Junior Welfare Association :: Decatur, Illinois

A tree stands as the symbol of strength and growth. Our JWA logo exemplifies 60 years of growth of our organization and the benefits it provides to the community; deeply rooted in the talents and efforts of its members, unified by a common purpose and branching into fruition through friendship and service.

HISTORY

Junior Welfare Association was established after eleven women listened to a luncheon speaker discuss social conditions in Decatur. That was August 1938. The twenty-seven charter members pledged to improve the economic, educational, and social conditions of the community through financial assistance and volunteer service.

That same August, they undertook both their first fundraising project, a style show, and their first service project, a picnic for the local orphanage. By 1942, they had grown to seventy members contributing over 8000 hours of service to the community. Today there are more than 100 Provisional and Active Members and approximately 250 Patroness Members. Our area of service now covers Decatur and Macon County.