Two women are working to raise $250,000 for The Grand Rapids Ladies Literary Club, a historic nonprofit organization, to keep the club alive and in its original space.
Founded in 1869, the club was registered as an official organization in 1870 and was later instrumental in founding the City’s first public library that same year. Now, the club is fighting to keep its historic building, originally built in 1882.
Heather Hope and Marzena Roskiewicz are the women behind the revitalization efforts. Hope’s involvement came after a conversation with a man in a bar in Ada; the two were discussing books. He mentioned he is in a book club with two rules: no fiction and no self-help books. Hope asked if she could join, to which he said, “Oh, sorry, third rule: no women.”…