It’s a little-known fact, but Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Services must purchase all their own supplies. They buy their own Band-Aids — and ambulances.
And this part has not gotten the publicity it deserves either: The Westport Woman’s Club has donated $300.000, to fund a new ambulance.
The gift includes $150,000 from the club’s Ruegg Legacy Fund, and $150,000 from an anonymous member.
The Westport Woman’s Club was founded over 100 years ago, to support charitable, educational, cultural and public health services in Westport and surrounding towns.
Among their early projects: cleaning our muddy, horse manure-filled town streets, planting trees and laying sidewalks.
In 1925 the Woman’s Club began a Visiting Nurse Service. They funded it for 35 years, before turning it over to the town.
Its initiatives included free dental, vaccination and well-child clinics; tuberculosis campaigns; free milk distribution, polio saliva tests, and lending sickroom equipment.
Now the Westport Woman’s Club has made another giant contribution to the health and well-being over our town.
Thanks to the Westport Woman’s Club, another one is one the way.
Due to supply chain issues, it will take at least a year for our new ambulance to arrive. But when it does, it will be stationed next to the others at WVEMS headquarters — right across Deadman Brook from the Woman’s Club building on Imperial Avenue.
That’s where their Yankee Doodle Fair is held every year. It’s where their Curio Cottage operates too.
Both are major fundraisers for the WWC. Club members thank everyone for supporting the Fair and Cottage.
And we thank the Westport Woman’s Club — and its anonymous donor — for putting those funds to incredibly good use.
Kudos to the Westport Women’s Club and the amazingly wonderful professional Westport VolunteerEmergency Services!! I had to use their services to go to Norwalk Hospital last Sunday ! They are so very professional and kind in a very difficult situation for their patients🙏🏼
We are lucky to have both organizations in our wonderful Westport ❗️
Incredible club, incredible women doing great things for the community!
And the Woman’s Club holds many fundraisers throughout the year, such as the annual Art Show coming up in April; the Clothing Sale in the Fall; Wine
Tastings and Antique appraisals. Funds raised go to help area non-profit organizations as well as award need-based scholarships.
All women are welcome to join and participate in these fundraisers as well as Club activities such as Luncheons, Book Review, Bridge, Mah Jongg, Garden and Gourmet. For information, call 203-227-4240 or http//www.westportwomansclub.org.
The generosity of the Women’s Club is fantastic and plain wonderful. That said I do find it strange that an essential service EMS is forced to raise funds for basic equipment. We don’t ask the police or fire department to raise funds for their equipment and yet in many ways EMS is the most personal of service interactions. I think at a minimum the town should be responsible for any future ambulance purchase
Hard to believe a ambulance cost more than a Porsche Turbo
LOL – the basic model is cheap, but they always get you on the accessories.
This is a really great story, though. Kudos to the Women’s Club and the anon donor for their generosity.
And hard to believe that this isn’t paid for by the town with tax dollars.
It is, indeed, hard to believe, John.
In fact, Westport depends on Norwalk EMS for much of its emergency rescue and transport… I believe one could call Norwalk EMS an employee of our town since they are paid to fill in where Westport needs ’em.
Thank you to the Westport Women’s Club and their anonymous donor. It is only through the generosity of the public and the unique relationship to the town that dates back over 40 years, that Westport is able to have an EMS service that is truly first class. Our unique relationship with the Police Department, especially the understanding of Chief Koskinas, allows us to do our part as citizens to serve the community. First and foremost we are proud to serve in the ambulance to help all that are in need on what may very well be one of the worst days of their lives. Fundraising is our secondary job and through the efforts of a number of our volunteers, we raise the money to purchase all that we need. Inflation and supply chain issues have indeed caused the cost of a new ambulance to rise by 50% to approximately $300,000 in the past 8 years. With the addition of this grant, WVEMS should have 2 new ambulances covered and for this we are grateful not only as volunteers, but as residents of Westport.
A very generous contribution to the town of Westport. Thank you Westport Woman’s Club!
We are indeed so fortunate to have such active and amazing women serving Westport via the woman’s Club.. I thank them, and their very kind and generous anonymous donor!!!
What a wonderful generous gift to the town from hard working women.
They make it look like fun, but behind the scenes, they are doing the hard parts. Thank you. Thank you.
I remember when the town ambulance was basically a Cadillac station wagon from O’Keefe Cadillac.