Established in 1917, Altrusa International was formed to serve as a civic organization for women entering the workforce during World War I. As the oldest womens service organization in the United States, it has pursued a central mission focused on promoting community service, international relations, and vocational services for women both internationally and at the local level. The Altrusa Club of Pittsburgh has initiated a number of different service projects in the Pittsburgh area throughout the twentieth century. The club provides aid to struggling women and their children through service to the Womens Center and Shelter, sustains a Fund for Emergency and Unmet Needs that answers the urgent needs of the community, and provides basic living supplies to help individuals establish themselves as independent adults through the Transitional Service Program. Beyond their service to the city of Pittsburgh, the Altrusa Club of Pittsburgh has taken part in two educational scholarship projects sanctioned by Altrusa International. The Grants-in-Aid project offered scholarships to women from across the globe so that they could to come to America and finish their formal professional studies in various fields. The Founders Fund Vocational Aid provided scholarships to women in order to assist them in completing or enhancing their vocational and business endeavors. As of 2011, the the Altrusa Club of Pittsburgh is still in existence.
From the description of Altrusa Club of Pittsburgh records 1939-1994 [manuscript] (Historical Society of W Pennsylvania). WorldCat record id: 771068048
