Courtesy photo A recent fundraiser for the Philanthropic Educational Organization, which raises money to help women out with college tuition, featured “Escanaba Elvis” at the Bonifas Arts Center. Before the event, members of the group pose with the star: from left to right in the front row are Jody Jaeger, Mary Hurley, Elvis impersonator Jon Sampson, Susan Clifton, Sally Hampton, Kay Johnson and Deann O’Dell; in the back stand Beth Taveirne and Mary Beth Miller.

ESCANABA  — A nonprofit, volunteer society that began at the end of the 19th century has two chapters in Escanaba. While the various factions of Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.) across the U.S. and Canada operate mostly independently, each one is a group of women with the same mission: to elevate, motivate, celebrate, and educate women.

Support for pursuits of higher education is the primary function of P.E.O., which was founded in 1869 by a group of seven young women at Iowa Wesleyan University who were passionate about seeking and encouraging opportunities for other like-minded spirits. It began as society of sisterhood and friendship, with higher learning a core value.

P.E.O.’s first big project, the Educational Loan Fund, was established with leftover money raised by P.E.O. at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904.

With the aim of making education accessible, little by little, the philanthropies and opportunities bolstered by P.E.O. grew over the years. Today, the organization provides several different scholarships to women in school: There’s the STAR Scholarship for high school seniors preparing to attend university in the fall; the Scholar Award for women pursuing doctorates; the Peace Scholarship to international students pursuing graduate degrees; the Program for Continuing Education, which provides grants based on need to those on non-traditional paths who decide to head back to school to support themselves or their families; and the Educational Loan Fund, which lends out money in amounts dependent on the degrees sought.

Virginia Alice Cottey, an individual not affiliated with P.E.O. but who had similar ambitions, in 1884 founded a college for women. Cottey College had been operating successfully or 42 years and Cottey herself was 78 years old when she was invited to join P.E.O. According to history published by the school, founder Cottey “saw the organization as the appropriate shepherd to take the college forward. So in 1927, she gifted the school to the P.E.O. Sisterhood.”

The independent, liberal arts and sciences college in Missouri has been owned and supported by the nonprofit since, giving its students “a challenging curriculum at an affordable price.”

Different types of aid exist at the various levels. Individual chapters, like EE and Z in Escanaba, help those in their neighborhoods with money raised locally and may recommend them for one of the philanthropies mentioned above or for funds through their state chapter of P.E.O.

Of EE, which is just one of nine chapters in the Upper Peninsula, “Every year, we usually give two or three scholarships … depending on how much we’ve raised,” Chapter President Denise Young said. “Generally, in our chapter, the criterion is they have to be in like their second year of college.”

For the international scholarships, “there’s a lot of competition,” said Young, “but we find out about women, and if we can help them, we do.”

Often, it’s word of mouth; she explained that sometimes a member knows of a neighbor who would be a suitable candidate, but they also reach out to area schools.

“We had a gal from Garden a number of years ago… came from divorced family but had done exceptionally well in school,” Young recalled. “We applied — and they’re, you know, for people all across the country — and she got the STAR Scholarship. She ended up doing very well at Michigan State, came back and is teaching up here in the U.P.”

Of course, there are many more people who need help — and receive it — than just those receiving the big scholarships.

“Last year, we helped a woman who was going down to Grand Valley, and she was just like, $280 short,” said Young. “We were able to take care of that gap for her so she didn’t have to get a second job and jeopardize her class schedule and her grade point.”

The two chapters in the Escanaba area, EE and Z, operate separately but get together at least once a year with each other. The first local group formed around 1980 and then branched to accomodate different schedules, Young said; Z meets in the evening and EE during the day.

It’s as much about friendship and socializing as it is providing aid: “It’s just a group of women, but we just try to help women along the way,” Young said.

EE usually has small fundraisers amongst themselves, but “every chapter is unique in how they do it,” Young said.

Some means of raising money are lunches where everyone brings a dish and chips in a monetary amount to the fund. They accept donations from the community and hold garage sales from which all the profits go towards that year’s scholarships.

Recently, in a unique move, Elvis impersonator Jon Sampson performed at the Bonifas Arts Center and split the profits with P.E.O.

This weekend, Sunday, Aug. 4, a fundraiser in the form of a concert given by touring musician Drew Peterson will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. at Northern Sun Winery in Bark River. All ticket sales benefit P.E.O. and will contribute to scholarships for local women.

Membership to the group itself is by invitation, so those interested in joining can be introduced to the society by a current member — or reach out at peointernational.org. According to the site, members must be “women 18 years or older who acknowledge a belief in God. P.E.O. does not discriminate against any woman based on race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, national origin, sexual orientation, age or abilities.”

People interested in learning more may contact Young by email at yooperyoung@gmail.com.