SUN. & MON.: CLOSED
TUES.: 10-5
WED.: 10-5
THURS.: 10-6
FRI.: 10-5
SAT.: 9-5

Donations are welcome during shop hours.

At its 89th Annual Meeting, the Junior League of Sioux City recognized all its current active members for completing a total of 5,512 hours of volunteer service within the Siouxland Community from June 2009-April 2010.  The Junior League of Sioux City is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.

Members recognized for their individual hours of service were:

Bronze level (75-149 hours): Stacie Anderson, Michelle Bostinelos, Angela Ericson, Sandy

Nation, Brenda Noll-Norvell, Johnalyn Platt, Megan Tramp, Jane Trego, Melanie Swain,

and Carrie Thomas

Silver level (150-224): Gwyneth Gray, Lily Higman, Angie Schneiderman, and Rachel Zeleny

Platinum level (300+ hours): Mary Green-Warnstadt and Jodi Speidel

In addition to recognizing service hours completed by individual members, three members who have specifically touched the Junior League of Sioux City, its mission, and the community received special recognition.  The following members received these awards:

Susan Fey, the Siouxland Leader award for showing outstanding leadership in both the Junior League of Sioux City and the Siouxland Community;

Kristin Beswick, the Spirit of Junior League award as her enthusiasm and commitment embodies the overall spirit of Junior League volunteerism; and

Melanie Swain, the Volunteer of the Year award for her work in making a lasting difference in the Junior League of Sioux City while reflecting upon the mission of “developing the potential of women through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers”.

As a member organization of the Association of Junior League, the Sioux City chapter recognized the following members for reaching specific years of service:

5 years: Ashley Bainbridge, Emily Beswick, Nora DeBievre, Angela Ericson, Kathy Erion, Lily

Higman, Lor McClaren, Melody O’Connor, and Andrea Rohlena

10 years: Mary Green-Warnstadt and Margaret Holman

The Junior League of Sioux City has awarded eleven community agencies within the Siouxland area grants totaling $5,991.  The annual Mildred Anderson Community Grants are funded through the charitable donation left by the late Mrs. Anderson.  Junior League works in partnership with the Siouxland Community Foundation in overseeing the application process and administration of these funds.

Mrs. Anderson herself was not a member of Junior League; however, she supported the mission and vision of the Junior League of Sioux City.  The intent of these awards is to provide community agencies with additional monetary support needed by them to accomplish a set program or project without the assistance of Junior League members.  Community agencies awarded funding for the 2009-2010 Junior League year are:

• Siouxland American Red Cross; $720 to purchase Basic Aid Training booklets to teach your in 4^th and 5^th grade about emergency response, safety precautions, first aid, fire prevention, internet privacy, water, and automobile safety.
• Sioux City Art Center Association; $750 to assist in underwriting the costs of volunteers that help put on the annual Art Splash Festival over Labor Day weekend.
• Dixon County Historical Society (Allen, NE); $400 to provide support toward the restoration of a 100 year old windmill that was donated in 1966
• Friends of the Sioux City Police Department; $750 to fund Child Safety Project brochures about safe child pedestrian habits for students in Sioux City’s elementary and middle schools, and daycare centers.  Their goal is to reduce the number of child injuries and have no deaths in child pedestrian and vehicle accidents.
• Mary J. Treglia Community House; $750 to provide support for a project which will provide financial literacy education to clients to encourage them to use their tax refund wisely and continue to manage their resources frugally.  Education will include understanding credit cards and bank accounts, the home loan process, record keeping, building/protecting credit and savings.
• Sioux City Human Rights Commission; $750 to support the ‘Juneteenth Celebration’ which promotes the understanding of African American culture.  The event will be held on a Saturday in Cook Park and will feature performers, education outreach and a children’s area.
• Sioux City Indian Education Committee; $375 to support the creation of a website so American Indian families can access information from their homes.  Committee goals are to provide educational opportunities to Native American children, further cultural enrichment of Native American population, and improve Native family functioning.
• Siouxland Paw Prints Rescue; $250 toward the micro-chipping of 500 cats in 2010.  Micro-chipping is a pet identification tool that will enable Animal Control to return animals home quickly and not be euthanized.
• Three Rivers Independent Living Corp; $375 to provide support for the creation of a website detailing the agency’s services to reach community members with questions or concerns.  People with disabilities will be able to access information from their homes, elimination accessibility barriers.
• Women Aware; $546 to fund “Moving On” boxes which will be provided to 20-40 families transitioning from homelessness or temporary shelters into permanent housing.  Boxes include cleaning supplies, personal care, and household items.
• Woodbury County Conservation Board; $325 to provide support for trail enhancements and habitat improvement project to purchase new tools and safety equipment necessary to use in maintaining the trails and Loess Hills habitat.

