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Photo submitted The 2019-2020 Junior Auxiliary of Brookhaven

Photo submitted Junior Auxiliary of Brookhaven celebrates National JA Week Sunday through Saturday, a time to thank volunteers and sponsors. Pictured are JA members at the group’s sponsored Reality World event for Lincoln County ninth graders, from left: Sloane Smith, Lindsey Smith, Brenda Orr ad Anna Grider.

Photo submitted Pictured are JA members, from left, Emma Coleman, Brenda Orr, Jennifer Townsend, Miranda Smith and Mendez Vaughn.

Photo submitted Pictured are JA members at the annual Wish Tree event, from left, Hailey Thibodeaux, April Wallace, Mallory Johnson, Whitney Clark, Emma Coleman and Jennifer Townsend.

Photo submitted Pictured are JA members at last year's annual shrimp dinner fundraiser, from left, Cassidy Robinson, Madolyn Dickey, Erin Culpepper, Jillian Ricceri, Chelsi Case and Latoya Butler.

Photo submitted Pictured are JA members, front row, from left, Anna Grider, Bethanny Ballard, Whitney Clark and Mandy Allred; back row, from left, Chelsie Case, Erin Culpepper and Rachel Cochran.

Photo submitted Junior Auxiliary of Brookhaven celebrates National JA Week Sunday through Saturday, a time to thank volunteers and sponsors. Pictured are JA members at Fall Fest, from left, Jennifer Townsend, Latoya Butler, Ashly Choudoir and Lisa Breazeale.

Even as communities are adjusting to stay-at-home orders and restrictions on social gatherings, Junior Auxiliary of Brookhaven is looking for ways to continue to reach out to the community. Part of doing that is taking a week to say, “Thank you.”

JA of Brookhaven will celebrate National JA Week beginning Sunday. This annual celebration is set aside to pause and thank the community, sponsors and volunteer members who work year-round to make a positive difference, particularly in the lives of children served by group projects.   

“This is an exciting week for us, because it gives us a chance to thank all of the citizens of Brookhaven/Lincoln County community for supporting us in this work, and to recognize our wonderful corporate sponsors who finance these projects,” public relations chair Kristina Mason said. “The families and children we serve are so deserving and thankful for this assistance, and none of that would be possible without the support of the entire community.”

As the chapter enters the second half of the National Association of Junior Auxiliary’s 78th year, members are sharing the challenge and theme presented by national president Leslie James — “Let our lights shine through love.” The message has tremendous opportunity during the coming week to spread love and share what is accomplished through local chapters, Mason said.

The NAJA was founded in 1941 and is headquartered in Greenville. More than 15,600 members are involved in 96 chapters in eight Southeastern states. JA members worked or volunteered more than 238,000 hours in their communities in the 2018-2019 club year, investing $2,747,171 in those communities.

JA of Brookhaven has been a part of the Brookhaven and Lincoln County community since 1954 and has 40 members who donated hundreds of hours in 2018–2019 to the chapter’s various projects. The chapter raises funds each year through its Peel ‘Em Eat ‘Em shrimp dinner.   

Following the national JA slogan, “Care today — character tomorrow,” the organization focuses on demonstrating kindness and caring to others in order to build character in both the givers and receivers.

“Junior Auxiliary chapters are working more than ever to provide care to those less fortunate in order to make their tomorrows better,” Mason said.

For more information on JA, or to make a tax-deductible donation to JA of Brookhaven, visit the group’s Facebook or Instagram pages or mail donations to JA of Brookhaven, P.O. Box 169, Brookhaven, MS 39602.

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