Thank you for visiting the web site of The Junior League of Albany, NY, Inc.
I want to extend a special welcome to you on behalf of our 200 members who live, work and volunteer in our Capital District community.
The Junior League of Albany (JLA) is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.
During 2007, the JLA is celebrating its 90th Anniversary of making an impact in our community. Our legacy includes many well-known non-profits and charitable organizations in the region that got their start as projects of the League. The Albany Girls Club, St. Peter's Hospice, Ronald McDonald House, the Equinox Youth and Domestic Violence Shelters, Next Step, Inc, the Race for the Cure and Gilda's Club were all JLA projects. Active and sustaining JLA members also contribute hundreds of volunteer hours each year to a range of local organizations in support of the arts, health care, early childhood education and community improvement, just to name a few. Be sure to check our calendar of events to learn how we'll be celebrating our rich history and presence in our community.
The JLA is a member of the Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI), an organization of over 170,000 members in 294 Leagues located in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.
The first Junior League was founded in 1901 in New York City by 19-year-old Mary Harriman who organized a group of youth women to improve the quality of life for immigrant residents of settlement houses, in New York's Lower East Side. Mary envisioned an organization where women could volunteer their time, develop their skills, and truly make a difference in their communities.
Throughout its more than 104-year history, the Junior Leagues have been the driving force behind the kinds of initiatives and institutions that make communities healthier and more vital places to live. Leagues have made differences in family literacy, domestic violence, children's museums, women's shelters, cancer research funding and support, historic preservation, leadership development, and more.
Membership is open to all women over 21 regardless of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, handicapped status or nation origin who possess an interest in and commitment to voluntarism.
I hope you find the information you need, whether it is learning about the community programs we support, attending one of our fundraising events, making a contribution to support our efforts, or becoming a member.
We appreciate your interest in the Junior League of Albany and thank you for supporting our efforts to build better communities!
Kathryn A. Bamberger