Make your mark in Moraga, plus get to know those friendly faces you see all over town with Moraga Juniors. LamorindaWeb gets the scoop on this organization that's been making a difference in the community for decades.
Do you ever go to the local Safeway in or to your child’s school and feel like you see a lot of familiar faces and wish that you could get to know your fellow Moraga neighbors a little better? A great way to accomplish this is to join a local club. One fantastic club is the Moraga Junior Women’s Club (MJWC). The club has been around for thirty years and has helped guide women through the stages of being a “newbie” in Moraga. The club is also just a fantastic way to widen your circle of friends.
Friends, Community Events and Charity
What is so inspiring about the club is that you work with other members on local events that really make a difference to your community. Joining the club and working side by side during events is a great way to get to know each other better and have that familiar bond for years to come. One very popular event that the Moraga Juniors have given is the Easter Egg Hunt at the Moraga Commons Park. People come from far and wide to bring their 1 to 6-year-old old children to hunt for plastic eggs on the grassy hillside, have fun in the Bouncy House, eat treats and even meet the Easter Bunny!
Another wildly popular event that the Moraga Juniors club has organized and staffed is the gorgeous Garden Tour, which is now in its eighth season. Gardens from private homes throughout the Lamorinda area are selected and opened to the public. This year the Garden Tour will be presented on May 5, 2012 from 10 am until 3 p.m. Julie Wykle, Vice President of Moraga Junior Membership, explains that the Garden Tour raises money for charitable organizations that the club members have selected through voting. In 2008 the club presented UCSF Children’s Hospital with a $32,500 check for its Child Life Services Music Program.
In 2009, the Moraga Juniors presented Garden Tour proceeds of $25,000 to the Food Bank of CCSC -Farm 2 Kids. The Farm 2 Kids program provides fresh produce to families in need. Since produce is perishable and expensive, it is hard for low-income families to provide it for their children - yet the nutrients are so important for developing children. The Moraga Juniors feel really moved that they have been able to help these growing children and their families.
The Moraga Juniors club has also given charitable donations to help us here locally in Moraga. Recently, they presented the Moraga Parks and Recreation with $4,000 to help rebuild the playground at the Rancho Laguna Park. They also presented the Moraga Education Fund with $2,500 in addition to the $500 that they donated to each of the three elementary school PTAs in Moraga. Most of the members are parents here in Moraga and their children’s education is a top priority.
In fact, in the last six years, the MJWC's fundraising efforts have generated close to $200,000! Yet, the group also has events just for fun. In November they will have the always popular Wine Tasting night at Wine Thieves in Lafayette. The group also holds a “Road Rally,” which is a Moraga scavenger hunt with wheels!
New Member Social Happening Soon
If you would like to check out the Moraga Junior Women’s Club, consider stopping by to enjoy a cool drink and a yummy hors d'oeuvres while you meet both current members and prospective new members at the New Member Social. Julie Wykle, as the primary link to new members, encourages you to stop by so that the club can “give you the scoop on the Juniors -having fun and helping the community at the same time!” The casual social will be held on September 28th, 2011 at 7 p.m. To rsvp for the social please contact the Moraga Juniors through their website and a member will get in touch with you as soon as possible. Their website address is moragajuniors.org.
