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Key Women of America was founded in 1954 by Reverend Bertha Helms Harris in New York City to secure foster and adoptive homes for homeless children. As it evolved, it became involved with the prevention of drug addiction, hospital volunteer services, job development, prison visits, Big Sister prison release programs, programs for pre-school children, and the awarding of scholarships.

Washington native Emma Howard happened to be living in New York at the time and became a member of the organization. “I admired Ms. Bertha and the work she was doing,” said Howard. “She didn’t have a college degree, but a college degree for life. She used to sell flowers in Manhattan. She was such a feisty lady.”

When Howard returned to Washington in 1992, and at the urging of the president of the national organization in New York, she began the process of establishing a charter in Washington. “We had to have ten members and a project before we could have a charter,” said Howard. “I went around and spoke at churches. I was a member of the Boys and Girls Club and the Beaufort County Partnership for Children, and I just started recruiting people to become members. Our first project was to work with the Boys and Girls Club, the River Trace and Ridgewood Manor nursing homes, and the Rainbow House, which was a group home for the mentally ill.”

And successful she was. With 22 members and projects in hand, the Washington branch was chartered on December 3, 1994, with Howard being pinned as the first president. The installation and charter ceremony were held at Mel’s Restaurant by the water. “That day meant a lot to me,” said Howard. “It made me feel good that we were reaching out to the nursing homes, the Boys and Girls Club, and providing scholarships. When you reach out to help someone, you help yourself too. That’s the key.”

Marian Booth was one of the charter members of the organization. “In those early years, I was still working, and we had children in the school system,” said Booth. “I saw the opportunity for my children to receive scholarships, and they did, all four of them. It was a big help and a blessing. And to be able to do the same in return for others means a lot to me.”

Stephanie Walters, the “newbie” as she is called, joined the organization eight years ago. “I wanted to be a part of something, as I felt the need to give back and help people,” said Walters. “So the mission itself is what really caught me. I had been working in special education, and I have always had a heart for helping those in need. I knew the mission would make me a part of the community.”

And that work continues today. At Thanksgiving, they prepare food baskets and distribute them to those in need. At Christmas, they put together gift baskets and deliver them to the nursing homes. They provide monetary donations to the Salvation Army, the Boys and Girls Club, and the Beaufort County Partnership for Children. Provide educational services to youth by way of summer camps and field trips, and continue to visit the nursing homes and spend time with the patients, be it a friendly conversation or reading to them. To date, they have given out 69 scholarships. All things that have created a lifetime of memories. “I have been inspired by the holiday gift giving,” said Walters. “Just preparing the gift and food boxes and delivering them to the community gives me a good feeling. One thing that got me the most was when I delivered a food box to a home where one of the children answered the door. I told him to give it to his mama when she got home. He was so excited and yelled, “We got food!” “It broke my heart to see the feeling he got from having received some food. It really touched me.”

“The youth development and education have meant a lot to me over the years,” added Booth. “Being able to present scholarships to students in dire need has been special for me. And in some cases, those students have been from a single-family home. The excitement on their faces really impacts me.”

And for Howard, it has been all about the good feeling one gets when helping others. “We have helped those who have been burned out of their homes. I’ve gone to hospitals and nursing homes and read verses to them. A lot of these folks in the nursing homes don’t even have family come and see them. So to see that smile on their face makes you feel very good.”

And at 94, Howard doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. “As an organization, we have never stopped and we will continue,” said Howard. “When I’m dead and gone, the young ones will come in and take over,” she exclaimed with a big smile.