Zonta Service Dollars at Work in the Community

The Zonta Club donated $956 to Wellness House in 2009/2010 to upgrade the Wig & Hat Boutique. The funds were used to renovate the Wig & Hat Boutique, purchase supplies for clients, and produce materials to distribute to women facing the life-altering diagnosis of cancer.

As the desires of cancer patients change, and Wellness House serves more clients diagnosed at an earlier age, the staff have been challenged to find the money to stock enough wigs in appropriate colors and current styles, provide the supplies needed to care for the wigs (and therefore extend the wig’s usefulness), and to create a welcoming environment and informational opportunity to educate new clients. Zonta’s grant gave Wellness House the opportunity to tackle all of these goals in a few short months.

As a result, the Wig & Hat Boutique Volunteer Manager, Connie Tucker, was able to focus on a new project. In April, Connie launched what the Yakima Herald-Republic referred to as the “Hybrid” wig program. By using wigs that had minor damage, Wellness House volunteers have created hair pieces that can be sewn to Velcro and attached to hats. This is a wonderful option for women who do not like to wear wigs or who cannot tolerate the heat of both a wig and hat. With the arrival of spring, and warmer weather, came the ideal timeline for launching the new program. The publicity from the new program gave Wellness House a much appreciated infusion of clients, material and monetary donations, and recognition for their many supporters.

How this Donation Impacted One Life

The importance of the Wig & Hat Boutique was illustrated a few months ago when “Cheryl” came to Wellness House after a mastectomy to find a wig to wear during her upcoming chemotherapy treatment. She had a great network of social support, but she and her family were scared and felt overwhelmed by the medical aspects of her treatment and survivorship. After spending some time talking to staff and volunteers in the Wig & Hat Boutique, Cheryl found herself relaxing, laughing and feeling a sense of relief. After picking out a wig, receiving supplies to care for the wig and discussing our various support programs, Cheryl was a new woman! In fact, she felt so strongly about our organization, that she left with the promise that she was going to “share this place with everyone!” Within a few weeks, she had gathered family and friends to plan fundraisers, made and sold cancer merchandise to raise money for Wellness House and Relay for Life, and started visiting Wellness House almost every week to share ideas and make suggestions. Although her current chemotherapy treatment is taking a toll on her energy, she attributes her positive attitude about the treatment to the support and resources she received the day she went to Wellness House “just to get a wig.” If the Wig & Hat Boutique did not exist or was not so well equipped, she may not have learned about our other services and Wellness House would not have been so fortunate to meet an amazing woman like Cheryl.

Wellness House was thankful to the Zonta Club of Yakima Valley for making the Wig & Hat Boutique a successful service to this community. Without the support of the Zonta grant, they would not be able to continue to provide so many free services to those in Yakima County who are facing life-challenging illnesses.

Hats for Cancer patients	Sign acknowledges Zonta's contribution
Variety of wigs available for women to choose from	Head scarves are available as another option
The Wig and Hat Boutique offers a variety of options to women recovering from cancer

Learn more about the work of Wellness House in Yakima.

Return to the Zonta Service Projects page