History

Throughout the history of the Junior League of Shreveport-Bossier (originally the Junior League of Shreveport), we have been a part of the founding of many prominent organizations within the Shreveport-Bossier community. Each organization started as a Junior League community project, which sought to meet a need within the Shreveport-Bossier community. Since the initial launch of each project, the projects have been given back to the community to claim as their own and to continue their initial established mission. Take a Junior League of Shreveport-Bossier memory lane and explore some of our past amazing projects and fundraisers.

2014-15 – The JSLB introduced a successful new fundraising project, Kitchen Tour, which raised over $30,000. Guests toured 10 new and newly renovated kitchens in the Shreveport area, sampled recipes from League cookbooks, and had the chance to win a kitchen makeover. The Junior League also began a new community project, Girls’/Women’s Institute (now known as MAGIC). JLSB volunteers meetwith high school girls who attend an after-school teen program at the Volunteers of America Highland Center and teach participants about self defense, street smarts, Internet safety, health and fitness, planning for the future, and self esteem. The JLSB narrowed the focus of its Meeting with a Mission project and partnered exclusively with Westwood Elementary for the entire school year. League volunteers helped with open house, celebrated students’ achievements with new bicycles, read to students, and honored Westwood’s teachers.

2013-14 – The Junior League initiated a new community project, Safe Sitter, which prepares middle-school-aged children to be effectively trained babysitters. JLSB members presented a program that taught participants about the basics of child care, first aid, the Heimlich maneuver, general safety, and how to start their own babysitting businesses. The League also partnered with the Community Foundation and participated in the inaugural Give for Good Day. During this 24-hour online giving challenge, the JLSB raised over $8,500.

2012-13 – The JLSB saw its 80^th Anniversary and celebrated by raising funds to plant 80 trees along Clyde Fant Parkway. Additionally, JLSB members went above and beyond their League commitments to serve 2,640 extra hours in the community. The League also launched two new community projects, Between the Lines and Domestic Violence Education and Prevention.

Between the Lines promotes literacy and strengthens family bonds between incarcerated parents and their children. Each incarcerated parent chooses a book for his child, JLSB members make a recording of the parent reading the book aloud, and then they gift-wrap and send the book and recording to the child.

The Junior League also partnered with Providence House for the Domestic Violence Education project, and members educated the community about domestic violence and provided programs and services to victims of domestic violence.

2011-12 – The Junior League launched two new community projects, Health Literacy Summer Program and Health Literacy Year-Long Project. These projects impacted over 75 children at West Shreveport Elementary as League members helped promote healthy lifestyle choices by focusing on topics including exercise and fitness, tobacco use prevention, animal safety, nutrition awareness, safety and injury prevention, and oral health. The JLSB also restarted the Done in a Day placement, which helped 10 nonprofits execute different programs in the community. The Provisional class presented the Provisional Project, which focused on the health and wellness ofthe entire family. The Junior League also held its first-ever Running for a Cause event at Independence Stadium.

2010-11 – JLSB members served the community in many placements including Revel Artist for a Day, Kids in the Kitchen Revel and Kids in the Kitchen Spring, Paired Reading, Super Safety Saturday, and Bingo at LSUHSC and Shriner’s Hospital. The JLSB was awarded the Volunteer of the Year Award at the Shriner’s Children’s Hospital Volunteer Appreciation Banquet for its introduction of and participation in the Bingo program. This was the first year the award was given to an organization instead of an individual.

2008-09 – The Junior League played a major role in making the vision of Sheriff’s Safety Town a reality and celebrated its groundbreaking. The 75^th Anniversary Project Committee, made up of seven past presidents, researched local projects for consideration as the JLSB’s 75^th Anniversary Project and recipient of its $75,000 Anniversary Gift. Members voted Sheriff’s Safety Town as the 75^th Anniversary recipient with plans to build a Junior League Pavilion at the facility and for League volunteers to coordinate Saturday Safety Clinics open to the public.

2005-06 – GREAT – The Greenwood Equine Assisted Therapy (GREAT) program was established. Operated by the ARC, an association for developmentally disabled citizens, at the Lickskillet Ranch in Greenwood, GREAT gives children ages 5 to 12 the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities from horseback riding to building birdhouses. Not all children who attend the camp have developmental disabilities. In the two-week placement, Junior League volunteers facilitated the arts and crafts portion of each day.

After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, League members went immediately to work within our community to help at emergency shelters, and they donated items as well as time to help comfort the dislocated families. Members staffed the Relief Relay Center at the former South Park Mall and also volunteered at the Humane Society. The Strategic Planning Committee made grants to many organizations that had special needs due to the increase in services provided for hurricane relief. These included the Samaritan Counseling Center, Providence House, LSU Health Sciences Center Social Services Department, Rutherford House, and the YWCA.

1995-96 – The Junior League’s gang awareness video was completed and received a Gold Addy Award locally. Also, League members voted to staff the Pepsi booths at the Red River Revel without receiving a percentage of the profits as a 20th anniversary gift to the Revel.

1994-95 – The League proudly received the Philanthropic Organization of the Year Award from the National Society of Fundraising Executives.

1993-94 – The Junior League’s 60th Anniversary gift, Kidspace, was a part of the exhibits when Sci-Port opened its doors. The Junior League of Shreveport was the proud recipient of the Volunteers of America Humanitarian Award because of its support monetarily and with trained volunteers.

1992-93 – “Celebrating 60 Years Of Success” was the theme of this League year. The League honored the community with a gift of $60,000 directed toward the Sci-Port Discovery Center Children’s Exhibit. New community projects included School Away From School and a Teen Health Fair.

1990 – Three new projects launched this year: Schumpert Adult Day Health Center, Literature to Life, and the Mendez Program of Substance Abuse Awareness. The Provisional class completed two community projects as part of their League training. One group trouped to local schools with a puppet show educating students about the problems encountered by children with cancer, and another group helped secure volunteers to work with Sci-Port’s Dinosaurs Alive exhibit.

1989 – The League expanded its community programming by adding two new projects: Volunteers of America’s Pregnancy Service Center and Call 3. Also, the Public Affairs Committee heightened members’ awareness on the issue of heavy rock music.

1986 – The Junior League of Shreveport funded three new projects: Shriner’s Hospital’s PALS (Play and Learn at Shriner’s) program, Juvenile Justice, and Substance Abuse – MAD.

1985 – New projects included McDade House, Louisiana State Exhibit Museum, and the League’s largest coalition effort ever, the LightHouse. Volunteers of America’s LightHouse reaches out to families struggling with poverty, illiteracy and joblessness. The LightHouse offers a wide range of programs serving children, adolescents, and their families. Its goals are educational achievement, economic self-sufficiency, and productive citizenship.

1980 – CONTAC – This academic internship program (CONTAC), funded by a grant from Aetna Insurance Company, provided on-the-job experiences for high school students in such diverse fields as law, banking, computer science, physical medicine, and journalism.