The Junior League of Columbia

Dear Midlands Community,

I am honored to serve as President of the Junior League of Columbia (JLC) during our 86th year of service in the community. Founded in 1924, the Junior League of Columbia is an organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving our community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.

The impact the League makes in Columbia is possible because of the dedication of our members, made up of 541 Active members, each of whom gives numerous hours a year in service on behalf of The JLC. Beyond their active membership, the League’s 736 Sustaining Members continue to serve the League and our community through their leadership and participation in activities addressing a variety of emerging needs throughout the Midlands. Our ability to serve others will be enhanced as we welcome 125 new members to our Provisional training class in the Fall. These women have already demonstrated a commitment to our community and we look forward to the positive impact they will make in the Midlands through their League service.

In recognition of our commitment to serve others, the Columbia Area Reading Council nominated the JLC for the South Carolina International Reading Association's Literacy Award. This award is given annually to an individual or group of individuals who made significant contributions to literacy in their community and/or state. Our nomination recognized the tremendous impact that JLC's continuing “Smart Matters” program made on literacy within many schools in Richland School District One.

We are also pleased to partner with Family Connection, a statewide agency that provides services to families of children with special needs. In partnership with Lutheran Family Services, we will continue to host dinners for our community's newest members. The Bantu and Somali children enjoy age-appropriate programming, while parents learn basic hygiene and healthcare practices. Our community commitment continues to expand into new and exciting partnerships with various agencies in the Midlands. We have worked with Homeworks, Jubilee Academy, Harvest Hope Food Bank, the American Red Cross, and Fast Forward during our last calendar year.

We continue to be able to fund our projects within the community through our successful fundraisers - Holiday Market, Clean Sweep, Down By the Water, and our newest addition, Touch-a-Truck. We are also privileged to have numerous Corporate Sponsors that enable us to implement our programming. The opportunities and rewards of helping others, simply stated, are endless and it have been and will continue to be through the selfless efforts of you, our members, that we are able to improve the lives of so many of those who live in our community.

Finally, I encourage you to visit and explore our website. There you will find information on these and other exciting opportunities for you to become a part of our efforts, whether as a member, donor, or a community partner. Remember, it is in working together in the giving of our time and talents that we can and will improve the community in which we live.

Warmest Regards,

Allison W. Cox