Spotlight on The Junior League

From partnering with , to teaching healthy living classes, to hosting science fairs in schools without funding—the Junior League of Philadelphia really does do it all.

The league, which is based in Ardmore and runs the on Lancaster Avenue, is a women's training and volunteer service organization with about 900 members in the region. Primarily, the league focuses on women's and children's issues, and works to provide volunteers and funding for community service projects in the Philadelphia area.

Among other projects, that's meant running an arts and crafts program for Smith Playground in Philadelphia, restoring the waterworks at Fairmount Park, and providing seed money for the Please Touch Museum, said Jennifer Morgan, assistant to the president at the League.

"What don't we do?" Morgan said at the League's on Saturday.

The Past

This year, the League celebrates 100 years of community service in the Philadelphia area.

While the mission of the Junior League has always been community service, the types of projects the league undertakes have changed over the years based on community needs. When the league began in 1912, its founders established settlement homes in poor urban neighborhoods; in 1920, the league trained women voters; and in the early 2000s, the organization created literacy programs. 

The Future

Now, in 2012, the Junior League will soon kick off a new healthy living program.

The Junior League of Philadelphia's new "healthy living" focus will be officially unveiled at the League's Centennial Gala, to be held at the Please Touch Museum on April 14.

"We'll be announcing our new community partners, and we're really excited about that," Morgan said.

For information on becoming a member of the Junior League of Philadelphia, visit the League's membership page.

And, be sure to check out our photos from the League's , the proceeds of which—like those of the League's Thrift Shop—will fund more community projects.