Jane Edna Hunter established the Phyllis Wheatley Association of Cleveland, which provided safe living quarters and educational support for African-American girls and women. Beginning as a rented home that accommodated 22 women, the Association eventually became a nine-story building with 135 rooms. Hunter founded the Women’s Civic League, was a member of the NAACP and served as vice-president and executive committee member of the National Association of Colored Women. The principal building of the Cuyahoga County Department of Children and Family Services Agency is named for Jane Edna Harris Hunter in honor of her work with children and families.