CURRENT COMMUNITY PROJECTS

Junior League of Riverside (JLR members donate hundreds of hours each year through hands-on work on our projects.  In addition, JLR is proud to offer financial support through Community Outreach Funds to other nonprofit agencies in our region. 

KIDS IN THE KITCHEN

The Junior League of Riverside (JLR) Kids in the Kitchen program is a nutrition and healthy lifestyle initiative designed to address the issues of childhood obesity and poor nutrition. This year our event was held at the Riverside Plaza attracting over 500 children. The day was filled with presentations, interactive booths and games designed to introduce children to healthy living.

SPAC
State Public Affairs Committee

Junior League of Riverside has a long history of high-level involvement with state government through our work with SPAC.  SPAC is a collaboration of Junior Leagues from throughout the state who work together to support legislation related to our focus area. 

The State Public Affairs Committee (SPAC) for the Junior Leagues of California is a non-partisan education and advocacy organization charged with promoting volunteerism and legislation favorable to the community projects of the sixteen (16) Junior Leagues that SPAC represents.  The entire advocacy efforts of SPAC are targeted to legislation within the following four focus areas, which reflect the focus areas of SPAC’s member Junior Leagues:

Education: SPAC is committed to ensuring that all children and young adults receive educational opportunities that are developmentally appropriate, increase academic achievement, and lead to workplace marketability.

Family Support: SPAC is committed to advocating for programs and policies that promote the physical and emotional well-being of all families.

Health: SPAC is committed to advocating for better access to quality health care and prevention programs that will improve mental and physical health of our community members.

Violence Prevention: SPAC is committed to addressing the impact of violence in our communities through prevention, intervention and education. 

Since 1971, SPAC has represented the interests of its member Junior Leagues to policy makers at the state and local levels.  The collective voice of this non-partisan group represents more that thirteen thousand (13,000) voting women in over sixteen (16) communities throughout California.  For over thirty (30) years, SPAC has been successful in sponsoring and supporting many pieces of important legislation including: (i) legislation establishing the "Children's Bicycle Helmet Law", (ii) legislation enhancing penalties for committing domestic violence in the presence of a minor, (iii) legislation establishing the "Kids License Plate" to fund child abuse prevention and injury, and (iv) legislation providing breast cancer treatment for uninsured women. 

The SPAC delegation is comprised of two members from each of the following Junior Leagues: Bakersfield, Fresno, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Monterey County, Napa-Sonoma, Oakland-East-Bay, Orange County, Palo Alto - Mid Peninsula, Pasadena, Riverside, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Barbara.  The advocacy activities of SPAC delegates include: (i) researching, analyzing and drafting legislation, (ii) advocating for community programs and taking positions on legislation, (iii) leveraging support for legislation by building coalitions with other community groups, (iv) meeting with legislators, (v) testifying at committee hearings, and (vi) hosting three annual statewide conferences to train SPAC delegates and coordinate advocacy efforts.