In 1937, Lorine Jones Spoonts gathered twelve young women and formed the Junior Assistance Club. One activity of this small group was to research a Central Index Bureau, a clearinghouse for relief and social agencies of the city. (Later this index became known as the Community Chest, then the United Fund, and then the United Way.) The Junior Assistance Club patterned itself from the beginning on the lines of the Junior League and, for this reason, became a Junior League sooner than is customary. The local League was accepted into the Association of Junior Leagues in 1944. Currently there are 147 Active members, 263 Sustaining members, and 33 New Members. To maintain active membership, a member must participate regularly as a volunteer in one of the League's community endeavors. Those members who have reached sustaining privileges are no longer under League supervision, although they continue to render individual service and often serve on boards of charitable organizations and community agencies. Provisionals spend a year in community training before becoming active members.

The Junior League of Corpus Christi, Inc. has continued its commitment to the city over the years by investing countless hours of volunteer service and hundreds of thousands of dollars in numerous community programs. Over the past decade, The Junior League of Corpus Christi, Inc., has raised more than $750,000 through our fundraisers which include Bayfest, a bi-annual Rummage Sale, 4th of July celebration, VIVA cookbook, and other events. Part of this money has assisted the League with operating costs, but the great majority has been returned to the community in the form of gifts, grants, and funding for various community projects. In 2003-2004, the Junior League of Corpus Christi donated more than 11,000 volunteer hours to 30 non-profit agencies and programs throughout the Corpus Christi area. The Junior League prides itself as a training organization that develops the potential of women, and the League's reputation in the community is that of an organization that can get the job done.

Since 1944, The Junior League of Corpus Christi, Inc. has been a member of the Association of Junior Leagues International, of which there are 296 participating Leagues in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and England, with a total membership of 196,000. The purpose of the Association has been to unite the member Leagues and to promote their individual purpose by offering leadership and assistance. Because of the relationship with the Leagues in the Association, the individual member enjoys the privilege of transferring her membership from one League to another.

For more information about our international organization, click here: www.ajli.org