Junior Auxiliary of Slidell

The Space Race of the 1960s turned Slidell, Louisiana into a classic boomtown, thanks to the Michoud Saturn Rocket installation. Slidell, located on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish, boasted a population of 6,300 back in 1960. By 1965, the city’s headcount had doubled to 13,000.

Amid this growth, many women were anxious to make a place for themselves in order to help their community progress, as well as shed off the feeling of being newcomers. So they created a service organization, dedicating their efforts to help disadvantaged children, teens, families, and elderly in the Slidell community through projects that improve quality of life.

Junior Auxiliary of Slidell has served the community for more than forty years, providing educational support through volunteerism, fundraising, original projects, and community networking for women and children living in poverty. Today, the Junior Auxiliary of Slidell is a not-for-profit organization comprised of some 50 women who continue the tradition of those who served before them. Last year, Junior Auxiliary of Slidell volunteers cumulatively served 1,800 hours, helping more than 11,000 people in the Slidell area, with a primary focus on serving children.

The organization meets the needs of the community by maintaining a cooperative relationship with educational and civic leaders, working with local agencies and creating its own service projects. From a mentor program that helps high school juniors develop leadership and communication skills to programming that teaches children how to make healthy food choices, the charitable work of Junior Auxiliary of Slidell helps meet the needs of the community year-round.

Share the stories of exceptional volunteers in your community doing good for the greater good. Submit a Daily Point of Light Award nomination to help lift up a changemaker near you. Go to http://www.pointsoflight.org/programs/recognition/dpol/nomination.