Past Projects
Past projects of the Junior League of Northern Virginia include the following:
1960s
- Established and operated a Volunteer Office at National Orthopedic Hospital
- Developed the docent program at Arlington House (the Custis-Lee Mansion)
- Opened the first consignment thrift store in Northern Virginia, The Junior League Shop in 1960
- Funded and established a secured facility for mental patients awaiting commitment after in-depth probing and research
- Funded a pilot extended day program in the Arlington County elementary schools and subsequently undertook the evaluation of the program
1970s
- Joined with the citizens of Arlington to establish the Community Services Board (CSB), which created, funded and monitored programs and services for mental health, mental disability, drugs and alcohol treatment
- Established and implemented the Reading is Fundamental (RIF) program in Northern Virginia
- Provided seed money for two group homes: one for persons returned to the community from mental hospitals and the other for youngsters who required short-term separation from their family environments
- Produced the award-winning film, “The Glug,” on early teenage alcoholism
- Began a scholarship program for Northern Virginia women over the age of 30 to continue their education
- Developed an Infant Stimulation program at St. Coletta’s School
1980s
- Developed the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program in the Alexandria court system to recruit and train volunteers to represent the interests of children involved in child abuse cases
- Developed the Prescription for Fun Kit for long-term pediatric cancer patients. The American Cancer Society now distributes these kits to pediatric oncology patients in hospitals throughout Virginia
- Implemented phases of community research and public service announcements for the Woman-to-Woman program urging female alcoholics to seek treatment
- Underwrote and collaborated with the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University to sponsor a Family Violence Conference
- Sponsored Children’s Hospital “Great Kids” seminar for parents in the workplace
1990s
- Published the JLNV’s signature cookbook, “What Can I Bring?” and generated $37,000 in proceeds from the first printing
- Implemented a homeless database system in 15 area homeless shelters
- Developed the Family Resource Center (FRC) with Shelter House and assisted with the center’s programming for homeless families
- Established an endowment for the FRC with the Arlington Community Foundation to ensure the long-term viability of FRC programs
- Provided backpacks “jammed” with school supplies to area children living in shelters through the JamPacks programs
2000s
- Sponsored a regional Job Preparation and Placement Fair to serve the homeless in Northern Virginia, with collaborative efforts from corporate sponsors throughout Northern Virginia
- Launched signature project to build the Children’s Museum of Northern Virginia (now the Children’s Science Center)
- Implemented Kids Can self-esteem program at several local area family shelters as well as the My Life photography program at Patrick Henry Family Shelter
- Developed Back-to-School Health Fair in Arlandria, Leesburg and Herndon that provided immunizations and physicals to medically underserved children so they could enter school
- Partnered with Fairfax County to provide multipurpose rooms at the Katherine K. Hanley Family Shelter