The Junior League of Sioux City’s Discovery Shop is helping make prom season affordable for all area high girls through its annual Prom Dress event.  The Discovery Shop, located at 316 W 7^th st, Sioux City IA has numerous prom/formal dresses of all styles, colors, and sizes available for sale, all at the reasonable price of $20.  Many of the dresses are brand new thanks to the generous donation from The Glass Slipper Bridal Boutique.  All other dresses have been donated by other community donors supporting our Discovery Shop and the JLSC mission.

The approximate 300 members of the Junior League of Sioux City understand the importance prom is to every girl’s high school experience.  Realizing the beauty and talent in every girl, Junior League wants to ensure girls have access to a dress that brings out their own personal beauty while making prom night an affordable event.

The Junior League of Sioux City is working with the Mercy Child Advocacy Center to provide backpacks for children ages 3-17 who are removed from their home in an emergency by the Department of Human Services or law enforcement personnel due to child abuse or neglect.  The packs contain toiletries, pencils/crayons, paper and coloring books, stuffed animals, a snack, and a handmade fleece blanket.  These items provide comfort and a feeling of safety to the children so that when they are placed in foster care they can arrive with something of their own.  It also provides children with a feeling of dignity, security, and self-esteem at a very frightening time in their life.

This is the 8^th year of the alliance between the Mercy Child Advocacy Center and the Junior League of Sioux City to provide these backpacks.  To date, in partnership with the Mercy Child Advocacy Center, the Junior League of Sioux City has provided over 800 backpacks for use by area law enforcement officers and DHS personnel.

While the items inside the backpacks have changed slightly over the years, the one item that has been included in all of them has been a colorful, age-appropriate tied fleece blanket.  The Junior League of Sioux City has often staged group events to make the blankets and to stuff the backpacks.

This April, during National Child Abuse Prevention month, the Junior League of Sioux City and the Mercy Child Advocacy Center are working to bring awareness of the problems within our own community.  A community-wide blanket tying and backpack stuffing event is planned for April 25^th and we are asking your organization to consider forming a group of volunteers to join us. Volunteers are encouraged to participate in making the fleece blankets and stuffing the backpacks—with no sewing involved!  The information on the event is listed below:

DATE:  April 25^th, 2010

TIME:  12:30pm to 3:00pm

LOCATION:  Sioux City Art Center

If your organization would like to participate, please send an email to danilkoa@mercyhealth.com with the name of your organization, a contact person, a phone number, an email address, and the number of volunteers participating in the event by April 15^th.  An email will be sent to your organization with more specific details.

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration and willingness to make an impact on these childrens’ lives in the Siouxland area!

Special thanks to the Sioux City Art Center for letting us use the facility for this event!

President: Mary Green-Warnstadt

Vice President Community Council:  Melanie Swain

Vice President Finance:  Carrie Thomas

Vice President Marketing:  Susan Fey

Vice President Membership: Michelle Bostinelos

Discovery Shop Chair:  Lori Herigstad

Board Members at Large:   Kristin Beswick, Angela Ericson, Karrie Hruska

Board Secretary:  Gwyneth Gray

President- Elect: Angie Schneiderman

Brenda Noll will take over as Junior League of Sioux City’s VP of Marketing for Ann Slater.

Ann will be getting married this fall and moved to xxx.