The Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club (WHJWC) grant applications will close on Feb. 1, 2021. The Club awarded grants of over $60,000 in 2020, focusing on the needs of vulnerable populations during the coronavirus pandemic.

The 2021 Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club grant application is available here. Following the grant review process, applicants will receive written notification of the committee’s decision by the end of May 2021, regardless of whether they are awarded a grant or not. Particular emphasis is placed on those programs that have a significant impact on the Wellesley community.

If you have any questions about the Grant Program, please contact the WHJWC at: whjwcgrants@gmail.com

Applications must be received or postmarked by Feb. 1, 2021.

Here are some examples of grants awarded by the WHJWC:

Adriana’s Mobile Library: Juniors helped fund the cause of Adriana Voci, a Wellesley High School Student. Two years ago, she created Adriana’s Mobile Library; a reading program to help the children in the city of Waltham. Adriana says, “my program is a mobile reading library targeted to enhance the literacy of early readers, helping them become better learners.”

Wellesley Central Council of PTO’s: Juniors helped the PTO bring in Dr. Catherine Steiner, a clinical psychologist, author of The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood & Family Relationships in the Digital Age. She will run workshops for 5th graders across Wellesley public elementary schools, and give a presentation that will be open to the community.

Elizabeth Seton Residence: Juniors granted funds to purchase two smart televisions so residents could gather together to watch movies, YouTube programs, religious broadcasts from all over the world, and more.

Marillac Residence: Juniors helped residents of Marillac to give back to the community. We funded their brown bag lunch project where the sisters partake in an assembly line to provide lunches for food insecure people in surrounding areas.

REACH Beyond Domestic Violence: Juniors have provided funds for years to support REACH’s work in offering direct services to individuals to anyone who has suffered violence at the hands of a partner.

World of Wellesley: WOW is dedicated to making Wellesley a welcoming community where diversity is celebrated. Juniors granted funds to support the Annual Community Diversity Summit focusing on classism, racism, LGBTQIA issues, religion, and community action.

Other examples: helped fund uniforms and equipment for the Wellesley Raiders Cheer Squad; helped fund the Plugged In Band program to provide music education for children as well as those with special needs; provided funds for the Wellesley Food Pantry to purchase food; helped provide funding for mental health medicine; worked with One Can Help, an organization that helps children and parents involved in the juvenile court system, to provide security deposits for housing and summer camp for children.

In reviewing applications, the WHJWC places particular emphasis on programs that serve the Wellesley community or Wellesley residents. The Club strives to provide funds that will make a significant impact on individuals and communities, aiming to support specific programmatic efforts as opposed to general operating expenses.