Putting the Fun in IEF

A local women's club is still going strong almost 50 years after it was created.

The IEF Women's Club has been helping various community groups in and around Hartley since 1974. It boasts a membership ranging between 20-25 ladies, and they definitely love to have fun.

"IEF stands for Ideas, Enthusiasm and Fun," explained club member Tami Klein. "It's fun to meet people and get to know people you may not run in the same circle with. Some of these people are the funniest people I know."

IEF raises money throughout the year during a variety of community events. Members operated the concession stand at the Little League diamonds this summer and also organize Egg Your House during Easter and the middle school dance each year.

Sometimes the group will even receive random donations from community members who want to contribute to local causes.

"We give back 100 percent of the money we raise and keep none of it," said Klein. "That's important for the community to know, that we're not just drinking wine off of it."

The club meets monthly from September through May and hosts special outings every other month. IEF doles out donations each summer, which is club treasurer Lashea Diehm's favorite times of the year.

"We love to have fun together, but it's great that we can do that while also giving back to the community," she said.

Organizations that have benefitted from IEF's generosity run the gambit from the Hartley Park Board to the H-M-S Backpack Program to the Hartley ambulance team. Klein said the group is always looking for new members and encourage local women to join.

"I joined when I moved into a house on Maple Drive and everyone on the street was a member. They told me it was a requirement of living there," she recalled with a laugh. "I love being a part of it still. We take the fun in this seriously."