15,215 — The number of women serving their communities through the National Association of Junior Auxiliaries.
279,613 — The number of service hours Junior Auxiliary members worked in their communities in 2010-11.
$2,680,949 — The amount of money Junior Auxiliaries invested in eight Southeastern states in 2010-11.
Return on that investment — priceless.
The hard work goes on year-round, but during the first week of April each year, the Junior Auxiliary of Cleveland pauses to say thanks to the community for another great year.
A year packed with service to families and children through 15 service projects that include everything from promoting literacy to children with the annual Teddy Bear Picnic to helping local families and tornado victims after the storms last April, “JA’s commitment is wonderful,” states the Bradley County Public Education Foundation.
This week Junior Auxiliary will be working with area schools to present a program about stranger danger, called “Child Lures.”
This program has benefited hundreds of children over the years. Last year, a local child used the information she learned from the program to avoid a stranger and potential kidnapping.
JA of Cleveland has 50 active members who each donate a minimum of 24 hours every year to the chapter’s various projects. The chapter raises funds each year through its biannual event, Fork It Over, scheduled for April 27 at the Museum Center at Five Points.
“This is such an exciting week for us, because it gives us a chance to thank all of the citizens of Cleveland for supporting us in this work, and to recognize our wonderful corporate and personal sponsors who finance these projects,” said Mindy Wenger, chapter president.
“The families and children we serve are so deserving and thankful for this assistance, and none of that would be possible without the support of the entire community.”
Junior Auxiliary has a rich history of service, and the Junior Auxiliary of Cleveland is carrying on that tradition. This Chapter embraces the founding principles of our national organization, “helping children and making a difference in their lives,” said Charlotte Seals, NAJA president.
JA of Cleveland is a part of the National Association of Junior Auxiliaries, a nonprofit organization founded in 1941 with headquarters in Greenville, Miss. NAJA has more than 15,000 active, associate, and life members in 101 chapters in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas.
The NAJA slogan is “Care Today – Character Tomorrow” and when teamed with the current focus of the Association, Junior Auxiliary Chapters are working more than ever before to increase awareness of child health and welfare and how it affects their futures.
