Junior Auxiliary of Taney County’s major focus for their projects is to improve the welfare of our children. One of those projects is to deliver school supplies for elementary students in the outlying communities of Bradleyville, Kirbyville, Mark Twain, and Taneyville. This year as JA members were shopping for supplemental supplies, a kind gentleman, Mr. Doyle Langley, was interested in what was going on with the purchase of all the school items and struck up a conversation with the ladies. When Mr. Langley learned what we were doing, he announced that he was going to purchase these supplies for us to distribute to schools. His act of kindness lifted our spirits and fits in with our motto “Caring Hearts, Helping Hands, Changing Lives”.

The schools receive these donations in January when school supplies are low and need to be replenished. Junior Auxiliary members collect high demand items all year. They shop the sales and save them up for this time of year when the schools run low. The budget allotted for this project allows JA to purchase extra things schools need at this time of year.

On January 27, JATC members started delivering a variety of supplies which included composition notebooks, wide-ruled paper, wide ruled 1-subject notebooks, 2 pocket folders, crayons, pencils, mechanical pencils, pencil sharpeners, colored markers, ink pens, colored pencils, glue sticks, scotch tape, scissors, index cards, highlighters, rulers, erasers, Expo markers, etc. Other items designed to help keep the kids healthy such as hand sanitizer, Kleenex, Lysol spray, paper towels, and Clorox wipes were also donated to help provide our children with a healthy learning environment. Junior Auxiliary was also pleased to provide $65 Walmart gift cards to 25 teachers in Bradleyville Elementary, Kirbyville Elementary, Mark Twain, and Taneyville schools to purchase additional items they need for their classrooms.

School Supplies is one of the many service projects that JATC members provide to the community. Other JATC projects include Tender Critters for children in trauma; Christmas Assistance for children in need; Book Swap for children who live in extended-stay motels; Kindness Effect Cards for residents of nursing homes and senior living centers; Santa’s Gift House where children can do their own shopping for loved ones and learn that giving can be more rewarding than receiving; Scholarships for each of the four high schools in Taney County, and ScholarCare Awards which include a renewable scholarship and monthly care packages for selected students. More information about JATC can be found on the Junior Auxiliary website JATCMO.ORG, their Facebook page, Junior Auxiliary of Taney County or via email at jatcmo@gmail.com.

WATCH THE JUNIOR AUXILIARY OF TANEY COUNTY FACEBOOK PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OUR NEXT PROJECT, “CELEBRATING READING—DR. SUESS’ BIRTHDAY” ON FEBRUARY 25, 2023.

JATC is more than a nonprofit organization, it’s a group of women united by a single cause. We are dedicated to helping and making a difference in the lives of the children of Taney County. That’s the magic of JATC! It was chartered by a group of caring, enthusiastic women in 1998 and continues to grow and thrive throughout Taney County. Approximately 50 members annually contribute more than 4,000 volunteer hours as they strive to improve the mental, physical, social and emotional well-being of children in Taney County.

JATC is part of the National Association of Junior Auxiliaries (NAJA), a non-profit organization founded in 1941 with headquarters in Greenville, Mississippi. NAJA has 15,000 active, associate and life members with nearly 100 chapters located in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas. Their slogan is “Caring Hearts, Helping Hands, and Changing Lives”.

Published by: Branson Globe, Wednesday, February, 8, 2023; Branson Tri-Lakes News, Saturday, February 11, 2023