From sewing circle to century of giving: Service League of Crystal Lake celebrates 100th birthday

In 1925, four Crystal Lake women came together as a sewing circle and soon started to give back to by providing clothes, food and toys for orphaned children and other residents in need.

To this day, dozens of women are still helping residents with donations and scholarships as the Service League of Crystal Lake.

Crystal Lake’s longest-running nonprofit has certainly grown and evolved throughout the decades, but its mission of being a helping hand to the community has remained true.

“There is a continuous string that flows through our entire history,” Service League of Crystal Lake member Ruth Scifo said. “Our mission really hasn’t changed since the founding mothers.”

To celebrate its centennial anniversary, the organization is hosting a celebration at 6 p.m. Saturday, June 21 at The Dole Mansion, located at 401 Country Club Road in Crystal Lake. The free event will have food trucks, live music, giveaways and Dole Mansion tours. Donations will be accepted, but the members want to focus the event as a celebration for the community, Scifo said.

Originated in 1925 as the South Shore Sewing Circle, it all started with a Crystal Lake widower man who went blind. The women were able to pay off his mortgage through a card party fundraiser, a tradition the nonprofit still carries on as casino night.

The members would meet at the Dole Mansion, which was owned and turned into a country club by Eliza “Lou” Ringling. It started with four members: Elizabeth Hoy, Cac Breytspraak, Gertrude Brunckhorst and Mossie Lyman.

From there, the group grew both in membership and in its giving, supporting the community through the Great Depression andnpolio outbreaks, and even by providing fluoride treatments to people in the 1940s and 50s, Scifo said.

Today, the membership is capped at 45 women strong, with a waiting list, Service League of Crystal Lake President Kelly Akerberg said. Since the group doesn’t have a brick-and-mortar location, the all-volunteer staff meets at each others’ homes, Akerberg said.

“Whether it is helping neighbors get over financial obstacles, getting people out of dangerous situations, paying funeral expenses, buying extra supplies for teachers and students, funding scholarships for high school students, or donating everything from prom tickets to food and clothing, the Service League has worked behind the scenes to meet the needs of the community,” the league said in a news release.

With no paid staff nor location for which rent is required, the nonprofit keeps overhead costs at a bare minimum. Members pride themselves on being able to help the community “immediately and discreetly” usually within 24 hours of a request, Akerberg said.

“You could help your neighbor in crisis,” she said. “We’re here to be really good stewards with your donations and give it to people who need it the most.”

Last year, the Service League gave out nearly $105,000 to 234 Crystal Lake families, according to an impact report. All requests received were met, with the majority going to housing and utility expenses. Recently, the group has helped many families get back on their feet after losing homes and valuables in house fires, Akerberg said.

“We always respond to what needs are in the community at that time,” Scifo said. “The variety of things we have done is incredible.”

Apart from immediate assistance, the league also funded annual scholarships totaling over $102,000 this year, including four legacy scholarships worth $10,000 each. The league also has a fund to support local teachers and social workers.

The Service League relies on donations, fundraising events and sponsors to fund their initiative, as they do not receive any state or federal dollars, Vice President Johanna Donahue said. Sponsors funded 15% of the Service League’s total revenue last year, according to the report.

They still continue decades-long fundraising traditions of fashion shows and game nights. Their most popular event, the House Walk – where Crystal Lake residents welcome visitors to tour their iconic and historic homes – has been put on over 40 years. This year’s will be held on Sept. 12, Akerberg said.

To honor the centennial milestone, Crystal Lake Mayor Haig Haleblian declared June as Service League of Crystal Lake Centennial Month. Haleblian also presented a key to the city to the Service League during a city council meeting on June 3.

The Service League will be celebrating the 100th anniversary all year with a tree planting at the Dole Mansion and a donation of an antique sewing machine to display at the mansion, Akerberg said.

A Centennial Quilt, created by member Leslie Rueckert, will be on display at various events and locations around the city throughout the year and will be raffled off at the League’s Holiday Gala in December.

“It takes us back to our roots of sewing,” Donahue said.

As the group looks to the future, Scifo and fellow members have faith that the Service League will be going strong for another 100 years.

“There’s always a tremendous amount of need,” Scifo said, “and I don’t see it going away any time soon.”