100 years ago, Ebell members created the “Rest Cottage Association, " a home that served as a refuge for women needing convalescence. Today, the RCA has evolved into a charitable facet of The Ebell, awarding grants to Los Angeles nonprofit organizations that help women and their children throughout Los Angeles County.
Ebell Club member Miss Lillian B. Flanders deeded a small home to The Ebell for use as a non-profit convalescent home for women. Staffed by volunteers, the building was named the “Rest Cottage” and was dedicated to providing care to women recuperating from surgery, serious illness, or mental health crises. It provided a quiet setting to allow them to recover.
The Ebell Board of Directors voted to authorize the creation of a non-profit association of Ebell members with an operating fund to maintain the Rest Cottage and assist the women it sheltered. Known as the Ebell Rest Cottage Association, it had (and has) its own board and membership but operates under the auspices of the Ebell Board. RCA membership cost a dollar then in addition to the regular Club dues, and members volunteered to raise funds and do errands, chores, and whatever else was needed by residents at the Rest Cottage.
The Ebell members commissioned a larger building at 135 North Park View Street, where services continued to be provided for several more decades until the advent of Medicare and Medicaid in the 1960s. The increased availability of educational and employment opportunities for women made it both less urgent and more difficult for Ebell members to participate.
The house on North Park View was sold, and the proceeds of the sale were used to endow a fund to further the original mission of the Rest Cottage, to help provide care and necessities of life for women throughout LA County. That endowment now amounts to well over $3 million.
Membership in the RCA is open to all Ebell members. Members meet once a month, on the second Monday of the month. The Ebell Social Services Committee works side by side with the RCA to provide volunteer and material assistance to the nonprofit organizations it supports, in keeping with RCA’s motto: “Relief, Compassion, and Action.”
To apply for a grant
Applications will open May 1, 2024
If you have questions about your application or the process, please email [email protected]