A fundraiser called “Canapé Capers,” was recently held in Spanish Fort at the home of Margaret Cummins to benefit PEO, a philanthropic and educational organization.

Thirty members shared recipes and hors d’oeuvres to help support PEO. Cummins is one of three PEO members from Spanish Fort.

It was Lorrie Katsimpalis who started a PEO chapter on the Eastern Shore in 1995. Katsimpalis said she has met a lot of people from all over the country through state and national meetings.

The Eastern Shore Chapter hosted the state meeting two years ago, and state meetings usually have about 500 members attending she said.

The purpose of the meetings is to share achievements during the year. Awards are given, chapters are recognized for their charitable and community projects and goals for the future are discussed.

Recipients often come back and share their experience with the group.

“We try to keep in contact [with recipients] and encourage them and to support them emotionally,” Katsimpalis said.

Katsimpalis, a librarian at Fairhope Middle School, said she supports the organization because of its promotion of higher education in women, especially as women are predominantly raising children.

“I think if we give women educational opportunities, we can better their lives,” she said.

PEO was founded in 1869, and now there are almost a quarter of a million members in chapters in the United States and Canada.

The chapter consists of women who are interested in promoting educational opportunities for women.

The organization celebrates the advancement of women and helps educate women by providing financial assistance and motivating women to achieve their educational goals.

The PEO is similar to a sisterhood, Katsimpalis said, and new members have to be referred by existing members.

The organization has awarded Educational Loan Fund dollars totaling more than $95 million. Katsimpalis said the Eastern Shore chapter has more than 40 members.

The chapter includes a variety of members, including professionals, professors, teachers and business owners.

The members meet twice a month and rotate meetings in members’ homes.

Enrichment sessions are sometimes included in the meetings.

These sessions may include a “social” time, where members may share a talent, such as cooking, or a guest speaker will be invited to speak about the arts.

Discussions at meetings include possible fundraisers, evaluating women who would like to apply for loans and reviewing applications for those women who have been recommended for scholarships or grants.

Reciprocity gatherings are held for Baldwin and Mobile counties about four times a year where members from different counties share information.

The chapter often learns of students needing assistance by word of mouth. For instance, one student who was working as a waitress told a PEO member that she was struggling to finance her education, Katsimpalis said.

With some financial assistance from PEO., the student now has earned a college degree.

The number of candidates approved for assistance varies from year to year. The PEO sisterhood also owns and supports Cottey College, a liberal arts college in Nevada, Mo.

PEO encourages individuals to apply for grants, loans and scholarships if they are interested in higher education.

Submissions then go to the national organization level in Iowa and the recipients are determined nationally.

Levels of assistance have different requirements, such as one particular level of assistance may have a prerequisite of two years of college.