This week is a very special week for the Junior Auxiliary — it’s National JA Week!

The hard work goes on year-round, but during the first week of April each year, the Junior Auxiliary of Natchez pauses to say thank you to the community for a wonderful year.

The Junior Auxiliary of Natchez, is the local chapter of the National Association of Junior Auxiliaries, a women’s service organization founded in Greenville in 1941.

Nationally, there are 14,220 JA members who worked 104,958 service hours with a total of $1,962,042 invested in eight southeastern states in 2006. Junior Auxiliary has a long history of service and JA of Natchez is working to carry on the tradition by implementing the national motto — “Care Today-Character Tomorrow.”

With the help many people in the community, JA has served those in Natchez in need of a helping hand with various projects throughout the year.

Some of these projects include the Angel Tree, which provides Christmas gifts for children, and Operation Back to School to collect school supplies for those who cannot afford them. JA works throughout the year with the Guardian and Sunshine Shelters as well as with West Primary School to help meet the needs of children in the community. These are only a few of the many services that Junior Auxiliary provides. In order to finance these projects, JA relies on assistance from the community with fundraisers such as the 10K River City Run for the Kids and the annual Shrimp Boil.

That is why this is such an exciting week for JA because it gives us a chance to thank all of the citizens of Natchez for supporting us in this work, and to recognize our wonderful corporate sponsors who finance these projects.

The families and children we serve are so deserving and thankful for this assistance, and none of that would be possible without the support of the entire community.

The members of JA would like to thank everyone that helps make our work possible and to ask for your continued support for another great year!

Joanna Brumfield is a member of Junior Auxiliary of Natchez.