The Junior League of Greenville Inc. is responding to changing needs within the community by refocusing its efforts to help local women overcome issues such as human trafficking and a lack of economic mobility.
The organization, which has served the Greenville community for 94 years, has reintroduced its Capacity Building Grants program to fund new projects, according to Claire Stam, the 2023-24 Junior League of Greenville president.
“We halted this grants program in 2019 as we underwent an adjustment to our focus areas,” Stam said. “We wanted to ensure we were maximizing our philanthropic dollars and placing them strategically to support issues in the Greenville community that require additional resources.”
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- Soteria Community Development Corp.: $15,000 to support the salary for a part-time caseworker to help formerly incarcerated women transition into society.
- Triune Mercy Center: $10,000 to support a part-time caseworker focused on transitioning homeless individuals and families in crisis into long-term affordable housing.
- GirlUp GVL: $10,000 to support its seven-week paid summer internship program that gives teenage girls real-world work experience.
- Nicholtown Child and Family Collaborative: $10,000 for two targeted programs: the Nurturing Skills for Young Parents Program (ages 13-24) and the Parent Cafe.
- Greenville Free Medical Clinic: $5,000 to help move the Greer satellite to a new agency/multiservice center with greater capacity.
“This year, we felt it was important to bring back our annual community grants in order to maximize our impact in the areas of economic mobility and human trafficking, and to financially support agencies that are engaging in this important work,” Stam said.
Junior League members will have opportunities to volunteer in various capacities at the awarded agencies, as well as other nonprofits in the community.
Stam also pointed out that the community grants program is far from the only tool the Junior League uses to support its mission.
Other ongoing projects include:
- Empowered Women of Greenville: An internal committee that hosts customized events for local community agencies, aimed to empower their constituents in the areas of health and wellness, career and job search, financial literacy, and building community.
- A partnership with Habitat for Humanity to provide days of service during which Junior League volunteers help construct Habitat homes.
- The Annual Sustainer-led Holiday Bag Project: An internal project that each year provides approximately 350 gift bags to the Cancer Society of Greenville County. The bags typically include holiday items and pillows, scarves, tumblers, word searches, personal-care items, and more.
- Junior League Singers: An internal project, the group performs at various locations in the community, such as nursing homes.
Stam said support from the new grants will begin April 1.
