Great American Cookout

Over 100 members gathered for the 10th Annual Great American Cookout on July 11. The sold out event, hosted by the Destin Chamber, was held at their o ce on Legendary Drive. Shane Moody, Chamber President and CE , stated We couldn t do this without our sponsors: Community ank and Emerald Coast Title Services. They have been carrying on the tradition now for 1 years. We are grateful for their continued support.”

Attendees enjoyed the grilling skills of Dion Moniz of ECTS and Justin Woodard of Community ank, along with their teams, sharing hospitality and summer picnic fare. The best place to stay cool was at Dippin Dots kaloosa for their famous beaded ice cream treat.

Jason elcher, Chamber oard Chairman, invited everyone inside for presentations and door prizes. Pastor David utler offered a blessing and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Laurie uzman of Community ank and Ashely owen of ECTS shared business updates. rittany Williams with Fisher House Emerald Coast highlighted how they provide a home away from home” to military families while a family member is getting treatment for serious injuries or rehabilitation. rittany also announced Sean Dietrich is the featured speaker for their 16th Annual Helping Heroes ala on ctober th

What is the Junior League?

The Junior League of the Emerald Coast, Inc. (JLEC) is an organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women as civic and community leaders, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.

Ow Did This Organi Ation Come A Out

What is now known as the JLEC was founded in 1964 by ve women who saw a growing need for volunteer services and a way for women to connect and give back to their community of Fort Walton Beach. The League has since expanded to include women from all over Okaloosa and Walton Counties. Over the last six decades, the League has been an integral part of the community and has contributed to projects such as the founding of the Emerald Coast Science Center, and the restoration of the Gulfview Hotel and Camp Walton Schoolhouse.

What impact does the Junior League have on the community

Our primary community outreach is our Child Clothing Project which was initially founded by the League in 1978. The project has grown immensely over time, and we have provided clothing to over 300 elementary students each year since 2011. We work with guidance counselors across 32 elementary schools in Okaloosa and Walton Counties to identify children in need to participate in the event. The children are invited on a special eld trip where they are given the opportunity to ‘shop’ for new clothes, participate in fun activities with other community partners, and are provided lunch—all at no cost to the children’s parents or guardians. Each child leaves with a new jacket, pair of shoes, two shirts, two pairs of pants, socks and underwear, toiletries, a book, and a duffle bag to carry everything! This year, the HSU Foundation is donating the space for the eld trip for the second time, and we are thrilled to be working with this fantastic organization again. For some children, this may be the rst time they have ever received a brand-new pair of shoes or socks that is meant just for them and is not secondhand or passed down. Along with the Child Clothing Project, we have also installed Child Clothing Closets in nine elementary schools across Okaloosa and Walton County. Each closet is stocked throughout the school year with a variety of clothing items in all sizes. The new clothing is available for any child in need to use and keep for free.

What are some challenges your organi ation faces ike many non-pro ts, we were heavily impacted by the pandemic and are still recovering. The inability to hold our typical in-person fundraisers put a strain on nances but even still we have continued to provide roughly 00 children with clothing each year. e are now facing more strain due to inflation. here we previously estimated the cost to clothe a child at around 00, but we are now nding the cost is closer to 5- 50 per child. e’ve also seen a decline in membership numbers since the pandemic as many women have had to shoulder more responsibilities at home and thus have less available time to give back to their community.

What are some future goals?

ur current focus is on rebuilding the community and membership so that we may continue to reach as many underprivileged children as possible. e are also establishing some new fundraisers this year that we hope will become successful events year after year

What events does your organi ation host Are any open to the pu lic e host a variety of fundraisers throughout the year that are open to the public. This fall we are partnering with The enderson each esort for a food and beverage event called Toast on the oast on ctober 5th. e are also hosting two Touch- -Truck events at the estin ommons on November 4th and arch 9th a family favorite ore information for all events can be found on www.jlec. org or on our social media pages (www.facebook.com/ JuniorLeagueOfTheEmeraldCoast or @juniorleague_ emeraldcoast). For our members, we hold monthly meetings along with socials, trainings, and other volunteer opportunities throughout the year.

What is your role and how did you get involved with the Junior League of the Emerald Coast?

I am the resident of the for the 0 - 0 4 eague ear. I started my membership in 0 6 shortly after moving to Fort alton each from alifornia. hile I would have never envisioned myself becoming a prominent leader in the eague when I rst oined (my rst position was updating the website), it has been a wonderful and ful lling ourney to this point and has certainly helped me grow in my leadership and interpersonal skills over the years, all while positively impacting the community ow can someone get involved and or support your nonprofit omen interested in oining can nd more information at www.jlec.org/join. To support the eague, please consider donating to us at www.jlec.org or nd our ishlist ednesday posts on Facebook. e would also love your attendance or vendor sponsorship at our upcoming Toast on the oast or Touch- -Truck events ontact us at hq@jlec.org for more information