ABOUT US
OUR VISION
The Altadena Guild supports improving peoples' lives through better healthcare, innovation, and community involvement.
DIVERSITY STATEMENT
The Altadena Guild of Huntington Memorial Hospital is committed to being a non-discriminatory equal opportunity organization. The Guild will not allow discrimination based upon age, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, national origin, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other status prohibited by applicable law. The Guild believes in diversity, inclusion & equality for every member, prospective members, and those we serve.
OUR HISTORY
How We Got Started
Founded February 14, 1951
FOUNDERS: Mrs. Barry A. Baxter, Mrs. Abe Hay, Mrs. Fred Nash, Mrs. Thomas J. Smith
The Altadena Guild of the Huntington Memorial Hospital held its first recorded general meeting on Friday, March 16, 1951, at a tea in the home of one of its founding members, Mrs. Fred Nash. It was the first of a number of Guilds founded in order to extend and enlarge the work of the Women's Auxiliary of Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, California, which had been formed 25 years earlier.
The Altadena Guild's active membership was limited to 50 women, and an unlimited number of associates was permitted. Each active member was required to earn and contribute $10.00 through fundraising, and perform a minimum of 10 volunteer service hours per year. Volunteer service options included working in the hospital, helping with field trips for nurses, furnishing new buildings, providing equipment for the maternity wing, and making jams and jellies.
In February 1952, the Altadena Guild held its first benefit, a tour of three Altadena homes, yielding a profit of $428, which the Altadena Guild donated to the Hospital for furnishing the offices of the Director and Secretary of the new research building. This began our long relationship with the Research Clinics, which later became the Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI, pronounced him-ree).
Donations from the Altadena Guild over the years have been used for the purchase of laboratory equipment, library books, and subscriptions to medical journals, as well as for funding fellowships and special grants.
The Poppy Seal
The original line art rendering of a California Golden Poppy was donated to the Altadena Guild by Associate Member Majorie Scott (1967) as a seal for their 50th Anniversary Home Tour. It was colorized by Mike Manning of JAM Graphics for a newspaper ad and served as the inspiration for the new official Guild logo.The Altadena highlands displayed vast fields of golden poppies prior to residential development. By decree of the Altadena Town Council, the California Golden Poppy has been named the official flower of Altadena.
THE IMPACT
From your generous support the Guild is able to support the following areas:
For Huntington Memorial Hospital, the Guild:
Donates
Donates to the Constance G. Zahorik Appearance Center, which benefits cancer patients
Underwrites
Underwrites two Huntington Hospital employee scholarships to help further their education
Continues
Continues to fulfill our $100,000 pledge for the Huntington Hospital's Heart and Vascular Center
Encourages
Encourages its membership to volunteer at the Huntington Hospital and Huntington Collection
Provides
Provides holiday gifts and necessities to needy families through the Hospital's Social Service Department
For Huntington Medical Research Institutes, the Guild:
Supports
Supports their mission to improve lives through patient-focused scientific research.
HMRI's goal is to better understand Alzheimer's diseases and other dementias, migraine, heart disease, mental illness, colorectal disorders, liver disease, and the impact of these diseases on a person's health and well-being, to further develop promising therapies and diagnostic tools that can screen for disease before symptoms appear.
In the past year, HMRI, located at 686 S. Fair Oaks, Pasadena, has expanded its scientific leadership in both the Neuroscience and Cardiovascular Programs with the hiring of one new scientist in each program. Additionally, HMRI established a Postdoctoral Fellows Program. The impact of HMRI's research has been published in 50 peer-reviewed journals and communicated through virtual professional and community events.
BECOMING A MEMBER
If you are interested in becoming a Guild member, please go to the Contact Us page and send a note!
We are always looking for new active members who would like to help us fulfill our mission to raise funds for HMRI and Huntington Hospital.