Junior Service League set to celebrate 50 years

Published 8:45 am Friday, August 18, 2023

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On Aug. 24, the Junior Service League (JSL) will be celebrating its golden year. Traditionally gold or golden gifts are given for a 50th anniversary, and this year JSL is decked out in its finest gold.

Former JSL president Nicole Spivey said in honor of the occasion the organization will host a dinner at the Del’avant Event Center at 6 p.m.

“The dinner is open to the public and tickets can be found online at JSLoflagrange.com for $75. The dinner will feature menu items from our own cookbooks called “Grits and Grace” and “Southern Born and Bred,” Spivey said. “We will also have a historical walkthrough in the parlor featuring all the major events and philanthropic things that we’ve done  for the last 50 years.”

Spivey said celebrating 50 years of service feels amazing.

“This is my seventh year in the Junior Service League, and I am honored to be part of such a huge legacy in LaGrange,” Spivey said.

Founding JSL member Nancy Durand said it’s rewarding to see what the JSL has become five decades later.

“I’ve been in the Junior Service League from the very beginning. I have many years of meetings, serving and being a part of the league — it’s been very rewarding. To see what it has become now is incredible and I am excited for what the future holds for our dear organization,” Durand said.

Spivey said the best part about the organization is the women’s empowerment. She said it’s amazing to be around a group of ladies in the community that share a common goal of wanting to better the community.

“Other than our service to the community and fundraising, which we’ve been successful at, the friendships I’ve made and members from mid-70s all the way down to mid-20s have all been so impactful. I had met many wonderful people who work hard and are a vital part of the service league,” Durand said.

In the organization’s 50 years of being active, Durand said its impact on the community can be felt in events the organizations put on.

Whether it’s through the Sweet Land of Liberty Parade or the Taste of Town, JSL has made a name for itself for being an organization about the people in its 50 years.

“We’ve definitely made an impact on lots of children lots of adults and throughout LaGrange throughout the years and have worked hard in other activities that involve community. We want people to know what we are and what we do, and I feel since our beginning that’s what we have done,” Durand said.