It was an unusually warm fall morning in Omaha, Nebraska, and a group of Royal Neighbors of America members gathered at The Table Coffee Co., a cozy café tucked into the downtown streets. The clatter of coffee cups filled the air as these women and one man, all of them seasoned volunteers, greeted each other and introduced themselves.
They were members and leaders of Royal Neighbors chapters—each chapter a small hub of volunteerism woven into the fabric of their communities. Some knew each other, some knew of each other, some knew friends of friends, but they quickly connected through their community as they settled around the table.
This morning, like so many others, started with light chatter. “Did you find parking okay?” one asked. “Can you believe this weather?” said another, smiling at the unseasonably warm temperatures.
But the conversation quickly turned to more pressing matters. Childcare, supporting refugees, homelessness—these were not just topics of conversation but calls to action for these women. They knew their communities.
The man at the table chimed in. “I’m with the women,” he said proudly. “Right now, my group, we help seven students with citizenship classes. We provide transportation to work and just help refugees with settlement. We’re saving—not killing—two birds with one stone.” Heads around the table nodded in agreement, acknowledging the good being done that will ripple throughout their neighborhoods.
Anita Davis, Chapter 2 Treasurer and long-time member of the longest standing chapter chartered on April 22, 1891, offered a prayer of community over the waffles and sausages that had arrived at the table. At 78, she uses a cane, but that doesn’t slow her down, or her fellow chapter leader she brought along, Anita Morse. “This month, we’re heading to a home for girls who’ve had some behavioral issues,” she shared. “We’re bringing them laundry supplies. And at the Rainbow House, we provide paper towels and toiletries. We also take school supplies to the Hope Center, an afterschool program for kids, and we collect old towels for the Humane Society.” She listed the projects with conviction. “We sit down as a group and make sandwiches for the Open Door Mission for the homeless. We package them up so they can hand them out to people on the streets.”
DeLynne Claussen, Chapter 20091 President, and her fellow members have a passion project. “We help young women and young girls who have been sex trafficked through the organization Innocence Freed. Some of these girls were kidnapped when they were just thirteen, and we’ve been able to watch them grow and lead successful lives.” She continued with other projects they conducted this year. “We took one teacher out for coffee and we donated money for her classroom. She was so touched, and she was wiping away tears. We were happy to do it. We also work with kids for park clean-ups and help elderly through the church with lawn care. We also stuff letters for nonprofits for their fundraising efforts.”
Randi Caniglia, Chapter 20084 Secretary-Treasurer, spoke next. “We focus on our neighborhood,” she said. “There’s just so much need around our church.” Her chapter doesn’t limit themselves to one cause—they seek out gaps, large and small, that need filling in their urban area. “We make sure kids can go to the pumpkin patch. We have bonfires and roast marshmallows.”
Her daughter, Kristin Caniglia, Chapter 20084 President, sat beside her, nodding in agreement, added, “We take the kids from church to a nursing home to play bingo, and we work with kids who need service hours to volunteer at local organizations.”
Everyone at the table agreed that they must continue to look for ways to impact their community. Randi and Kristin recently visited a family member in an assisted living facility and were struck by the loneliness they saw. “I walked in, and everyone was just sitting around, staring at the TV,” Randi recalled. “No one was talking; no one was visiting them. It broke my heart. So, I want to start sending cards, maybe visit them regularly.” The women around her murmured their approval, some already thinking of ways they could contribute.
As the coffee refills slowed, someone turned to the Royal Neighbors staff member Ursula Miniter at the table. “Tell us again about the founding of Royal Neighbors.”
The story of the nine women who started Royal Neighbors in 1895 lived in a time when women couldn’t vote, couldn’t own property, and certainly couldn’t access financial services. “Yet these women founded an organization designed to protect families, to recognize the unpaid labor of mothers in the home, and to ensure that women like themselves had support,” Ursula explained. This story captivated the group.
“Who could afford to pay for what a mother does?” Anita asked with pride. “And these women saw that.” The room reflected on the timelessness of the struggle and that though things had improved, the challenges persist—but so does hope.
“It’s amazing how many people want to help,” said Jacques Musavyimana, the only man around the table. “I believe the world is a better place when we all do something to help.”
DeLynne summed up what everyone in the room already knew. “We survive by knowing what’s around us. And helping where we can.”
As the members finished their breakfast, the conversation flowed back to logistics and upcoming projects. But under the surface, there was a shared understanding that what they were doing mattered. It was more than the sandwiches, the towels, or the cards. It is about community—about making the world just a little bit kinder, one small act at a time.
Royal Neighbors is proud of its long-standing community support through its chapter program. There are currently more than 220 chapters throughout the country. If you are a current member, you can get involved with a chapter near you. If there isn’t an active chapter near you, you can start your own. Learn more here. You can also call one of our Member Engagement Specialists at (800) 627-4762.
