West Suburban YMCA Honors Women's Volunteer Service
West Suburban YMCA Honors Women's Volunteer Service
In 1918, Chestnut Hill resident Mary Lee volunteered to serve in France during World War I for the YMCA and Red Cross as a canteen worker. The Canteen Girl stood as symbol of American volunteerism and femininity in World War I. Sponsored by the YMCA and other charitable organizations, canteens were created in an effort to provide social welfare to soldiers overseas, maintain soldiers' morale, and to keep them from vice.
In France, the YMCA ran the Post Exchange for the army, and sold candy, cigarettes, and other personal items to the soldiers. YMCA also provided services to prisoners of war in a number of countries. 5,145 women worked in YMCA military canteens in World War I.
Mary Lee's service and the volunteer service of women like her are honored in an exhibit unveiled this week at the West Suburban YMCA. She wore the nearly century-old canteen uniform on display. An original, 1918 United War Campaign fundraising poster depicting the uniform hangs near by.
An author and journalist, Mary Lee was born in 1891 and graduated from Radcliffe College in 1917. She served with the YMCA and American Red Cross in France until returning to the United States in 1919. She remained active in Newton until her death in 1982.
"The first woman killed while in active service in World War I was a YMCA canteen worker," said Duffy Brent, Vice President for Development & Communications at the West Suburban YMCA. "The commitment of women to volunteer in times of crisis and to serve an organization that was, until a few decades ago, exclusively for men is truly inspiring and often unacknowledged."
The West Suburban YMCA is honored to have this historic uniform as part of its artifact collection and is grateful to Sally Thompson, Mary Lee's niece, and the Jackson Homestead Museum for their donation. Members and visitors are welcome to view the exhibit through Memorial Day.
About the West Suburban YMCA
The West Suburban YMCA, located in Newton, Massachusetts, is a non-profit community service organization devoted to the education, physical health, mental well-being and moral development of children, families and communities. The Y strives to imbue all its programs with the core values of honesty, caring, respect and responsibility. Founded in 1877, the West Suburban YMCA has over 13,000 members and program participants, and serves the communities of Newton, Watertown, Belmont, Wellesley, and Weston with day and resident camps in Newton, Wayland and E. Brookfield, MA. For more information, please visit http://www.westsuburbanymca..org/
For more information, contact Lonna Mitchell at 617-244-6050, ext. 3023 lonnam@westsuburbanymca.org.