The following article appeared in the June 1999 Missions magazine. 

It gives a brief history of how the work was started.

We have included it here by permission. 

Workers Together -

Fifty Years of Service

"For we are workers together with Him."

Workers Together is celebrating 50 years of service to assembly-commended homeworkers and missionaries on the foreign field! A non-profit organization, we encourage women's groups and individuals in local assemblies to assist these workers in their service for the Lord.

Workers Together began after WWII through the efforts of Mrs. Margaret Van Ryn and Miss Nettie Philabaum (Muskegon, MI), Mrs. Ann Carter (Plainfield, NJ), and Mrs. Magretta Harper (Wheaton, IL).  Mrs. Carter had begun a project for Taraja Hospital in the Congo, Mrs. Van Ryn had begun a project for the Kollegal Girls School in India, and Mrs. Harper had long dreamed about a united work among assembly sisters.  While Margaret Van Ryn took little credit for beginning W.T., we was the driving force behind the idea and worked tirelessly for many years until her retirement in the late 70's.

After receiving the results of a questionnaire sent to missionaries, they mailed the first mimeographed newsletter in May 1950 to 142 interested women.  By the time Mr. Abe Ludwick (Grand Rapids, MI) offered to assume the responsibility of printing and mailing the newsletter, its readership had reached 1,300.  He continued this ministry for many years.  Many faithful friends from Grand Rapids and Muskegon assisted with this effort.  Today the newsletter is sent to approximately 4,500 readers.

This newsletter serves a two-fold purpose: 1) to inform missionaries of ways we may be of service to them and 2) to advise interested individuals and assembly groups of the specific needs of our workers.  In the late 1960's Mrs. Helen Flint began adding an insert entitled "Prayer and Praise."  This gave up-to-date prayer requests and answers from U.S. and Canadian commended workers throughout the world.  It encouraged people to pray for workers and praise God when He answered those prayers.

Groups meet throughout North America to work on projects for missionaries.  Over the years, these have included preparing flannelgraph figures, making quilts, collecting cancelled postage stamps of coupons, knitting baby vests for mission hospitals, making baby layettes for expectant missionary mothers, crafting awards, gifts and prizes for distributions, making calendars, etc.

Divided into various departments, Workers Together functions through Department Coordinators across North America.  These coordinators keep up with the needs of their particular departments and provide instructions, patterns and other details to those who request them.  Helen Demich currently directs activities at the office under the supervision of the Board of Directors.  She handles correspondence, bookkeeping, the mailing list, and numerous miscellaneous tasks necessary to maintain a smooth and effective operation.

In more recent years, Workers Together has helped many works through various monthly projects.  We assist with camp sponsorships, school assistance, radio ministries, printing and correspondence ministries, computer assistance, rescue missions, family service and inner city ministries, the Missionary Education Assistance Fund (a project begun by Mrs. Van Ryn, now administered by CMML), and the European Workers Conference.

The work, begun in Muskegon, MI, was carried on for several years from Oak Park, IL and then relocated to the Stewards Foundation building in Wheaton, IL in 1970.  Though still in Wheaton, we have moved to a new location at 921D College Avenue through the gracious provision of Bethany Chapel.  The mailing address remains the same:  Workers Together; PO Box 481; Wheaton, IL 60189-0481.

Women who had a vision and a passion to serve those on the spiritual front lines began this work for the Lord.  Bringing together those with needs and those who are able and willing to meet those needs, our motto remains: "What one of us cannot do alone - all of us can do together."

NOTE: The Workers Together organization was dissolved upon the closing of the Wheaton office in 2003.  WTOnline has never been a part of that organization, but simply formed as a means  of coordinating our labors of love with missionaries.