Charitable Organizations in Sandusky

In the yellow pages of the current Greater Sandusky telephone book are listings for dozens of local Social Service agencies that help people who have a variety of needs. Some groups provide emergency food or shelter, others offer assistance to senior citizens, and some local organizations assist those with specific medical needs. Charitable organizations have been in operation in the Erie County area for many decades. During the Civil War, the Ladies’ Soldiers’ Aid Society of Grace Church sent food and supplies to soldiers, which were greatly appreciated. Prior to the Civil War, fugitives on the Underground Railroad often found food and shelter from hospitable individuals in Erie and Huron Counties. Pictured below are women in the surgical dressing class taught by the American Red Cross during World War I.

In the 1920s, the Salvation Army sponsored shoe drives for needy individuals in the area.

The group below was photographed in Sandusky’s American Red Cross headquarters in the 1930s or 1940s.

During World War II, local residents conducted scrap drives and planted victory gardens in support of the war effort.  Throughout history, members of area churches, clubs, and businesses have all joined together to help others in times of need. See the website of the United Way to see historical information about the many members of their organization, which started in 1923 as the Sandusky Community Fund.