Junior League of Birmingham celebrates century of service

The Junior League of Birmingham, a nonprofit service organization formed in 1922, has survived the Great Depression, the Second World War, periods of social unrest and tremendous cultural changes.

All the while, the JLB - headquartered in English Village since 1956 - has recruited and trained thousands of volunteers who've worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life in Birmingham, especially for women and children.

The JLB works with community partners in four impact areas: health and wellness, education and culture, safety and crisis intervention, and financial stability and economic security.

"Even organizations that utilize our services may not be fully aware of our outreach effort," JLB 2021-22 President Amy Jackson told Village Living.

The JLB will celebrate its 100th birthday in May. In fact, the organization is in the midst of an extended centennial celebration that began in May 2021 -with the JLB's centennial gift to One Place Metro Alabama Family Justice Center in Avondale -and will climax with the Centennial Gala in December.

The celebration features a series of events and activities -including the ongoing 100 Acts of Service initiative -designed to improve the community and to further raise awareness of JLB and its goals. "It is a testament to the guiding principles of the Junior League of Birmingham and the women who have served it that it has thrived and grown for a century," Jackson said.

Membership has grown from about 200 members in 1922 to nearly 2,300 members today, according to the JLB website. The JLB is consistently one of the five largest Junior League organizations in the world, the site states to club officials.

There are also numerous members, staffers and board members from Mountain Brook. "The JLB is a group of passionate women who desire to have an impact in our community," said Martina Winston, who will serve as the group's 2022-23 president beginning in June.

The 100 Acts of Service campaign has included planting community gardens, handing out water at runs, serving food at homeless shelters or even calling a game of bingo at a senior citizens center, said Honora Gathings, JLB centennial marketing chair.

In March, members visit a refurbished T-Ball field and basketball court at Inglenook Elementary.

The JLB will also donate athletic equipment and educational supplies at the school "to help students succeed," Gathings said.

In April, the JLB will host its Community Circle Breakfast and award scholarships to "the next generation of female leaders," she said.

In the fall, the organization will host the annual Shop Save and Share program, and the Market Noel shopping event will return for the Christmas holidays, leading up to the Centennial Gala.

The JLB has also been involved in numerous other initiatives recently, Jackson said.

The nonprofit's Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee "has continued to open more doors for our members to voluntarily engage in more training," Jackson said. The organization's diaper bank has expanded to include period products. During her tenure as JLB president, community service has been her "No. 1 priority," Jackson said.

Before the pandemic, the organization averaged about 55,000 volunteer hours of direct community service each year, she said.

In 2020-21, despite COVID-19, JLB contributed over 45,000 volunteer hours, she said. "Members found the time and energy to serve even as their own lives were disrupted," Jackson said.

The many hours of service logged by JLB members shows the power of women coming together for a mission, club officials said. "The power of women is reflected not only by the growth of this organization, but by the scope of the initiatives which we undertake," Jackson said.

"We are a group of movers and shakers who embraces change and leverages our talents to support the needs of our community," Winston said.

Gathings said the JLB -even as it commemorates 100 years of community service is very much focused on the future. "We may be turning 100 but we have no plans on slowing down," Gathings said. "Our dreams and goals are only getting bigger."

For more information about the Junior League of Birmingham, call 205-879-9861 or go to jlbonline.com.