Kalmia Club Kicks Off “125 People” Campaign In Lambertville

LAMBERTVILLE, NJ — The Kalmia Club of Lambertville has launched a special fundraising campaign to replenish its hard-hit scholarship and preservation funds

Kalmia’s “125 People to Donate $125” campaign is raising funds to help deserving high school women while safeguarding its historic building. It is named in celebration of the 125th anniversary of the club's membership in the national General Federation and the NJ State Federation of Women’s Clubs.

“Lambertville’s Kalmia Club was founded in 1892 as a safe haven for women and our beloved clubhouse on York Street is the first building site of any local women’s club in New Jersey’s history, so it’s fitting we celebrate our unique history with a fundraiser that will help us continue to be a civic force in the community, while replenishing much-needed funds,” said Kalmia Club President Nancy Campbell.

Like many volunteer groups, Kalmia was forced to cancel its biggest fundraiser, the annual Hidden Gardens of Lambertville Tour, in 2020 and 2021, but continued to award scholarships to local young women from South Hunterdon High School. The non-profit has awarded three $1,000 scholarships every year since 1999.

Aside from scholarships, Kalmia is an active civic force in the greater Lambertville community, supporting an array of local charities as well as the women’s club federations.

The organization’s historic clubhouse at 39 York Street started as a boy’s school, then served as a Quaker Meetinghouse before being gifted to the club by the Meeting in 1910. The clubhouse, painted a vivid pink and green in honor of the club’s flower, Kalmia Latifolia, is also on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places.

“Our clubhouse, an integral part of Lambertville’s long history, requires constant upkeep and this year in particular we had several unexpected and expensive repairs,” said Campbell. “We are determined that this special piece of Lambertville history lives on for at least another 100 years.”

For more information on Kalmia and to donate to the “125 People to Donate $125” campaign via Paypal and help the club’s mission for another 100 years, visit kalmiaclub.org. Any size donation is gladly accepted.