The Long Reach of Midwestern Women into the WWI Council of National Defense and 1918 Children’s Programs – We have offered a panel presentation for this day-long conference in Grand Rapids. Admission will be free, including a complimentary lunch, and is open to the public. The program is the second in a three-year GGRWHC project illustrating women’s initiatives  to create a home defense by guaranteeing healthy food sources, raising healthy children, and ensuring the health of women in the industrial work force. This year the GGRWHC will demonstrate how women’s programs benefited children, ensuring the ongoing health of the nation. Melissa Fox, Jayson Otto, and Sue Caldwell will integrate local histories into the national story by reporting on a variety of 1918 “Children’s Year” intiatives.