The Valley Homemakers Club fosters friendships and has a shared commitment to community service.
The Campbell County Extension Office provides information, programs, and resources to the community, funded by county tax dollars. Under the extension office is the Valley Homemaker Club, which focuses on volunteer services, education and fellowship.
One of the homemaker’s clubs, crazy quilters, has donated around 300 items, including lap quilts, bibs, colostomy bags and pillows, to hospice. They have also worked to make fidget boards for seniors with dementia and are collecting clean, empty pill bottles for Rose Garden Home Mission.
“It’s the best group of women and our two men that you could imagine, and everybody’s willing to help out,” Secretary and Treasurer Valley Homemaker Club said. “If someone is sick in the hospital, everybody reaches out to them with cards. It’s just a great group of women and fellowship; I think that’s the biggest thing.”
The homemakers club also awards two scholarships a year to local high school students attending a Kentucky college, and an adult scholarship is available for homemakers to further their education.
The homemakers who receive an adult scholarship put it toward a class and then return to teach the other club members what they learned. One member took an embroidery class last November and is still teaching courses on embroidery for other members to know.
“I think it’s really nice because all the ladies and all the clubs if they have a talent, they are more than willing to share and teach somebody,” Co-chair of Family and Individual Development Mary Lou Vogel said. “Quilt club is very graded, but if you don’t know how to make a quilt and you want to learn, just come. We have great quilters there, and then people who know crafts are willing to share all their knowledge. Everybody’s very giving.”
The club does various craft projects. For the fall season, they have done things like fabric yo-yo pumpkins, pumpkins made out of Jenga blocks and pumpkin marbling with nail polish.
“In November, we have people interested in doing roll cake icing, and so we’re having a demo of that in November at the valley club, and then we have cookie decorating after that, that all the members will participate in,” said county president, interim president for valley homemaker club, Pam Fields. “So, it just varies from month to month.”
The Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association is separated into 14 areas across the state. Northern Kentucky’s area consists of Boone, Kenton, Campbell, Pendleton, Grant, Gallatin and Carroll counties.
Oct. 13 through 19 is Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association week.
During this week, the homemakers have various activities planned. A group of members took a class at the Millstone Café in Butler on making yeast bread and rolls. They took the class through an adult scholarship they received and will now share what they learned with the other members.
During the same week, on Thursday, Oct. 17, the club is holding a free and open-to-the-community painting class. Doors open at 9:30 a.m., and the registration deadline is Oct.1. Call (859) 441-0545 to register.
The club also has a lunch and shopping day out that week in Bellevue to support local businesses.
Lunch bunch is another facet of the homemaker’s club, which is run by Marcia Kerby. Lunch bunch has 40 members who go out to lunch together once a month.
“I tell them jokingly, they have to behave, and they have to tip well because one waiter might wait on all of us,” Kerby said.
Aside from its volunteer work, the homemakers club also makes cookies and delivers them to local police and fire departments, which it has scheduled for Oct. 26. In the past, the group has also sent cards to military members during Christmas but is now focusing on sending them to residents in care facilities.
While some classes, like the community painting class, are free to the public, the Valley Homemakers Club requires a membership.
“Homemakers are active, and this time of year is also our time when we are encouraging membership dues ($10 a year) are due to the state in December,” Fields said. “So, we’ll be collecting dues starting now to December.”
Membership gains anyone access to any club and the homemaker’s newsletter.
“We think extension is a well-hidden secret,” Fields said. “It’s people’s tax money supporting the cooperative extension service. We have great leaders here, and we try the best we can to get the word out.”
To learn more about the Campbell County Extension Office and its offerings, click here.
