Santa Claus has given his elves at JWL a very special assignment: to help him spread holiday cheer to your loved ones, both the young and the young-at-heart. For each $5.00 donation, we will send a joy-filled personalized letter on Santa's NEW stationary to children, grandchildren, or any loved one using the information you provide on the form provided here.

Remember, Santa and his elves are extremely busy preparing for their Christmas Eve journey and need plenty of time to prepare these very important letters. Be sure to add your special letter recipient to Santa's mailing list before the deadline—December 5th at 11:59 pm. Santa's helpers will send letters from the North Pole to cities across the USA by December 10th.

Proceeds from this fundraiser will directly benefit Johnston County through JWL's initiatives like the Johnston County Blessing Boxes and college scholarships for women. Because of this fundraiser, we were also able to donate $1,000 worth of school supplies to teachers and students throughout Johnston County at the start of this school year.

Thank you for your generosity and support of our local communities and have yourself a merry little Christmas.

GivingTuesday on November 29th is a global generosity movement that celebrates all acts of giving in our local communities and around the world. We encourage everyone to consider a selfless act of kindness--whether it be the gift of your time, a heartfelt donation, or simply bringing a smile to someone who needs it.

In the spirit of giving, JWL of Smithfield is offering those around the USA the opportunity to donate to a wonderful cause. The holidays are the most anticipated time of year for young and old alike, but for some, this time of year may not bring the same joy it does for others. We want to make their spirits bright and bring smiles to as many people as possible this year!

Therefore, we are partnering with Santa to send special letters full of Christmas magic to children in foster care and senior citizens in Johnston County! Last year, because of generous donations from across the nation, all 195 children served by Johnston County Foster Care Services and 125 senior citizens received Letters from Santa.

If you would like to gift the spirit of Christmas to someone this year, please click HERE to make a donation for a child in foster care or HERE to make a donation for a senior citizen. Your $5.00 donation will ensure that we can spread cheer to all this year!

JWL Partners with Generosity Feeds

In food-insecure households, the need for food competes with the need for other basic human necessities such as housing, utilities, transportation, and medical care. Right now, in Johnston County, 41% of children do not have consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.

The Junior Women’s League of Smithfield and River Dell Elementary are excited to bring Generosity Feeds, an initiative of the Replenish Foundation, to our community on Saturday, January 21, 2023 for a Meal Creation Event to package 10,000 meals to fight child hunger locally.

Since 2011, Meal Creation Volunteers in communities across the United States have created over 4 million Fiesta Black Beans and Rice meals. Following a meal creation event, all meals created go back to local school backpack programs and food pantries to be distributed to children who need them most.

We will need over 200 volunteers from our community, so this is a great opportunity for local organizations to have an impactful volunteer day for a wonderful cause. We hope that you will register today to be a Meal Creation Volunteer and help us create meals together. To register, please visit Generosity Feeds Clayton, NC - Generosity Feeds. If you have a group of 5 or more volunteers, please complete this form.

If you would like to make a monetary donation, you can do so at Generosity Feeds Clayton, NC - Generosity Feeds. Every $1.00 donated equals one child fed.

Thank you for being a Hunger Hero for the children in Johnston County! 

JWL Releases New Process for Community Support

Since our inception in 2015, the JWL has been dedicated to improving the communities in which we live. We are honored to have stood beside so many amazing local organizations to identify and fulfill the ever-changing and growing needs of Johnston County through voluntarism and financial support.

In an effort to expand our impact, JWL is pleased to announce that our application for volunteer support, partnership proposal form, and community impact grant applications are now readily available on our website. For more detailed information about each of these components, please click on the links above.

We look forward to receiving your applications for support and working with you for the betterment of Johnston County. Please direct all questions to jwlsmithfield@gmail.com.

Thank you, Touch-A-Truck Sponsors!

JWL is so grateful for all of our sponsors of this year's 7th Annual Touch-A-Truck event in Downtown Smithfield. It was a beautiful day for the children to play, learn, and explore and would not have been possible without the support of our local businesses. We look forward to releasing details from this year's event in the coming months and hope you will join us for our 8th Annual Touch-A-Truck next year.

JWL in Action

Turkeytastic Thanksgiving Outreach

Each year, the Smithfield Rescue Mission gathers all the fixings for Thanksgiving meals and gives them to families in need throughout Johnston County. Their goal is to make it possible for families in need to gather and celebrate Thanksgiving in their own homes together.

JWL members volunteered to assist with SRM's needs during their annual event, including the distribution of the meals upon the families' arrivals.

If you are interested in learning more about their work to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness in Johnston County or ways to support them throughout the year, please visit their website at Smithfield Rescue Mission.

Leadership Spotlight

November 2022

Each month we recognize a member, nominated by her peers, who has gone above and beyond in service and leadership within the league and her community. This amazing woman embodies JWL's mission and leads by example. Thank you for all that you do!

November General Member Meeting

Guest Speakers: Nathalia Parrish and Amy Keith

On the third Thursday of each month, JWL members host our General Member Meeting (GMM) at the Country Club of Johnston County. This meeting not only allows for fellowship among our members, but also serves as an update on upcoming league initiatives and to discuss volunteer efforts in our county. Additionally, these meetings are intended to be educational as it relates to local concerns and needs.

This month, we had two guest speakers who work with the Johnston County Department of Social Services--Nathalia Parrish who has been employed with DSS for 18 years and works with the Adolescent Parenting Program; and Amy Keith who has been employed with DSS for 17 years and supervises the licensing, Foster Care 18-21, and Links Programs.

Nathalia and Amy spoke to JWL about their Angel Tree Project, which began in 1991. Since that time, DSS has assisted youth in the Foster Care program and children in the Adolescent Parenting program during the holiday season by collecting toys, clothing, shoes, and other necessities. These youth are placed in the care of foster parents or relatives or are taking steps to live independently. Thanks to the generosity of sponsors from local businesses, DSS is able to meet their needs and help bring joy during the holiday season.

Did you know? You can help too!  If you work at or visit one of the Angel Tree sponsors during the holiday season, you can pick up an Angel Tree card, where you will find a wish list for a child in need. This year, there are an estimated 300 children who can be helped with an Angel Tree card and another 100 families who can be sponsored over the holidays as well. These donated items can be returned to DSS until December 5, 2022. To see the Angel Tree Project in action from 2021, take a moment to watch their video.

For more information about the important work of Johnston County Department of Social Services, please visit their website at Johnston County, North Carolina | Department of Social Services (johnstonnc.com). We are thankful for Nathalia and Amy sharing their time with us and extend our greatest appreciation to all of the wonderful team at Johnston County DSS!

Pick 3 Raffle - Save the Date

Save the Date! Pick 3 Raffle will go live on December 8, 2022. Please check back on our Junior Women's League of Smithfield, NC | Facebook page and website for more information at that time.