Welcome to the Wellesley Service League

The Wellesley Service League traces its roots back to the fall of 1927, when ten young women of Wellesley decided to organize their efforts to provide volunteer service to the community. The Service League originally concentrated its efforts on assisting the Wellesley Friendly Aid Association in several of its projects. Within one year, the League's membership increased to forty members, and service encompassed two enduring themes: Youth and Education; and HealthCare and the Elderly.

By 1929, the League was providing service through the Convalescent Home, including the provision of remedial reading services, and supporting the cost of an Occupational Therapist at the Convalescent Home. The League also paid a doctor's salary at the Eye Clinic until 1945, when the Eye Clinic was transferred to the Newton Wellesley Hospital.

During the 1930's, the League began providing Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets to low-income families, running a camp for tubercular children, and sponsoring the Edna Currier Noyes parties for needy children. These parties were the roots of the annual Toy Shop currently held in November of each year. In the early year of World War II, the League created a standing Red Cross Committee to serve at the Bloodmobiles. Red Cross blood drives are still an important service where the League provides assistance today. Then in 1947, services were expanded to include Newton-Wellesley Hospital, including ward work, clerical and newspaper services, and preparation of provisions for the Central Supply Room. Today we provide Friendly Hospital Tours to hundreds of kindergarten age children of Wellesley Schools, and work at the Newton-Wellesley Thrift Shop.

The Wellesley Service League continued to broaden the nature of services it provided over the ensuing decades. In the 1960's, League members began working with special needs classes in the Wellesley Public School system, and formalized work with mentally retarded citizens through Charles River Industries. Today our work includes Charles River Industries and Charles River Art, two very meaningful services in the community. The 1970's brought new opportunities to work on the Junior High School tutorial program, and the Well Child clinics through the Board of Health. Today, we assist with annual flu clinics under our Special Projects Committee, a committee which responds to special community needs identified during the Service League year.

By 1980 we began to help staff the Meals-On-Wheels program for the elderly, and still today, continue to support the elderly through the Senior Meals program each week. Later, a new project was initiated with the Wellesley High School Planning and Placement Center, helping students to find information on colleges and job opportunities. In 1988, our work expanded to a new project assisting with book mending and circulation at the Wellesley Free Library, work we still provide today. Our services continued to expand in the 1990's with season clothing drives, work with the Food Pantry, and Elderly services. On average we provide more than 5000 hours of service from September to June through the dedication and hard work of our 75 members.

The growth in our reach of service has been consistent with the Founders' original charter of providing volunteer services to cultural, education and other charitable organizations which serve the Town of Wellesley. We are proud of our contribution to the community and are committed to adapting to its changing needs in the future.