Before I was ever a mom, there was a part of me that loved participating in service projects. I gave of my time as a volunteer whenever I could, and in college, I remember taking several shifts for Meals on Wheels. I loved it! It made me feel good knowing I was delivering a meal to people who couldn’t wait for it and leaving them with huge smiles on their faces.
I did something to help them and it made my heart full every time I left their homes.
A couple of years in to my full time working career, I started looking for other ways to give back to my community.
I stumbled upon Junior League, something I knew almost nothing about. At first glance, I saw the possibility of being a part of a group of women, all looking to benefit the community around them.
I was right, only there was so much more to it.
As I joined for my first year in junior league, also called the “provisional year,” I realized this was not only an investment in to my community but also an investment in myself. The junior league is committed to creating trained women as leaders in volunteerism. Women are offered many opportunities in volunteer and leadership training.
Junior League grouped me with like minded women who all had the same heart for service.
The biggest unexpected benefit came from the networking I was offered. I met women I would not have met if I hadn’t taken the time to get out of my circle of mom friends and do something to invest in ME!
While in JLCC, I have been able to use my skills as well as develop new ones while also taking advantage of leadership opportunities. I have also met some amazing, service-oriented women who are now some of my close friends. -Jana Oskoui, Junior League of Collin County
As moms, it’s so easy for us to get caught up in our own little bubble of our kids, their friends, and their friends’ moms. Junior League is a great way for us to break out of that little bubble and take some time to invest in you and your community around you.
I am passionate about giving back to the community we live in no matter how big or small the difference is. I have seen firsthand how even helping 1 family or 1 child makes an impact on them but it’s hard to feel like that makes a difference when you volunteer once a year, so I signed up for my Provisional year not knowing a single soul. Lo and behold, it was an AMAZING way to meet and connect with other professional women in the community. So many of my dearest friends now are from JLD. -Shelley Hicks, Junior League Dallas
To learn more about Junior League, you can visit their national website, www.ajli.org.
Or, you can visit the local Junior League chapters of the DFW area:
Junior League of Dallas
Junior League of Collin County
Junior League of Arlington
Junior League of Richardson
Junior League of Fort Worth
Great post! It is always a great idea to invest in your community and yourself! Junior League is a great organization that really helps communities grow. If your local Junior League is looking for a new way to give back, please reach out Carter BloodCare. Hosting a blood drive is very simple and each person who gives can save three lives. Visit http://www.carterbloodcare.org.