Get ready for some delicious shrimp, corn and potatoes on Feb. 24 at the Marketplace Café where Junior Auxiliary’s 11th annual shrimp boil will be!

Tickets are $12 per plate (1 lb of shrimp tails, corn and potatoes) and can be picked up from noon to 5 p.m. Tickets must be purchased in advance by any J.A. member or at Natchez Rehab in the Tracetown Shopping Center.

I’m sure many of you are wondering “what is the Junior Auxiliary of Natchez.” I know I did when I was invited to join the group three years ago by our past president. The J.A of Natchez is a group of hard working women (membership about 20 strong) that are dedicated to helping children in need in the Natchez area.

Some of our projects include “Pack the bus” where we ask for donations from our community for children who cannot afford basic school supplies.

We also have our annual Angel Tree at Christmas, which brings smiles to the faces of about 200 children selected from Catholic Charities, DHS and CASA. We help individual families in need, and hold week long summer day camp, “Camp Sunshine,” for the students of Pleasant Acre Day school.

We try to spend time on a monthly basis with children from the Sunshine Center for Children and host Easter and Halloween parties for the kids of the center and the Guardian Shelter. We are also partners in education with West Primary, and have scholarships for area high school seniors.

But what it all comes down to is Community Support. Without the compassion and generosity of this wonderful community, past members, businesses and friends, none of our work would be possible.

So please help us to continue helping children in need in our area. You can be sure that 100 percent of all donations go directly toward helping children. We will also hold our 10K River City Run for the Kids/5K walk, and One-Mile Fun Run that day beginning at 7:30 a.m. Pre-registration is $15 for adults and $5 for the One-Mile Fun Run for kids. For information on the run, call Cara Moody at 304-1602.

Any donations, memorials or honorariums are appreciated and may be mailed to Junior Auxiliary of Natchez, P.O. Box 1592, Natchez MS 39121.

The chapter is registered with the Internal Revenue Service as charitable 501(c)(3) organization. All donations are tax deductible.

Michelle Heaney is Corresponding Secretary and Chairman of this year’s shrimp boil.