JA kicks off with cofee

By submitted, 04/3/19 9:14 AM

PRESCOTT – The Junior Auxiliary of Nevada County, Arkansas has become the latest Chapter of the National Association of Junior Auxiliaries, a Greenville, MS-based nonprofit service organization for women. This chapter consists of 31 local women. There are four officers; President-Samantha Gummeson, Vice President-Heather Formby, Secretary-Satarra Williams, and Treasurer-Lauren Brown.

Junior Auxiliary of Nevada County will be celebrating National JA Week, April 7-13, 2019. Though we are new, this is an annual celebration time to pause and thank the community, sponsors, and volunteer members who work hard year-round to make a positive difference

Members of the Junior Auxiliary of Nevada County earned full Chapter status after spending the past 6 months learning to make a lasting difference in their community by meeting the needs of its citizens, especially the children. Chapters throughout the Southeast United States develop and administer hands-on projects that embody the organization’s slogan, “Care Today ~ Character Tomorrow.”

Founded in 1941, NAJA has 3,220 Active, 1,019 Associate and 11,407 Life members in 93 Chapters throughout Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. In 2016, JA members volunteered a total 214,989 hours in their communities and invested more than $1 million in service and in the betterment of their service areas.

Junior Auxiliary of Nevada County members have created Service projects tailored to the needs of the community, and finance projects that will raise money for their implementation.

As a member of the national organization, each woman attends Chapter meetings and volunteers a minimum 36 hours, at least 24 of those being service to community.

Members build lasting friendships through the purpose, direction, fulfillment and teamwork afforded by NAJA. Members and their Service

projects are guided by the five points of the Association’s crown symbol: charity, youth, health, service and leadership.

Later this month, Samantha Gummeson (President), Heather Formby (Vice President), and Nikki Brzeski (Service Projects Chairman) will attend the NAJA Annual Education Conference in Memphis, Tennessee where they will be awarded their Charter.

Chapters also are required to have full administrative responsibility for at least one national service project, with its objective being to break the cycle of dependency, whether physical or emotional, in order for a child or family to get back on their feet. It requires a personal, ongoing relationship with the children or family served, and must provide one or more basic necessities of life, such as food, clothing, shelter or emotional support.

“We’ve worked hard to identify the needs in our community and create projects to help fill those gaps,” said Samantha Gummeson, President of the Junior Auxiliary of Nevada County.