Our Story….
In July 1915, Kankakee County hired an advisor, Miss Eva Benefiel, a
graduate of the University of Illinois, to develop a home improvement
association. This was the first county to be organized in Illinois
and only the second in the entire United States.
In the beginning, the idea of the Home Advisor was misunderstood.
Instead of regarding Miss Benefiel as an educator, she was regarded as a
sort of maid in the home. Eventually, with surely great patience
and perseverance on her part, people recognized Miss Benefiel's true
function. Mercer County organized in 1917, and thirteen more
counties organized by 1919.
Some women organizing a county in 1918 rode horseback seven miles to
board a train, which then took them fifteen more miles to Champaign, the
county seat. On January 14, 1925, the first formal Annual Meeting
was held and officers elected for one year.
Copies from IHBE (Illinois Home Bureau Federation) Minutes of 1925: The
Illinois Home Bureau Federation came into being in January, 1924 by the
action of the State Conference consisting of the Representatives of the
various counties. As what these pioneering women did for the IAHCE
women of today, we now are shaping what life will be for the next
generation when IAHCE celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2024.
To have the home...
- Economically sound
- Mechanically convenient
- Physically healthful
- Morally wholesome
- Mentally stimulating
- Artistically satisfying
- Socially responsible
- Spiritually inspiring
- Founded upon mutual
affection and respect
The Illinois Association for Home and Community Education enhances the lives of individuals and families through quality educational programs and experiences encouraging responsible leadership and service to the community.