Community Spotlight SA Works - The Heart & Soul of JLSA

from Junior League of San Antonio Winter 2020 Scrawls

by The Junior League of San Antonio, Inc.

Signature Project Paving New Paths

BY LAUREL DIXON AND BRANDIS DAVIS

Through the Junior League of San Antonio’s application process for Done-In-A-Day Projects, community partners have the ability to request the support of the League’s trained volunteers to assist them with a variety of standalone projects that can be completed in a day. Common examples of these projects include assisting with community enrichment events, preparing and serving meals to families, and organizing children’s activities. The San Antonio Works Committee, affectionately known to JLSA members as SA Works, is often considered the heart and soul of the League, as they are the team of volunteers who fulfill many of these requests from the community.

Habitat for Humanity

When people think of the Junior League, one of the first things that come to mind is volunteering and direct service to the community. Throughout the League’s 96 years in existence, it has stood steadfast in its foundational principles of promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and providing the community with trained volunteers. The Done-In-A-Day Projects and SA Works do just that, putting volunteers hand to hand and heart to heart with the San Antonio non-profit community on a daily basis.

Based on the reputation the League has cultivated over nearly 100 years, community partners know they can count on highquality volunteers from JLSA. So, it is no surprise that the SA Works team has ample opportunities to serve a variety of non-profit organizations all over town throughout the year. So far this year, SA Works members have completed a little over 1,200 volunteer hours with 50 community partners.

“Members of the SA Works team love having the ability to work with different community partners and the variety of their volunteer roles. The non-profits we work with truly value and appreciate the support we provide them, whether it is an extra set of hands as they set up for a special event or additional smiling faces when interacting with the clients they serve,” said Vice Chair of SA Works Committee Evangelina Reza-Holliday. “By partnering directly with the organizations in our community, even if it is only for a shift, volunteers and agencies get to experience the bond of collaboration towards a common goal. That is a lot more than we would get during an interview or facility tour .”