For nine decades, the Junior League of Santa Barbara Inc. has provided thousands of volunteer hours, trained thousands of women leaders and helped establish many programs to benefit the Santa Barbara community.
Along with city dignitaries and guests, JLSB Active and Sustainer members will gather to celebrate their 90th anniversary at a reception on Sept. 27.
The Junior League of Santa Barbara organizes women committed to promoting volunteerism, develops the potential of women, and improves communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. JLSB also enhances the lives of its member by providing valuable training and volunteer opportunities.
Many JLSB members are leaders in community businesses and organizations who have put their JLSB skills and experiences to use in their professional lives. Among these are: Helene Beaver, former mayor of Santa Barbara; Jan Abel, former president of the Santa Barbara Art Museum board currently serving on the Montecito Water District board; Joanne Rapp, past president of CALM, the Santa Barbara Scholarship Foundation and many other nonprofit organizations; and Penny Jenkins, former CEO of the Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse and 2014 Chamber of Commerce Businesswoman of the Year.
Since 1924, when JLSB was founded by a group of 24 young women who had a vision of impacting the community through volunteerism, JLSB members have contributed to our community in many different ways:
» 1963: the JLSB contributed to the building fund of the Girls’ Club of Santa Barbara and helped to develop the Child’s Estate, a community project that later became the Santa Barbara Zoo.
» 1975: the JLSB celebrated its 50th anniversary, 85 members successfully completed the FOCUS Education Course, a leadership-training program.
» 1995: During the 70th anniversary of JLSB, the League became a partner in the national Silent Witness Project and helped in opening the Sexual Abuse Response Team (SART) Cottage.
» 2005: The JLSB partnered with the Santa Barbara Public Library System to renovate the Eastside Children’s Library.
» 2014: The Junior League is over 500 members strong and continues to be a leading volunteer organization within the Santa Barbara community, providing thousands of hours of volunteerism, annually.
For more information, call 805.963.2704, visit our website by clicking here or follow us on Facebook and Twitter @JuniorLeague_SB.
— Heather Hambleton is a communications coordinator for the Junior League of Santa Barbara.