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Service Projects
2025 Project Chairs- Laura Prior & Emily McElreath
Project Co-Chairs- Sam Gilbert & Victoria Madary
Camp Sunshine is an overnight camp for upcoming 5th grade girls where the girls participate in swimming, games, exercise, and crafts. This is held at Camp Hopewell in Oxford in May or June each year.
Project Chairs: Leslie McCormick & Whitney Sweeney
Asst. Chairs: Meagan Farrell & Nicole Moorman
Camp Bats and Balls was held on Saturday, November 2nd from 9:00am-11:30pm at Swayze Field. This was our 23nd year of Camp Bats & Balls with 133 campers.
In 2001, Camie Bianco was a member of JA and had the idea to start this baseball day camp for local kids. We are so grateful to her and Coach Bianco for making this camp into what it has become over the past two decades.
This project is a half-day baseball skills camp for boys in 3rd & 4th grades. The boys have the opportunity to experience a sports camp as they rotate through stations led by the team. The boys also receive an autographed photo, lunch, and a t-shirt.
Thank you Stonewater Adolescent Recovery Center for sponsoring this project!
CHILDREN'S BOOK FESTIVAL
Project Chairs: Morgan Hart & Bess Cook
Asst. Chairs: Britnee Barns & Sydney Fields
Each spring, this project brings a nationally recognized children’s author to Oxford to visit with 5th grade students. Prior to the author’s visit, JA purchases one of the author’s books for every 5th grade child. Over 1,000 local students attend the Children’s Book Festival. This year’s Children’s Book Festival was held March 31, 2022 at the Ford Center and book was Midsummer’s Mayhem by Rajani LaRocca.
Project Chairs: Catherine Berry & Ashton Logan
Project Co-Chairs: Madison Mumme & Victoria Madary
Crown Club is a serviced-based club for 9th-12th female girls who reside in the Lafayette/Oxford area. To find out more about joining Crown Club, click here!
CASA CARES
Project Chairs: Elise Sellers & Brittany Power
Project Co-Chair: Kim Hampton
CASA of Lafayette County is a non-profit organization that advocates for the best interests of abused and neglected children through the appointment of court-appointed, screened, trained community volunteers. Our local CASA chapter started in 2018 and works with children in the foster care system in our community. Junior Auxiliary is delighted to have established “CASA Helpers” a service project focused solely on how JA can support the children of CASA. We work with CASA board members and CASA advocates to identify gaps in the childrens’ needs, whether that is clothing, shoes, school supplies or even perhaps a bed and mattress, we also create initiatives to promote joy, happiness and encouragement to those children and the advocates that work tirelessly to serve them.
Most recently, JA gifted Christmas stockings to all the CASA children stuffed with fun toys, books, warm socks, gloves and other goodies and we kicked off their 2021-2022 school year with back to school encouragement cards.
F.R.E.S.H. PROJECT
Project Chairs: Kelly Brummett & Kari Clark
Project Co-Chair: Bess Cook
The goal of the F.R.E.S.H. Project is to focus on providing children in Lafayette County with the items which are most needed to help promote good personal hygiene. After collecting hygiene items, JA members distribute these items to 9 schools/ organizations in Oxford and Lafayette County.
Headstart Helpers
Project Chair: Sarah Belvedresei & Emily McElreath
Project Co-Chairs: Whitney Sweeney & Lauren Ward
Headstart Helpers is a project for the preschoolers at ICS Headstart. This year, our chapter provided each student with a Christmas book, mittens, and a toy for Christmas. On Dr. Seuss’s birthday, we sent each child home with a Dr. Seuss book through our book drive. We want to encourage literacy at a young age and use this project to reach children before they enter the school system. In addition, we helped the teachers and staff purchase a Tower Garden for the school so that students may participate in the learning experience of growing their own vegetables.
P.J. Project
Project Chair: Payton Martin & Morgan Waters
Project Co-Chairs: Hannah Dye & LeToya McClay
This project takes place prior to local elementary schools’ Polar Express Day. On this special day, students wear pajamas to school, enjoy a cup of cocoa, and watch the Polar Express movie. JA works with counselors and teachers to make sure that children in need have new pajamas (and a new Christmas book donated from Junior Auxiliary members and Crown Club members) to wear for this event.
On Call for Kids
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Project Chair: Maegan Tatum & Leslie McCormick
Project Co-Chairs: Elise Sellers & Anne Cofer
On Call for Kids allows us to provide emergency support to a child/family with children on a temporary and unplanned basis, such as providing clothes to a child who’s home has burned down, groceries if there is not food for the child, utilities, and other urgent needs.
Celebrate Suess
Project Co-Chairs: Sarah Belvedresi & Emily McElreath