

     The organization’s constitution described its purpose as “to strive for the enhancement of the dignity of women through: the support and encouragement of opportunities for the full use of the gifts of all women in today’s society and the integration of faith and work as a way to bring wholeness to one’s own life and the lives of those one touches.”  Membership was open to anyone 18 years of age or older.  In addition to an annual meeting, the Center for Women’s Concerns was involved in workshops, Annual Retreats, Interfaith Events co-sponsored by the CWC with Church Women United in Toledo (CWU) and the Toledo Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (TDCCW or DCCW), and eventually Temple B’nai Israel Sisterhood (in 1988) or the Jewish Federation of Greater Toledo (JFGT) or Jewish Federation of Women or (after 2000) the United Jewish Council of Greater Toledo, and (beginning in 1998) the Islamic Center (IC) of Greater Toledo (Ladies’ Auxiliary), as well as educational grants and other donations, including an Annual Service Fund which made up to two hundred dollars in financial assistance per year available to worthy women.

     The CWC acted as a catalyst to start “Dog-Patch” Aid (later called Hickory Farms), Monitoring for Problemed Women (succeeded by Project Mustard Seed and Bethany House), the Rape Prevention Workshop (co-sponsored with the YMCA Rape Crisis Center), Concerns for the Elderly—a diocesan gathering (subsequently addressed by the Diocesan Committee on the Elderly), the Mom’s House—“Stay at Home Tea” Project, a Paper Shower for Women Blessing Women Center (a resource for abused women and families shelters), as well as an unrealized Parenting Skills Course (STEP) intended to be co-sponsored with Lourdes College in Sylvania, Ohio.

Scope and Content Note

     Dorothy Zemper deposited this collection in the Ward M. Canaday Center in 2006.  It contains organizational records of the Center for Women’s Concerns consisting of Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws and Constitutions, membership lists, minutes, finances, newsletters and other reports, including some correspondence and occasional printed material documenting the organization and its activities.  Besides the newsletters (originally monthly, later quarterly), the largest files are on the group’s annual Interfaith events and on the Annual Retreats.

     These materials should be of interest to local historians and scholars involved in women’s studies (or feminism) or religious studies, especially as they represent generally well-organized documentation of a small group and its activities.

Series Descriptions

S1	Organizational Records ca. 1980-2004 .75 linear foot Contains Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws and Constitutions, Membership applications, Board and Membership Rosters (including “1999-2000 Center for Women’s Concerns” booklet with group history, constitution and by-laws), Resignations, Financial Reports and Educational Grants, Minutes of Board and Annual Meetings, Center for Women’s Concerns Newsletters (which contain some minutes of meetings and other reports), Interfaith and other Events, including annual Retreats.  The materials on events often include minutes of planning and evaluation meetings, as well as some publicity.  Subseries A: Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws and Constitutions Subseries B: Membership Applications and Rosters Subseries C: Financial Reports and Educational Grants Subseries D: Minutes and Newsletters Subseries E. Events
S2	Printed Materials ca. 1980-2004 Contains a small number of Toledo-area newspaper articles (1980-2000) on the CWC or related subjects, and one issue of a periodical, Origins (v. 17, n. 45, April 21, 1988), as well as pamphlets describing the Center for Women’s Concerns (c.1984/84-1995/96) and Interfaith Calendars for 1999-2000 and 2003-2004. Subseries A: Newspaper articles Subseries B: Pamphlets Subseries C: Periodical
S3	Miscellaneous ca. 1984-1993 Contains information on conferences, a directory and a diocesan survey report.

 

Box and Folder Inventory

Box	Folder	Arrangement
1		S1. ORGANIZATIONAL RECORDS
	1	A.Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws and Constitutions (1982, 1985, 1987-1988)
		B.Membership Applications and Rosters
	2	“Committees” (Membership Applications, etc.) (c. 1981-82, 1992-93, 1995-97, 1999)
	3	Roster (Board) (1981-2000)
	4	Roster (Members) (1980, 1982, 1984-2000, includes “1999-2000 Center for Women’s Concerns” booklet)
	5	Resignations (1984-87)
		C.Financial Reports & Educational Grants
	6	“Finances” (1981-90, 1992, 1994-99)
	7	“Ed. Grants/Service Fund” (1987, 1997-2000)
		D.Minutes and Newsletters
	8	“Center for Women’s Concerns Board Meetings & Minutes” (May 31, 1980-May 13, 2000)
	9	Annual Meetings (1982-88, 1990-2000)
	10	Center for Women’s Concerns Newsletters (1984-2000)
		E.Events
	11	Ecumenical Brunch 1987
	12	Interfaith Evening 1988
	13	Interfaith Tea 1989
	14	Interfaith Tea 1990
	15	Interfaith Tea 1991
	16	Interfaith Tea 1992
	17	Interfaith Tea 1993
	18	Interfaith Tea 1994
	19	Interfaith Tea 1995
	20	Interfaith Tea 1996
	21	Interfaith Tea 1997
	22	Interfaith Tea 1998
	23	Interfaith Dinner 1999
	24	Interfaith Tea 2000
	25	Interfaith Tea 2001
	26	Interfaith Tea 2002
	27	Interfaith Gathering 2003
	28	Interfaith Gathering 2004
	29	Miscellaneous Events (1982-94)
	30	Retreats (1985-2000)
		S2. PRINTED MATERIALS
	31	A.Newspaper articles (1980-2004)
	32	B.Pamphlets “Center for Women’s Concerns” (c. 1984-85—1995/96) Interfaith Calendars (1999-2000, 2003-2004)
	33	C.Periodical: Origins (v. 17 n. 45, April 21, 1988)
		S3. MISCELLANEOUS
	34	“Beginnings” (includes notices for Toledo Women’s Ordination Conference (WOC) (May & November, 1984) and “Women Alive! Coalition Minutes” (July 11, 1989))
	35	“Church Women United In the Toledo Area, Inc. Directory 1992-1993”
	36	“Report on Diocese of Toledo Survey—1985 Role and Status of Lay Women in the Church” (April 20, 1986)