In the Year 1910, the Winds of Change Are Blowing…

Given the Junior League’s rich history and its knack for meticulous record-keeping, we thought it would be fun to introduce a new component to Connected. Dubbed “Out of the Archives” and featured in each issue, this article will bring to light significant events in the history of the Junior League and endeavor to explain how they reflect the context of their time.
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Helping Kids Walk Away from Fast Food

There’s a lot of talk about childhood obesity. And no one seriously doubts the link between fat-filled fast food grabbed at take-out restaurants and weight problems. But how do you begin to break the cycle that locks kids – particularly disadvantaged children in urban areas – into a fast food diet for life?

We believe education has to begin at home – but schools and communities also play a critical role.

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How One Woman Made a Difference

At The Junior League, we spend a lot of time thinking about the power of volunteer groups. But sometimes, it’s awe-inspiring to look at what one a single determined woman can do.

Take Lorri Unumb, a member of the Junior League of Columbia, SC. In 2005, as the mother of a 4-year-old boy in South Carolina recently diagnosed with severe autism, she took up the challenge to get her medical insurance company to cover the cost of treatments for her son, Ryan…

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The CRC @ 20

CRC. It’s not one of those acronyms that rolls off your tongue. But the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) – which, 20 years ago this month, became the first legally binding international convention to affirm human rights for all children – really did make a difference.

Looking back on this landmark action, we also see the value in small steps made by volunteer advocacy groups like The Junior League in advance of big steps made by international bodies like United Nations, with the CRC, or governmental organizations. Because, as we see it, passionate volunteer groups – wherever they are – can set the stage for policy solutions to tough issues.

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