EDWARDSVILLE - The Junior Service Club of Edwardsville/Glen Carbon’s mission is to foster volunteerism by developing member talents and interests through a variety of fundraising and philanthropic projects and at the same time, building valued relationships.
Each year, since 1938, women in Edwardsville/Glen Carbon have participated in a wide variety of Junior Service Club community projects and also given back to local organizations and individuals with large amounts of contributions of time and money.
One of the most impressive Junior Service Club contributions announced this year was a $25,000 donation to Watershed Nature Center for and Educational Meadow.
This is a description provided by Watershed Nature Center about the contribution for an Educational Meadow:
“The educational meadow will be installed on an area that will require significant fill to achieve the desired grade. This area will consist of an natural play are that will be an open lawn for relaxation and recreation as well as a small natural play area for children, which will include logs, stumps and boulders for crawling and climbing. Included will be two different teaching gardens that will serve all nature students – “K through Grey”. Surrounding the lawn area will be a new native meadow, consisting of a mixture of grasses, forbs and wildflowers to attract birds, insects, butterflies, and other wildlife.”
Junior Service Club President is Karen Marcus. She firmly believes in all of Junior Service Club’s work in the community. She said the group is exceptionally supportive of Watershed Nature Center.

She said this about the Watershed Nature Center Educational Meadow contribution:
“Our thought on that it is kids go there on field trips to Watershed and the Nature Center and we just feel like that education is the one thing that will make the next generation appreciate the area.”
Marcus continued and said it is amazing to stand in front of a group of 100 women and ask if they would like to donate $25,000 to a project like the Watershed one, and have everyone support it.
“As females and moms in the community, we know Watershed is a vital part of helping our kids and community understand nature, animals and vegetation in the area. A lot of kids would never been able to experience that growing up in a residential area. Watershed truly serves so many purposes and is a place to go and educational nature.”
During the year, Junior Service Club has an Adopt-A-Family service project for families in need at holidays, birthdays and special events. The Junior Service Club constantly contributes financial and volunteer work to the Glen Ed Pantry. Meals on Wheels, Project 612, both which are related to delivering meals and food are annual projects.
JSC members also participate in events at nursing homes. The Boundless Playground in Edwardsville Township Park was a Junior Service Club Signature Project.
Marcus said in September, anyone who wishes to apply for grants through Junior Service Club can fill out an application. She said the group starts its calendar year in September.
For more see edglenjuniorservice.org.

The Edwardsville Intelligencer, Friday, November 18, 2016
http://www.theintelligencer.com/local/article/Junior-Service-Club-Holiday-House-Tour-set-for-10761029.php

For more than 20 years the Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Junior Service Club has hosted its biennial Holiday House Tour which serves as a perfect way to kick off the holiday season.  This year the tour, which will feature eight beautiful homes decorated for the holidays, takes place from noon to 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 4.
Sarah Dawson, a Junior Service Club (JSC) Holiday House Tour committee chair, noted that having eight homes on the tour is the most homes they’ve had on the tour in recent years.  “We’re very pleased with the variety in architectural style and décor that can be seen among the houses,” Dawson said.
The homes in the tour are all located within Edwardsville and Glen Carbon, and the tour is self-guided so participants can start at the house of their choosing.  
Tickets are $25 when purchased in advance or $30 when purchased the day of the event.  Remaining tickets will be available the day of the event at each homes on the tour.  
Tickets can currently be purchased during regular business hours at Miss Bailey’s Poppy Patch, YMCA (both locations), Metro Eye Care, Gingham Buffalo, Where They Roam, Holiday Cleaners, What To Wear and Stix & Stones.
The JSC will also be collecting canned goods and diapers at each home on the tour which will then be donated to the Glen Ed Pantry.  
“The Glen Ed Pantry is such a valuable resource for se in need in our community. We wanted to help the Pantry get ready for the holidays since this is typically when they need it the most,” Dawson said.
Children under 12 years of age will not be permitted on the tour. It is recommended to wear shoes that are easy to slip on and off since they must be removed when entering each home. 
This year’s Holiday House Tour sponsors include Ala Carte Home Design, Bin 51 Wine & Spirits, Butler Marcus Realty Group, Fischer Lumber Company, Viviano Heating & Air Conditioning, Mortgage Makers, R.P. Lumber, CS Gems, Joni Yost Interiors, Saving Grace Beauty, and Stix & Stones Interiors. “We’re grateful to all of our sponsors and the businesses selling our tickets,” Sara Musch, also a committee chair, said.  “We are fortunate to have such a supportive community.”
The JSC, comprised of about 85 local women, is an extremely active organization that is dedicated to making a difference in the community, and all funds raised from the Holiday House Tour go directly back into the community through the JSC’s multitude of programs and projects.  
Kerry Stricker, JSC’s Community Relations Chairperson, explained that one of the JSC’s larger projects this year had been a $25,000 donation to the Watershed Nature Center for a new educational garden and just last week the organization donated $15,000 to Got Your Six, an organization committed to providing specialized service dogs to Veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury and/or sexual trauma.  Got Your Six’s mission is to help these men and women regain their lives through the healing power of dogs.  
“We were at Petco this weekend - over Veterans Day,” Stricker said.  “The Junior Juniors group took donations from the public outside of Petco, and then they used that money to go inside the store and buy dog food for the service dogs. And then we purchased a service dog that will be trained and gifted to a local veteran.”  
There were about 35 local groups or organizations in total that the JSC granted funding requests to this year.  “Everything from the Children’s Museum to a company called Curtains Up Theater that is doing a Christmas show at the Wildey, to Got Your Six, the Glen Ed Food Pantry, and District 7 nurses,” Stricker noted.  
Other large projects the JSC has funded in the community in recent years include the Boundless Playground at Township Park and the dry playground at the new Splash Pad in Edwardsville. 
“All the money that we raise we spend here locally.  It’s a great organization,” Stricker said. 
Visit www.edglenjuniorservice.org for additional information about the Holiday House Tour or to learn more about JSC and their upcoming events.  The Junior Service Club is also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/EdGlenJuniorService.