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While women of the "Roaring Twenties" bobbed their hair, danced the Charleston and wore shorter skirts, Mrs. Emma Spear helped children in need.
In the Twenties, children who suffered abuse, neglect and abandonment were sent to Juvenile Hall, the only alternative. So, Spear, and fellow Pasadena Shakespeare Club women established a shelter program for teenage girls.
Because Spear and her fellow founders were theater members, they chose a quote from Ophelia to Hamlet to inspire the name ... Rosemary Cottage. "...There's rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray you, love, remember."
When Rosemary Cottage opened its doors in April 1920, it could house 10 girls and a housemother. In 1928, they built "The Cottage", making it a home to 19 teenage girls.
During the 1940's, Rosemary Cottage introduced treatment services for girls and their families, made property improvements and hired a team of social workers to meet the standards of the Los Angeles and Pasadena Community Chest (The United Way).
In 1967, Robert Romberger donated the house that became Rosemary's first group home for six girls. Rosemary's then launched its group home program for troubled teen girls, the first step in teaching independent living skills to children in placement situations.
In 1970, Rosemary's patrons made it possible to acquire a second group home. Six years later, Rosemary added a third home. Since then, Rosemary maintained and remodeled these homes, providing resources and developed programs to help teen girls.
In 2002, Rosemary acquired its fourth group home and received certification. Now the organization can help 43 at risk teen girls. Plans and fundraising efforts are under way to build a library and update the kitchen at The Cottage. Rosemary is exploring options to create a science program for its students at the Non Public School.
Rosemary Children's Services continues as one of the oldest West Coast charities that helps boys and girls of all ages who have suffered abuse, neglect and abandonment. Its programs include a Foster Care Program, which helps nearly 400 children, annually, throughout Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, a Non-Public School providing specialized education in a small structured environment, a Mental Health Program to provide individual and group therapy and training in various life skills, and the Residential Program which includes Rosemary Cottage and four group homes.
©2008 Rosemary Children's Services. All rights reserved.
