Serving Our Community Year-Round
DGJWC members roll up their sleeves year-round to serve the Downers Grove community through volunteer projects, nonprofit partnerships, and hands-on service.
Community service is the foundation of the Downers Grove Junior Woman's Club. Throughout the year, our members volunteer their time, lend their talents, and partner with local organizations to meet the changing needs of our community. Some projects have become long-standing traditions, while others evolve each year in response to emerging needs. Our community projects include: fundraisers, financial contributions to in-need organizations, annual recognition of educators and students, and community service volunteer efforts.
Our Community Projects
Downers Grove Safety Town
Safety Town is a nationally recognized safety education program for children ages 5-6 and is presented by the Downers Grove Police Department in cooperation with Downers Grove Junior Woman's Club and Downers Grove Park District. Through hands-on activities, songs, books, videos and classroom presentations, children bring home important safety lessons appropriate for everyday life.
Adopt-a-Highway
The AAH program brings citizen volunteers into partnerships with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to pick up trash and keep our roadsides clean. The program also educates and encourages people to stop littering. Several times a year, on a Saturday morning, members unite to clean up our stretch of road on Maple Avenue, between Dunham and Stonewall.
Blessings in a Backpack
Each spring, DGJWC members partner with Blessings in a Backpack to help provide food for local students during school breaks, when access to school meal programs is unavailable. Members volunteer to pack hundreds of bags with kid-friendly meals and snacks, helping ensure children have reliable access to food when school is not in session.
Little Free Libraries
To commemorate our 65th Anniversary, DGJWC gifted Little Free Libraries to the Downers Grove community. One is located in the drop-off area of the Downers Grove Recreation Center and the other is at the entrance to the Indian Boundary YMCA. More than a one-time project, our members continue to maintain each library by refreshing the book selection and caring for the spaces so they remain a free, accessible resource for readers of all ages.
GardenWorks Project at Downers Grove FISH Pantry
Each spring, DGJWC members help plant the GardenWorks community garden at the Downers Grove FISH Pantry, then return in the fall to help prepare the garden for the next growing season. The fruits and vegetables grown in the garden provide fresh, nutritious produce for local families served by the pantry.
GFWC International Day of Service
Each spring, DGJWC members help plant the GardenWorks community garden at the Downers Grove FISH Pantry, then return in the fall to help prepare the garden for the next growing season. The fruits and vegetables grown in the garden provide fresh, nutritious produce for local families served by the pantry.
Join Our Community
There's a place for everyone at DGJWC. Join us at a service project, volunteer at an event, or become a member and help strengthen the Downers Grove community alongside women who share a passion for service.
