It’s 12 p.m. and that means it’s time for our new NoonDaily feature! For today’s post, I caught up with the two ladies in charge of getting the word out about the many great reasons to get involved with the Barrington Junior Women’s Club, also known as “Juniors”. Erin Shechtman and Elena Anastasiou are the membership co-chairs for the BJWC’s new season and I asked them to share five things they enjoy most about being part of the organization.
Members of the Barrington Junior Women’s Club meet regularly on the first Tuesday of the month and they are welcoming anyone interested in learning more about Juniors to their new members meeting this upcoming Tuesday, October 1st, at McGonigal’s Pub.
The group gets together to socialize at 7 and the meeting starts at 7:30. They also have a different guest speaker every month who shares information about things like local resources or community offerings. The Membership Education speaker for next Tuesday is Mary Brennan, a BJWC grant recipient and the founder of the Barrington Youth Dance Ensemble.
Also during the year, BJWC members host a fall fashion show and a social event each spring. They’re involved with buying and sorting toy donations for Barrington Giving Day, they coordinate the sessions of Safety Town and they participate in many activities that enrich the lives of students, seniors and others in our community.
But if you want more reasons to consider joining Juniors, I’ll leave that to Erin and Elena who came up with their Top 5…
Erin & Elena’s Top 5 Reasons to Join Juniors
1. Greater connection to your Community
“I now feel more informed about the great stuff our community does and how my family and I can be a part of it.” -Elena
2. It Feels Good to Give Back
“I enjoy bringing my kids with me to help deliver meals, through the “Meals on Wheels” program. I feel like I made a little difference in someone’s day and both the seniors and kids love it.” -Erin
3. Help Raise Money for the Numerous Programs Juniors’ Supports in & around Barrington
“It’s important to me to have my kids witness the many examples of volunteerism and appreciate how fortunate we are.” -Elena
4. Foster Friendships
“I get the opportunity to meet women outside my neighborhood or school circles. I learn a lot by listening to the moms with older kids…like what to expect with the coming junior high and high school years. I’ve gained some insight and ways to prepare, that I otherwise wouldn’t have had.” -Erin
5. It’s a great way to get out & have some FUN!
“We both look forward to the monthly meetings for a guilt-free night out, some quality girlfriend time and the chance for our husbands to have to put the kids to bed.” Elena and Erin
You don’t have to be a member of the Barrington Junior Women’s Club to attend their annual fall fashion show coming up at the Stonegate Conference & Banquet Center from 10 am to 3 pm on November 9th. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets and the theme of this year’s show is La Parisienne Fashion Show and French Market.
Another big upcoming event Juniors is involved with is Barrington Giving Day in December, when 900+ families (2,500 + children) who qualify for Barrington 220’s Free & Reduced lunch program are invited to Station Middle School where they receive boxes of food, warm coats, blankets, books and gifts right before the holidays. The BJWC co-hosts this event with other organizations. Their responsibility is to provide the toy and gift donations for the 18-and-under age group.
In 2013 the Barrington Junior Women’s Club awarded $15,000 in Community Service Scholarships to Barrington High School Seniors and Barrington area organizations received close to $50,000 from the club’s contributions.
For more information about the Barrington Junior Womens Club, visit their website at BJWC.org.
