The Rochester Junior Woman’s Club has had a busy year! From September to June the club donated more than $29,000.00 to charitable organizations, they provided more than 5,000 hands-on volunteer hours to the community and they managed to have a little fun in the process as well!  

Their fundraising year started off in early September with the Art and Apples Festival. Club members Deb Jones and Deb Mohre co-chaired the food tent where the club’s signature Apple Blossoms and Fresh Squeezed Lemonade were sold to raise funds for the Paint Creek Center for the Arts. A few weeks later, the club held their 13^th annual Lobster Boil on September 24^th. . Chaired by members Katie Kamman and Nicole Maiga, more than 1300 lobsters were sold to raise funds for Avon Players, Friends of Dinosaur Hill, Rochester Symphony Orchestra (RSO) and the OPC.  The end of the year brought their annual Christmas Auction, chaired by club members Nancy Kamman and Toni Wiley, which raised $1500 for Rochester Area Neighborhood House.

The club’s Emeritus members kicked off the New Year with their 20^th annual Card Party in February at Rivercrest, raising $1500 for Crittenton Hospital’s Camisole Program. This was followed in March when they hosted their annual “Spring Highlights’ Luncheon and Shopping Boutique at the Royal Park Hotel. Chaired by club members Marge Friederichs and Deb Panter, they raised additional funds for the Avon Players, Friends of Dinosaur Hill and Rochester Symphony Orchestra (RSO).

In May, the club presented two $500 scholarships, through the Community Foundation of Greater Rochester, to Kendra Harding from Rochester Adams High School and Jenna Fedewa from Stoney Creek High School. And, in June they finished their club year by participating in the Rochester Relay for Life where they raised more than $5,500 for the American Cancer Society.

But, that wasn’t all for the members of RJWC!  If all of the check writing didn’t keep them busy enough, they also provided countless hands-on hours to other local organizations including: hosting exhibition openings at Paint Creek Center for the Arts, serving meals and assisting a special events at the Older Persons Commission including their “Sock Hop” and the “Island Party.”  The members also assisted with the pumpkin carving station at the Stonewall Pumpkin Festival at the Rochester Hills Museum, decorated Dinosaur Hill for the holidays, sold Daffodils for Dinosaur Hill in March, worked each of the Parisian Charity Sales and sponsored the Community Kitchen at the Rochester Community House in May.

During their busy year, RJWC also supported other location organizations and events; they attended the Sunrise Pinnacle awards and the Community Outlook Luncheon as well as “Luncheon on the Aisles” for Meadow Brook Theatre. They held a Bunco event to raise funds for the Relay for Life of Greater Rochester and participated in “Barb’s Battalion” bingo fundraiser for the Race for a Cure. And, they also attended the Women’s Fund Annual CommUNITY luncheon.

And, since RJWC doesn’t believe in “all work and no play” they did a few things just for the fun of it!  In the fall, club members built a scarecrow, “Josie the Junior” as part of the Rochester Hills Museum’s “Scarecrows in the City,” took cooking classes at Trevarrow, Inc and went to see “The Woman Of Lockerby” at Varner Hall at Oakland University. During the holiday season, they hosted a including a Cookie Exchange, attended the Meadow Brook Hall Holiday Walk and Luncheon and hosted a “Hands On Art Night” at Paint Creek Center for the Arts for the members and friends.  As the new year began, they went to the Rembrandt exhibit at the DIA, hosted a Health and Education night at Beaumont Health and Wellness Center and went to see “Grey Gardens” at Varner Hall. And, throughout the year they hosted a monthly book club.

And, at the end of their club year in June, they celebrated with a lovely dinner in the Christopher Wren dining room at Meadow Brook Hall where they installed their new Club President Jennifer Hyvari as well as their new club officers, welcomed 11 new members and presented their year end club awards.

As you can see, contributing to the growth and vitality of the community is the core of the Rochester Junior Woman’s Club! For more than 50 years they have contributed to the growth and vitality of the community through volunteer service and donation of funds to local charities and organizations. Over the years, RJWC has donated more than 1 million hours of community service and raised more than $790,000 to support the local community.

This coming year the club will be raising funds on behalf several local organizations for specific projects including Crittenton's new patient tower which will provide 87 private, state-of-the-art patient rooms equipped with the latest technology and highest standards of infection control, set in a therapeutic environment, Friends of the Rochester Hills Public Library’s whose main focus this year is to full implementation in the area of Early Literacy and Leader Dogs for the Blind who provides all clients services at no cost including a highly trained dog, travel to and from Leader Dog, and room and board. 

RJWC is proud to be helping these great organizations. The first event is their 14th annual Lobster Boil which will be held on September 29, 2012 where live New England lobsters are flown in fresh and members of RJWC cook and wrap the lobsters and have them hot and ready as customers pick them up at the OPC drive-thru site.

The club is also planning two other events to raise funds for their recipients. The first event the club has planned to raise funds for the recipients will be held on January 26, 2013 at Meadow Brook Hall. The evening will include tours of the hall, a strolling gourmet dinner, music, dancing and a silent auction.  The club is also currently planning their annual “Spring Highlights” Luncheon and Shopping Boutique for March 23, 2013 at the Royal Park Hotel.

“The Library is honored to be one of the recipients of the Rochester Junior Women’s fundraising this year. Both organizations have strong commitments and long histories of service to the greater Rochester Area. Our two organizations are part of what makes Rochester the “Heart of the Hills,” Kathy Dorn, Friends of the Library President

The club currently has approximately eighty women who are committed to serving the needs of the community.  They meet on the third Thursday of each month, September through May, at the Rochester Community House. And, they welcome new members all year long!  For more information on the Rochester Junior Woman’s Club, please contact Kathy Lewis at 586 939 7567 or email to kml@wowway.com. You can also visit their website at www.rhpl.org/rjwc or follow them on Facebook at “Rochester Junior Woman’s Club.”