Do you want to know about the businesses and services accessible to you right here in the Branson area? Do you want to have fun shopping and help the children of Taney County? The first ever Branson Women’s Expo will be held at the West Wing Conference Center (White House Theatre) located at 2255 Gretna Rd on October 10-11, 2015. The event will promote a mixture of local businesses and direct sales opportunities with the common focus of health, home ideas, and style trends – all of which give women something to feel good about!

The Branson Women’s Expo will run Saturday, October 10 from 10am-6pm and Sunday, October 11 from 10am-3pm. Women will have the chance to connect face-to-face with trustworthy contractors, insurance professionals, home décor specialists, health care providers, and of course to shop to their hearts’ content. Get a jump-start on your holiday shopping with local and regional exhibitors offering everything from essentials to little personal luxuries. There is something for every woman at the Expo…whether you are looking for inspiration, relaxation or to get help managing life’s details, you’ll find the resources needed.

You will be helping the children of Taney County as you purchase the $2.00 entry ticket at the door, all of which will go to the Junior Auxiliary of Taney County (JATC). In addition, Usborne Books & More will give 50% of their proceeds to JATC. More than 55 vendors will participate in this first event, including 7 Stones Day Spa, AAA Insurance, B&L Outdoor Power, Parklane Jewelry, Jamberry, Lorrie-Taylor Arbonne, Matilda Jane Clothing, Nanny 2 U, Dazzle Me Designs, Binswanger Glass, Revive Studio, Shawn’s Sewing Center, Silpada Designs, Sho-Me Clean & Flooring, Younique and Jeunesse Global, to show and/or sell their products.

Businesses such as Cox Health, The Vacation Channel, Tanger Outlets, KRZK-FM, 102.9 and KOMC are the generous sponsors. More information is available at www.bransonwomensexpo.com or contact Ozarks’ Kirkwood Hospitality at 417-335-4668. JATC has been selected as the sole beneficiary of this first Branson Women’s Expo. Check out the organization’s website, www.JATCMO.org or call Membership Chair, Linda Lewis, at (417) 527-3963, to find out more or to get involved.

Currently, JATC members support and operate eleven projects including Women’s Crisis Center, 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; Homework Helpers and Book Swap Stop, in which they provide snacks, enrichment programs, reading and homework help for children who live in extended-stay hotels/motels, and Heart of Arts, in which members donate art & craft materials and/or work on projects with adults with disabilities at Developmental Connections.

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. The NAJA Graduate Scholarship Program has awarded more than $1,203,859 since its inception in 1963 to persons who work, or plan to work, directly with children. NAJA’s slogan is “Care Today-Character Tomorrow”.

Published: Branson Tri-Lakes News, September 30, 2015