On behalf of the Junior League of Columbia (JLC), welcome! For over 102 years, the JLC has been working to fulfill our mission of to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration, and training.

Our local chapter, organized in 1924, stemmed from the Junior League of New York City, which was founded in 1901 by Mary Harriman who felt a responsibility to improve the social conditions of the New York City tenements. After a visit to NYC, Katharine Heath (later Katharine Heath Manning Perry) saw what Harriman’s organization was doing and wanted to bring this concept home to Columbia. She gathered ten of her friends and together they formed the Junior League of Columbia. Katharine was a visionary who sought to create positive change, and we have been changing the community for the past 103 years.

The JLC today is over 1,400 members strong, who are focused on the mission of the JLC. Members work in our community on our community focus of healthy relationships for women and children, members work with on another for leadership training and development, and raise funds to impact the Midlands through signature fundraisers of Holiday Market and Little Black Dress Initiative

In our 102 chapter, this year the JLC will be going back to the basics to focus on our members. Our membership is the true gem in everything we do. Nothing is possible without our members! We would love for you to join us on this journey, whether you are a community partner, sponsor, Holiday Market vendor, or friend of the league. We can’t do our work without you and our members. In the words of Mary Harriman, “We have the responsibility to act, and we have the opportunity to conscientiously act to affect the environment about us.”

Leading with heart,

Casey Pash