Junior Service League of Beaufort
Creating and Serving Community
story by JENNIFER BROWN-CARPENTER photos courtesy of JSLB
What does it mean to give back? What does it look like to not only build community but to serve the community? As our world continues to shift into a place of being focused inward and only caring about one’s own needs and desires is there a way to really make an effort to focus outward, to turn our eyes onto others, while still meeting our own needs and desires for genuine community, for deep and lasting friendships?
If you are looking for the blueprint for this, you do not have to look much further than the Junior Service League of Beaufort. The League’s mission statement makes this beyond crystal clear:
“The Junior Service League of Beaufort (JSLB) is an organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism. Through the talents of our diverse membership, we support and enrich the lives of women, children, and families in our community. Together, we have a greater impact than we do individually.”
The Junior Service League of Beaufort was founded in 2005 by a group of women looking to give back to the community in a way that fits their already busy schedules as businesswomen, wives, and mothers.
Over those years, from 2005 to the present day, JSLB has raised and given over $175,000 back into our community. They have done this through the many fundraisers they put on each year. Some of their more well-known fundraisers — Touch-A-Truck and Jubilee — are looked forward to by community members all year.
All funds raised yearly are then returned to the community in the form of grants. They are given out based on requests from different community-based organizations. Some of these include AMIKids, CAPA, Clemson Extension, Good Neighbor Medical Clinic, Heritage Farms, Hopeful Horizons, Lowcountry Legal Volunteers, My First Books SC, NAMI Lowcountry, Port Royal Sound Foundation, Programs for Exceptional People, Second Helpings, The Children’s Center and Beaufort Young Life.
What sets the Junior Service League of Beaufort apart from other organizations is that they are doing the work themselves, raising the funds to give back to the organizations that need them. This frees up the organizations that they help to focus on the complex and vital work they are already doing. JSLB is a group of women, working women, some working moms, and some stay-at-home moms, who have found a way to give back by raising funds for the community.
Beaufort is a transient town. With our large military community, people are always coming and going. It can feel hard to develop real friendships and find a group of people to do life with. The Junior Service League provides this opportunity to women in the community, giving them a space to meet other like-minded women. This has created lifelong friendships for its members. They really do become a family. And it is a safe space. They understand that flexibility is an absolute necessity in a group of women. It is a space open to women to come as they are.
The women in the League also prioritize spending time together outside of League meetings and events. They will attend the festivals downtown, go to movies or dinner together, etc. “You can find your people here,” Emily Kremer says.
There is an application process that each organization fills out to receive any grant money from the Junior Service League. The League has an Appropriations Committee that works with 3-4 women to decide what organizations meet their requirements bracket. They give to organizations that align with their mission and meet predefined criteria. Information on their grant application process can be found on their website. (www.jslbeaufort.com/about/grants)
Current JSLB President Emily Kremer has been involved with the organization for the past four years. She has always been very service-driven, and after seeing the work that the League is accomplishing, she knew it was the perfect place for her. “It is a place to support each other, learn from each other, and understand each other. It has been life-changing,” Emily says. Working alongside the president is an entire board of directors and several committee chairs. Together, they work to serve members of the League and the community while holding fast to the JSLB mission.
Jubilee is JSLB’s end-of-the-year fundraiser. This coming spring, Jubilee is being held at the Port Royal Sound Foundation on April 20, 2024. Planning started in August and will continue until the event in April. Jubilee is an incredibly fun night, full of music, food, and usually dancing. There is a silent auction during the event full of exceptional items donated by the community. These items can include golf clubs, local hotel stays, works of art by local artists, baskets put together by stores downtown, baked goods, etc. Each year, these items get better and better. (Jubilee is a ticketed event; when the tickets go on sale, you can purchase them online or through any JSLB member.)
The League’s other popular event is Touch-A-Truck, which is perfect for families. The League gets connected with different fire departments, sheriff’s offices, and police departments to provide some of their vehicles, construction trucks, moving trucks, etc. Kids can touch these vehicles, climb in the front seat, and be close to these large vehicles that most are in love with!
JSLB has been privileged to partner with the Beaufort Executive Airport for an exciting new location this year. The event will be held directly after The Flying Frog 5K, with planes and helicopters added to the roster of attractions. “We are taking the event to new heights, if you will,” jokes President Emily Kremer. There will also be food trucks because no community event is complete without them. Planning for Touch-A-Truck started in April 2023, and the event will take place on October 28, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Another fantastic event that JSLB provides to our community is Prom Boutique. “Prom Boutique really hits to the heart and soul of who and what JSLB is all about,” Emily Kremer says. The community donates gently-used prom dresses that allow JSLB to set up a boutique. Young women attending prom can come and choose a dress at no cost, along with accessories and handbags that have also been donated. “You get your whole prom look, minus your shoes, for free. We want all young people to enjoy that time of their life and remove that stress from their parents.” This is such a huge and beneficial event that JSLB has had girls attend the event from as far as Savannah and Greenville. The impact of the community is far beyond our own and touches other communities as well.
One person could not pull off events such as Jubilee, Touch-A-Truck, or the League’s many other events. This is why so many members are so vital to the League being able to function and live up to the mission statement. With around 40 members, every woman has an important and vital role.
Members who join will spend their first year learning about the League while beginning to help with events and service projects as committee members. These provisional members will learn from the acting director about everything JSLB does in the community and how it operates. This way, these women are not flying blind. “It could otherwise be very intimidating,” Emily Kremer says. After your first year, you will still have the opportunity to continue serving on a committee as well as chair a committee or serve on the board.
“Junior Service League of Beaufort is making a difference in our community, and we still need the community’s help,” Emily Kremer says. “We need women to volunteer, support from local businesses and sponsorships, and we need people in the community to share the events, etc. Together, we have a greater impact than we do individually. We are Beaufort. We have to do this together.”
JSLB will begin accepting applications for the 24/25 league year in March. Those applications will be available on their website – www.jslbeaufort.com. They will be hosting a recruitment soiree in mid-March as well.
