More than 60 years ago, a handful of community service-oriented women came together to open a children’s library in the heart of Bath Township. They recruited other local women to join the endeavor, collecting donated books and taking turns working shifts from a small house on Ira Road. Being the industrious and detailed women that would forever define this group, they solicited guidance on the exacting standards of a “real” library from the Akron Library staff.
Fast forward from 1958, the year Bath Volunteers for Service (BVS) formally chartered, to today, and you will find the same level of motivation and work ethic. The small-town library out-grew its humble home and eventually morphed into what we now know as the Fairlawn-Bath Library, and the 13 original BVS members grew into the storied hundreds, drawing interest for their active volunteerism and dedication to community service.
Stepping beyond volunteerism, BVS members took a page from those early initiators, and in 1978 launched its signature fundraiser, the annual BVS Bath Tour of Distinctive Homes. Over the years, this much-anticipated home tour has raised thousands of dollars each year; dollars which are allocated in support of many local non-profit organizations that align with the same ideals of service embodied in BVS.
In 2016, BVS added the Trivia and Tacos fall fundraising event as well as continuing sponsorship of the annual Bath Horse Show, a 77-year Summer tradition in partnership with Bath Pony Club and Bath Community Fund.
Support of the BVS Home Tour, Trivia & Tacos and the Bath Horse Show helps BVS continue to make a tangible difference for so many in need in our community.