Service Projects
Camp Silvercloud
Purpose: Members implement a day camp for mentally and physically challenged children.
Time: Early summer
Children's Shelter
Purpose: To provide activities, parties and babysitting for children living in the Warren County Children's Shelter.
Time: Year round
Community Outreach
Purpose: To reach out to needy children in our community, primarily by providing sweatshirts and jackets to under
privileged children, and by assisting the Vicksburg Warren School District's School Social Workers by supplying items
for their clothes closet and fulfilling special requests as needed. A benevolence fund is also included to assist with
families in times of emergency.
Time: Year round
Family Development
Purpose: To provide support to young disadvantaged mothers and their children by assisting in varying capacities at the
Family Development Center. Members provide supplies necessary for quality childrearing to moms enrolled in parenting
classes. Members also enhance language development for toddlers by reading regularly and providing books for those
enrolled in the early intervention program.
Time: Year round
Helping Hands
Purpose: Child welfare project where members help families in need of basic necessities such as food, clothing, shelter,
and/or emotional support. An ongoing relationship of commitment and support is established until the family becomes self
sustaining and is no longer in need of the basic necessities.
Time: Year round
INK (Inspirational Notes for Kids)
Purpose: Members partner with 4th graders and develop a pen pal relationship. 4th graders are required to take a state wide
writing assessment. In participating in this project, this helps to increase the student's writing and language skills as well
as their self esteem as they exchange personal thoughts, stories, and personal experiences. Many times, many students will express
their feeling in writing when there is no other outlet.
Time: School year
LEAP (Learning to Eat and Play)
Purpose: To teach nutrition and fitness to school-aged children to promote healthy choices.
Time: Year round
Literacy
Purpose: To promote literacy and enhance children's love of reading. See an increase in a child's test scores and self confidence
and their ability to read increases.
Time: School year
Provisional Project
Purpose: Provisional members fulfill a need in the community by implementing a project of their choice.
Time: During provisional training
The Playground at Catfish Row
Purpose: To construct a community-built, handicapped-accessible playground for the children of Vicksburg.
This playground was designed by children with the help of Leathers & Associates and built by volunteers through
funds raised by JAV members. The total cost of this playground was over $200,000.
NOTE: This project won NAJA's 2008 Martha Wise Award, which is awarded to a Chapter for an outstanding
new project designed to encourage Chapters in carrying out the basic objectives of Junior Auxiliary, to
search for community needs, and to demonstrate how these needs may be met in a community with a population
over 30,000.