Juniors’ Special Program: Advocates for Children

Juniors’ Special Program: Advocates for Children

Books on Bikes

The Junior Woman’s Club of Hilton Village (VA) helped support a local elementary school with their “Books on Bikes” program. The club donated 340 books and, along with Yates Elementary staff, rode bikes and delivered a snack, book, and safely-distanced greeting to students from their beloved teachers and helpers.

 

Giraffe Hunt

GFWC Point Pleasant Junior Woman’s Club (WV) created a Giraffe Hunt during Advocates for Children Week. The club made signs with a giraffe on them for people to post in their yards with clues to make the hunt more challenging. The club used Facebook to create a link to donate to Lily’s Place. If donations were made, extra clues were given to where the signs were placed. Prizes were awarded to the winners who solved the puzzle.

 

Holiday Light Extravaganza

GFWC Brookline Women’s Club (NH) organized a town-wide Holiday Light Extravaganza. They encouraged local businesses and residents to display holiday lights for a specific night of the year. They then created a map and guide for local residents to follow for a socially-distanced night of beautiful holiday lights from the safety of their cars. They collected monetary donations to support the after school program and socks, hats, and mittens for the shelters.

 

Life Book

Tempe Junior Woman’s Club (AZ) supported the Life Book program of Children’s Actions Alliance for Arizona children in foster care. Club members created scrapbooks for children in foster care to provide positive memories and a history to carry with them throughout their time in the foster care system into adulthood.

 

Lovey Dolls

The Yorba Linda Woman’s Club (CA) supports Threads of Love, which supplies hospitals with handmade items for their neonatal units. The women made Lovey Dolls, flannel dolls designed to help nurses prop newborns up while protecting their fragile skin. The group also made flannel, knitted, and crocheted blankets; made covers for incubation beds to protect the eyes of babies; and designed vests to protect tubes and medical devices attached to the babies while giving the appearance of infant clothing.

 

Little Red Wagon

Mary Stewart Woman’s Club (NC) hosted a “Little Red Wagon” pool party for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the summer. The cost of admission was a donation toward the purchase of the Little Red Wagon. These Little Red Wagons (also called Patient Wagons) can be purchased for $100 each, and are used as transportation within the hospital for St. Jude’s youngest patients.

 

Party in a Box

The GFWC F.J. Scott Woman’s Club (TX) supports a Christmas Party each year to honor children within the Child Protective Services organization. This year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, they adapted to create the “Party in a Box.” The box contained gifts, food and non-food gift cards, and were assembled and distributed to the children.

 

Operation Smile Bags

The Aurora Women’s Club (MN) participated in the collection of Operation Smile Bags. Members made bags from donated materials for small toys, coloring books, crayons, small mirrors, combs, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and small stuffed animals. These bags were assembled and then sent to Operation Smile for the countries that are performing reconstructive cleft surgeries for children.

 

Pinwheel Scavenger Hunt

Cahawba Junior Women’s Club (AL) printed 20 pinwheels that were hidden around town in the windows of businesses that support survivors of child abuse in their community. A Pinwheel Scavenger Hunt was created in partnership with the Child Advocacy Center. Riddles and clues lead participants to the hidden locations and those completing the Scavenger Hunt were awarded a prize.

 

Be Kind

Junior Women’s Club of Lake Murray (SC) organized a two-part remote campaign to educate the community in a safe, socially-distanced way on the benefits of art therapy for children. Their project included a coloring contest for children, which was promoted on their club’s Facebook page. In keeping with their theme for the year, “In a World Where You Can Be Anything, Be Kind,” the theme of the coloring contest was “kindness.” Winning artwork was displayed at the local Starbucks in Lexington, SC.