Community Projects

To submit a community project for consideration, please click here.

Women in Strength Awards (more info)
The Women in Strength Awards Luncheon was started by Kara Bettle, who is the 2008-2009 Junior League President.  Kara was a Board Member at PACE Center for Girls and wanted to create a project that allowed the strong, successful women of our community to serve as
examples to the at-risk young ladies of PACE Center for Girls. The luncheon honors women who have overcome significant obstacles to success in their personal or professional lives. 
Nominations are accepted from the fall until the end of January each year. The awards luncheon is typically held in February.

WISA Scholarship Fund
Beginning in 2008, The Junior League of Manatee County will award college scholarships to the young ladies of PACE to further their education prospects.  One of the tenets of our organization is children’s literacy and education.  It is our hope that awarding these scholarships will allow the young women of PACE to further their educational careers and offer them unlimited career potential.

Kids In The Kitchen (more info)
The Junior Leagues’ Kids in the Kitchen program, a childhood obesity and nutrition initiative from the Association of Junior Leagues International, is designed to help our communities address the urgent issues surrounding childhood obesity and poor nutrition.

The need for the Junior Leagues’ Kids in the Kitchen program is already apparent to leaders in healthcare and is increasingly gaining attention in the media. This attention is focused on alarming statistics related to the percentages of overweight and obese children and adolescents in all four countries where Leagues exist, and the fact that these youth have increased chances of developing health problems such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

The Junior Leagues’ Kids in the Kitchen website, which includes a virtual recipe collection from celebrity chefs, local restaurateurs, celebrity moms and nutrition experts, is designed to teach young children healthy eating habits at an early age. These recipes are available in electronic and downloadable formats and are coupled with important nutrition and fitness tips to guide children to a healthier lifestyle.

Backpacks for Foster Kids (more info)
There are over 2000 foster children in the Manatee County in the child welfare system. They have entered the system because of abuse, neglect, trauma or abandonment.  These precious children will bounce, on average, to four different foster homes carrying their only belongings in garbage bags.   

The Junior League of Manatee County provides backbacks and school supplies to these children, giving them all the supplies they need to start the school year off on the right foot, just like the other students.  In addition, in the spring, we have a pizza party for these children, replenishing their school supplies and fitting them with bicycle helmets so they can ride their bikes safely.  We have also donated hundreds of duffle bags to these children, so they have a bag of their very own in which to carry their belongings from foster home to foster home. 

Done In a Day/Done in a Night
2008-2009
Through our “Done In A Day/Night” Donation Campaign events, we made significant
donations to Orange Ridge Bullock Elementary School (school supplies for their Paw Market program), The Food Bank of Manatee County (countless cans and cases of formula and baby food), Manatee Memorial’s Momm’s Place (preemie “go-home” outfits, diapers, onesies, etc.), and the Community Coalition on Homelessness of Manatee County (bug spray, jeans, toothbrushes/toothpaste, sanitary items etc.). Our members went above and beyond the call of duty for these drives, personally and of their own volition, securing donations such as blue jeans from The Gap and crates of infant formula from a major-label formula maker.

JLMC Founded Projects
The Women In Strength Awards