Chair: Haley Elkins
Co-Chair: Kelly Carlquist
Blessing Trees is a Junior Auxiliary of the Eastern Shore initiative that helps bring joy and support to local children and families during the holiday season. The community and members work together to collect requested gifts and essential items, helping ensure each recipient feels remembered and cared for during Christmas.
Thanksgiving Blessing Boxes
Chair: Wanda Whiddon
Co-Chair: Grayson Knight- Schemer
Through this program, we are able to purchase and fill nearly 100 Thanksgiving boxes for families in need throughout the area. These families are identified through the students at the schools we serve in other capacities. We are able to provide all of the ingredients for a full Thanksgiving meal for these families, easing this hardship through the Thanksgiving holiday.
Stand Beside Her
Chair: Mamie Brett
Co-Chair: Torrey Cali
Stand Beside Her is a spring service project held in partnership with Fairhope Middle School that focuses on encouraging girls to support, empower, and build one another up. Through positive messaging and activities, we talk with middle school girls about kindness, leadership, being a positive role model, and the importance of standing beside other girls rather than tearing them down. The project also includes positive affirmations shared with students during the morning carpool line and the distribution of personal hygiene packs, creating a fun and meaningful opportunity to remind girls of both their own value and the impact they can have on those around them.
Chair: Christina Talerico
Co-Chair: Eliza Alonzo Negron
Through our Personal Hygiene Pack project, Junior Auxiliary of the Eastern Shore partners with middle schools in our community to help students discreetly access basic personal care items when they need them during the school day. We assemble small hygiene packs containing essential personal care products and provide them to school counselors, who can distribute them privately to students as needs arise. This project helps remove a simple but significant barrier for students by ensuring they have access to basic necessities while at school, allowing them to feel more comfortable, confident, and ready to participate in their day.
Crown of Character
Chair: Leigh Ann Walker
Co-Chair: Haley Elkins
In 2012, the JAES implemented a new project, Crown of Character, to recognize Fifth grade students with good character. We currently award students at Fairhope East Elementary School, Fairhope West Elementary School, J. Larry Newton Elementary, Belforest Elementary School, Daphne East Elementary School and WJ Carroll Intermediate School. Fifth grade students are nominated by their teacher quarterly to receive the Crown of Character Award. These students exemplify one or all of the five points represented in the Junior Auxiliary crown: Charity, Youth, Health, Leadership, and Service.
Project Prom
Chair: Kristin Baxter
Co-Chair: Toni Peterson
Project Prom is coming into its 5th year thanks to generous donations from individuals and local businesses of formal gowns, dresses, accessories and shoes. This free event is held once a year by JAES, which provides free dresses, accessories, discount hair/makeup, and tux rentals to high school girls in our community as they prepare for their high school Prom. This event has allowed hundreds of girls attend a milestone moment – their Highschool Prom – while removing the extreme financial burden that comes along with it.
Crown Cards
Chair: Olivia Waldrop
Co-Chair: Barbara Paul
Through this project, members are “pen pals” with a local 4th grade girl. The program is ongoing for the school year and allows the member + young lady to form a mentor relationship…via writing. At the end of the school year a “social” is held to unite and introduce the mentor and mentee.
Adopt-a-Graduate Program
Chair: Stacie Douglass
Co-Chair: Jennifer Gordon
This program aims to help and assist, both emotionally and financially, seniors on the Eastern Shore who may be considered “at-risk” or unable to graduate based on financial needs and/or hardships. JAES Adopt-a-Grad will provide graduation guidance, mentor-ship, service opportunities and financial help for the high costs associated with graduating to include ACT testing in their Junior year, and moving into their Senior year, senior fees, on prom ticket, basic senior portrait package, senior year book, cap & gown and diploma expenses.
Blessing Bags
Chair: Erin Pew
Co-Chair: Pam Sewell
Through our Blessing Bags project, Junior Auxiliary of the Eastern Shore partners with school systems throughout Baldwin County to provide weekly food assistance to children and families who may be experiencing food insecurity. School counselors help identify students and families who could benefit from additional support, allowing us to discreetly provide food items to help ensure children have access to what they need outside of the school day. This ongoing project allows us to work directly with our local schools to meet an important and immediate need for children in our community.
jaeasternshore.org 