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President Anne Helle
President-Elect Nellie Miller
Public Relations Amy Donahue
Focus Area Women, Children and Families
Vision Statement Empowering people to improve the quality of life in our community.
| Purpose |
Founded in 1930, the Junior League of Rockford, Inc. (JLR) is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving our community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. The Junior League of Rockford, Inc. reaches out to women of all races, religions and national origins who demonstrate an interest in and commitment to voluntarism. |
Membership 62 Active Members 20 Provisional Members 197 Sustainer & Emeritus Members
| Affiliation |
The Junior League of Rockford, Inc. is a member of an international organization, the Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. (AJLI), comprised of over 161,000 women in 292 Junior Leagues in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and England. AJLI supports the local chapters by offering leadership development training, maintaining the AJLI website, facilitating networking with leagues, and providing members with discounts on a variety of products and services. |
Activities |
The Junior League of Rockford, Inc. holds nine meetings each year for its membership. Each active member serves on at least one of the ten committees directed by a Board of Directors and structured into four councils: Membership, Community, Fund Development and Finance. The Project/Fundraiser Research committee is responsible for researching and selecting one specific, long-term project that the membership develops and implements. Upon completion, the Junior League of Rockford turns the project over to the community. |
Scholarship |
JLR offers a $1,500 scholarship annually toward college tuition for an area high school senior who has proven a sincere commitment to voluntarism in the greater-Rockford community. |
Present Project |
The Junior League of Rockford’s current project is RAISE (Reaching and Inspiring Students for Education). The Junior League in collaboration with the Community Education Partnership, Mayor's Office of Education and Life-Long Learning and Rockford Public School District 205 have created and implemented a program aimed to increase access to and success in post high school education for financially disadvantaged, underrepresented and first generation college students from the Rockford Public School System.
RAISE aims to assist students who are unfamiliar with the post-secondary application process and the opportunities a higher level of education can provide. Currently, the program consists of approximately 40 Jefferson high school students whom have been selected through an application process. These students have been assigned a trained Junior League or community mentor who will assist the student in setting college and career goals and will guide the student through the application process from start to finish. Junior League members will organize workshops during the school year on various topics related to preparing students for a post-secondary education such as ACT test preparation, college application and financial aid assistance, and college survival skills. There will also be opportunities for college tours. The workshops are open to all high school students. Hopes are to expand the program to all area high schools in the future. Junior League members along with the assistance of a part-time project coordinator will serve as the administrators during the pilot years.
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Past Projects |
MAYA’S House Discovery Center Museum
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
Bright Side Adult Day Center
Stepping Stones
Rock River Discovery Park
Domestic Violence Assistance Center
Youth Services Network
Washington Park Community Recreation Center
Ken-Rock Community Center - Our First Project in 1930 |
Funding |
Community Projects are funded through the generous contributions from JLR members, the public, corporate donors and JLR fundraisers:
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Awards
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- 2007 Winnebago County CASA Program Appreciation Award
- 2006 Discovery Center Museum Founding Partner Award
- 2006 YWCA Non-Profit Recognition Award
- 2003 Rock River Chapter of American Red Cross Partner Award (MAYA’S House)
- 2000 National Society of Fund Raising Executives Outstanding Community Service Award
- 2000 Boys & Girls Club Volunteer Award (Patriot’s Gateway Homework Helper Program)
- 1993 Golden Key Award (Opportunities Industrialization Center)
- 1992 JC Penney Golden Rule Volunteer Service Recognition Award (Rock River Discovery Park)
- 1990 JC Penney Golden Rule Volunteer Service Recognition Award (STEP-ONE)
- 1988 Rockford Register Star Excelsior Award
- 1987 WIFR TV-23 Action Award
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Association of
Junior Leagues, International Awards |
- 2004 "JL" Award-Fund Development for 2003 Designer Showcase Home
- 2004 "JL" Honorable Mention-Project Development for MAYA'S House (Mother's and Youth Attaining Stability)
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80 Years in the Community |
The Junior League of Rockford, Inc., founded on April 11, 1930, has contributed 80 years of service to the Rock River Valley. Throughout its long history, Junior League members have received the training and knowledge necessary to build coalitions, identify community needs and develop effective and responsive programs to serve those needs. The Junior League of Rockford’s first community project, Ken-Rock Community Center, was initiated in 1930 and remains an integral part of the community today with many other JLR projects that were developed over the years. |
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