The support Will County Take Back the Night receives from Plainfield Junior Woman's Club is truly appreciated. We host an annual event to raise awareness around issues related to domestic violence. Our event includes a speaker, memorial, resource tables, and march which draws several hundred people. PJWC not only helps us by providing volunteers to help collect pantry items for our local domestic violence shelter, but also provides generous funding to help us cover the costs of our event. Funding raised by this event is distributed back into the community by providing unrestricted dollars to agencies who provide direct service to victims of domestic violence. Helping cover our costs allows us to distribute more money at the end of our event, thus providing greater impact to our community.
Plainfield Junior WOams Club has been instrumental in helping RichEnDeed serve our community. RichEnDeed is a free store that accepts donations of gently used clothing and household items and then makes them available to those in need. Since our inception, PJWC has supported our mission in many ways. First, they are always ready to volunteer in our tore, they supported our events, they even managed to store during my illness for several months to allow us to continue to serve our community, they have also supported us monetarily over the years. PJWC has been a big asset to our community and will continue to have an impact. Without this amazing organization, we would not have been able to stay open.
As the executive director of the Will County Children's Advocacy Center -- a NFP, child-focused, coordinated response center that provides hope, healing and justice for children who have endured severe physical abuse, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, neglect, and exposure to violence -- I can't say ENOUGH good about the GFWC-IL PLainfield Junior Womans Club!
I have had the opportunity to partner, support, and observe the GFWC-IL PLainfield Junior Womans Club for over 13 years, and have ALWAYS been nothing but impressed with their consistent commitment to the community. Their members are energetic, enthusiastic and engaging, and are seen as REAL leaders in the Plainfield area. Their hard work (which they always make look fun!) makes a REAL difference in the community.
In 2019, our founder/board chair Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow presented the HEROIC SERVICE AWARD #RealHeroesDontWearCapes to Plainfield Junior Woman's Club, represented by President Kristen Robertson and members Shelby Hammond, Cyndi Fulco and Lucia Rossi-Nichols, for their extremely passionate support of the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center. Their monthly meetings begin with a pledge to fight violence and abuse, and over the years, they have shown their commitment to that pledge by donating a large amounts of hand-tied fleece blankets and new books for children who have endured abuse and receive services at the CAC. The Plainfield Junior Woman’s Club has provided much needed financial support of the Children’s Advocacy Center’s Paws-4-Kids pet therapy program designed to comfort the children who come to the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center. Additionally, two of their members are active participants of the Will County Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Coalition founded by State’s Attorney Glasgow.
The Plainfield Junior Woman's Club has been a longtime supporter of Rise From The Ashes, a locally based nonprofit that provides legal representation for domestic violence victims. Community born and raised, Rise From The Ashes is funded entirely by local organizations like the Plainfield Junior Woman's Club. Without their support, our clients would not be able to obtain the legal services needed to leave their abusers. We are so grateful for their support of our mission and cause.
PJWC has been an organization close to my heart since I joined in 2012. I've participated in numerous community service opportunities as well as met some of my best friends. As a group we have collected suitcases for children in the foster care system, collected suits for women in need who are interviewing for jobs, helped wrap Christmas gifts along with the Shop with a Cop program, advocated for domestic violence awareness, collected food, clothing, and toiletry donations for various organizations, spread the word on the horrible reality of sex trafficking, provided scholarships in our community, and so much more!
PJWC is an amazing group of like-minded, selfless, impactful ladies in our community who volunteer their time, money, and spirit in the hopes that they can ease the life of someone else! Non-profit groups in and around our community have benefited from countless hands-on volunteer hours, by the ladies of PJWC. Groups like the Caring Closet, Guardian Angles, Bags of Hope, Wrapped In Love and many many more. The most wonderful ladies to be around and to motivate you to want to do and be better!