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Our Committees

There are several opportunities to get involved as a member of the Downers Grove Junior Woman's Club. Volunteering to join any of the Standing or Special Committees below is a great way to give back to the community.

Standing Committees

Conservation & Community Affairs (CCA)

Chairs: Stephanie ferguson & meredith van sykle

The CCA committee is responsible for keeping membership informed about civic affairs while working for the betterment of our community.  They work with our various philanthropic partners to create volunteer opportunities for our Club members.

Projects include: Hope's Front Door School Supply Drive, Adopt A Highway, various porch drop off projects and so much more! Suggested update: Hope’s Front Door School Supplies Drive, Thanksgiving meals delivery, holiday presents for families in need, Adopt-a-Highway Maple Avenue Cleanup, monthly service projects and volunteer opportunities for members and more!

Seeking members who possess skills including:

  • Awareness of different needs within the community that DGJWC can help through volunteer opportunities for members and their families.

  • Ability to commit volunteer time for different initiatives- e.g.  collecting items on your porch, volunteering to deliver meals/gifts to local families in need.

  • Organizational skills to collaborate with the membership of DGJWC to run service projects at General Meetings.

Education

Chairs: Krista nadeau & annie sprau

The Education Committee promotes education and awards scholarships.  The goal of this committee is to keep club members current on community education issues and provide educational services to schools, the library and the children of Downers Grove, as well as educational programs for club members.

Projects include:  Scholarships for Downers Grove High School Seniors, D58 & D99 Teacher Grants, and The Junior High Awards Art Contest.

Seeking members who possess skills including:

  • Interest in education; reviewing teacher grant applications and senior scholarships.

  • Ability to promote all applications/scholarships to reach as many students and teachers as possible in the DG community.

  • Interest in art; reviewing middle school art submissions.

  • Connections to Downers Grove elementary, middle and high schools.

Membership

Chairs: sam figueroa & beth renchin

The Membership Committee helps guide prospective members through the recruitment process; helping them understand more about DGJWC and what is involved in becoming a member.  This committee is critical in helping make a positive impression for those interested in joining club. Membbership is responsible for fostering connections between members by planning icebreakers at mettings and running the Club’s Bridges Program - which supports members experiencing celebratory milestons or hardships.

Seeking members who possess skills including:

  • Recruiting new members to join DGJWC.

  • Attend meetings and events with the intent of bringing members together and creating new connections.

  • Willing to be a “buddy” for prospective members to help them understand upcoming meetings/events and answer questions for them.

  • Awareness of Club to be able to answer questions for prospective members.

Club Communications

Chair: suzanne mraz

This committee is responsible for building awareness of DGJWC throughout the broader community and of upcoming events and accomplishments of the Club through local news outlets, social media and the Club’s website.

Seeking members who possess skills including:

  • Marketing skills.

  • Savvy with social media. 

  • Strong writing skills/experience writing press releases.

  • Graphic design skills or comfortable with Canva.

  • Website design experience using Squarespace.

  • Familiarity with digital newsletter platforms like Mailchimp.

Philanthropy

Chair: kristen avery

The Philanthropy Committee researches and reviews all donation requests submitted by members, committees, and organizations.  When a request is received, the recipient organization or individual is reviewed and, if the committee approves it, the request goes before the general membership for discussion and approval.  After final approval, the committee distributes the money to the designated recipients.

Seeking Members whose possess skills including:

  • Awareness of philanthropic organizations in our community.

  • Interest in reviewing organizations needs and providing a balanced vote for if it is the right fit for our Club funds.

  • Committee members must be active members of DGJWC for a minimum of one year.

Health and Wellness

Chairs: Val Hardy & Kelsey holt austin

The Health & Wellness Committee plans exclusive events for members as well as for their families promoting nutrition, disease prevention, and physical and emotional care. Including events like: fitness classes, wellness workshops, nutrition/cooking classes and more.

Seeking members who possess skills including:

  • Event planning - interest in planning several health & wellness themed events for Club members throughout the year.

  • Meeting and getting to know members at social outings.

Ways and Means (WAM)

Chairs: maria o’connor & sarah wilhite

WAM raises money to support the club’s philanthropic endeavors. Drawing on the support of the entire Club, the committee plans and organizes fundraisers as voted on by the active members of DGJWC.

Seeking Members who possess skills including:

  • Event planning - interest in planning one or more of our major fundraisers this Club year: Witches Walk, Elf Shelf, Annual Spring Fundraiser, restaurant give back nights and more.

  • Interest in soliciting local business for sponsorship and in-kind donations

Special Committees

Handmade Market

Chairs: shannon lucas & mary purcell

For over 25 years, the Downers Grove Junior Woman's Club has sponsored the Handmade Market featuring Chicago-area crafters and artisans. Proceeds from the Downers Grove Handmade Market go into club’s General Fund to support our operating expenses. 

seeking members who possess skills including:

  • Interest in setting criteria and reviewing vendor applicants.

  • Strong communications skills to help with corresponding with vendors and writing crafter profiles for social media promotions.

  • Event planning skills to help with logistics, coordinating with venue/food & beverage provider.

  • Volunteering at the in-person event.

  • Marketing skills to help promote the live and virtual event to community.

Visit the Handmade Market Page

Safety Town

Chairs: Cara baran & Suzanne mraz

Safety Town is a two-week program held in August and organized with the Park District and Police Department to instruct 5- and 6-year-old children in home, fire, traffic, and bicycle safety issues.

Seeking members who possess skills including:

  • Interest in working with young children and teenagers (volunteers).

  • Coordinating with the Park District and Police Department.

Federation Reporting

Chair: open

Federation Reporting is responsible for keeping track of all Club committee projects and submitting annual reports to the GFWC Illinois and GFWC International Federation.

Seeking members who possess skills including:

  • Organizational skills to help maintain current logs of club activities.

  • Writing skills to help create descriptions and narratives of club activities.