For 100 years, the Zonta Club of Milwaukee has been committed to improving the lives of women and girls through service and advocacy, creating opportunities locally and around the world. With a diverse group of members, the club raises funds for scholarships and other projects, supports local organizations that benefit women and girls, and gives members opportunities to make a difference through hands-on service.
Zonta Club of Milwaukee is part of Zonta International, founded in Buffalo, New York, in 1919. Today, the organization includes more than 25,000 members in over 1,000 clubs across 65 countries, working to advance the rights, opportunities, education and well-being of women and girls worldwide.
Drawn to the Mission
Dawn Zehren, a club member and treasurer of the foundation, joined just over three years ago after learning about Zonta through another professional in her network. Its mission immediately resonated with her.
“I believe that if women and girls have a better world, everybody has a better world,” Zehren says.
She is now one of four co-chairs of the club’s centennial gala, which will be held Saturday, November 7, at the Harley-Davidson Garage. The theme, “Strong Foundation, Stronger Future,” celebrates the club’s history while looking ahead.
“We are celebrating what we and the women before us have achieved,” Zehren says. “But we are not here to rest on our laurels. We are looking at the next 100 years.”
Project Wellspring Takes Shape
That future begins with Project Wellspring, a signature centennial project created in partnership with Community Advocates, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The initiative will help survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking transition into safe, stable housing while giving them greater autonomy in creating their new homes.
Project Wellspring will assist at least 12 households with essential furnishings and household items, while allowing participants to make choices about what they need and how to use available resources. Participants will also have access to an emergency fund for unexpected expenses that could otherwise threaten their financial stability.
For Zehren, the ability to make those choices is an important part of rebuilding.
“These funds are there for the women and their children to, with dignity, claim their own space,” she says.
The larger goal is to strengthen housing stability and long-term self-sufficiency while helping families begin a new chapter.
“The children see, ‘Mom can do this. I can do this,’” Zehren says. “We are breaking the cycle, one family at a time.”
The Work Continues
Project Wellspring joins a long list of service efforts for the Milwaukee club. Members have helped with community gardens and organized diaper and feminine hygiene product drives, while also raising money for organizations and programs benefiting women and girls.
The club’s annual fashion show has become another important fundraiser, netting more than $30,000 in each of the past several years through ticket sales, silent auctions, raffles and community support.
As Zonta Club of Milwaukee celebrates its first century, those ongoing efforts reflect a mission that extends well beyond the anniversary—and a commitment to continue serving women, girls and the community for years to come.