The founding Charity Ladies were pioneers, women, who along with their husbands, purchased plots of land in Carver Ranches, which included the Hyde Park section first developed by the Veteran Administration to provide veteran housing for their families within the Carver Ranches. The land development corporation was owned by Arthur Vinning Davis. In the 1940s (founder of Arvida Land Development Corporation) he developed a plan from the Overtown Miami office and spearheaded an effort to provide affordable land for housing. The plotted development was named in honor of Dr. George Washington Carver for advising and assisting Mr. Davis on
resolving soil issues in his land development in the Bahamas.
Many Black families moved to Carver Ranches with their children, and they were only able to attend school from first to ninth grade.
Thereafter, parents were responsible for transporting and getting their children to high school. These Christian women were from the various local churches under the leadership of Easter Robinson, who became their president and founder of the Charity Ladies of Carver Ranches Club, March 1960. She became the first president of the Parent
Teacher Association. Susie Davis Daniels was the first school principal from 1949 to 1962. These pioneer women united and presented their complaint to the Broward County School Board, demanding that the Carver Ranches children be given an opportunity to be bussed to attend a nearby high school. The County School Board granted their re-quest and the children were bussed the beginning of the next school year to Attucks High School in Hollywood, Fla.
This courageous club membership grew in numbers and again they went to Bro-ward County School Board to address the problem that the Carver Ranches school age children needed to be removed from the old leaky roof army barracks buildings and be placed in a regular school environment like other children. The school and the Carver Ranches Park properties were platted and donated by the Philanthropist Arthur Vinnig Davis. Again, their efforts were successful in the late 1950s in the development of Carver Ranches Elementary School
These ladies made a commitment to raise additional funds through the Parent Teachers Association (PTA). As new parents with children moved into the community, new recruits were added to the Club. The club insured representation of the Club membership be an active part of the Broward School Parent County Council.
The last surviving and founding member, Susie Daniels-Wells, became president of the PTA and was the club treasurer for 58 years. Under her leadership yearly Fund-Raising events included A Fall Carnival and Calendar Tea.
The club members maintained leadership roles in the PTA as they sponsored Stage Curtains, curtains for upper grade classrooms, and landscaping the grounds. The leadership insisted that the membership be active in Broward County School Board County Council with some serving as officers. They participated with teachers as scout leaders in supporting the Boys and Girls Scouts of America.
The club raised funds for the National Negro Women Council in the sponsorship and the erection of Mary McCleod Bethune Statue in Lincoln Park in Washington, D.C. in 1973, and two members went to represent the club.
Today the club continues to serve our Seniors at McTyre Park and Peninsular Residence and volunteer at the Mary Kendrick Thanksgiving Luncheon while offering Fresh Fruit Bags to seniors as well as working the past two years in collaboration with the City of West Park’s Park and Recreation Department as volunteers.
This celebration of “60 Years of Giving” will high-light the community cultural diversity with a Gala on Saturday, March 14, 2020 from 3-6 p.m. and will be held at Carver Ranches School, 2201 S.W. 42 Ave. West Park, Fla. The proceeds will be used to support youth development at Carver Ranches Park and Recreation to promote good sportsmanship.
For further information call Irma Johnson (662)417-1296.
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