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