Are you looking for a way to make a difference in your community? Would you enjoy getting to know an interesting and sociable group of women? Then Junior Auxiliary of Taney County (JATC) is looking for you.

Committed to identifying and responding to the needs of children and families throughout Taney County, JATC members design and implement service projects designed to address issues affecting child health and well-being. Currently, JATC members support and operate eleven projects including Santa’s Gift House; College Readiness programs and scholarships; prom dresses for girls in need; stuffed animals for children in the local hospitals; Journey, a mentoring project for young women; support for the Women’s Crisis Center, in which they provide home improvement and monetary support for one of the cottages; and Book Swap Stop/Homework Helpers, in which they provide snacks, enrichment programs, reading and homework help for children who live in extended-stay hotels/motels

JATC is more than a nonprofit organization, it’s a group of women united by a single cause and dedicated to helping 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 and thousands of dollars 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 more than 15,500 active, associate and life members in 98 chapters located in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee. Their slogan is “Care Today-Character Tomorrow”.

Friendship, fun and fulfillment: these are the rewards offered by membership in Junior Auxiliary of Taney County. Check out the organization’s website, JATCMO.org, or call Membership Chair, Linda Lewis, at (417) 527-3963, to find out more or to get involved.

Published: Branson Independent, July 31; Tri-Lakes News, August 3