The Junior League of Olympia was first formed in 1993 by a group of women who had been members of the Junior League in other parts of the country. They came together to create a chapter of the national organization that brings together women with a shared desire to serve their communities. Like the organization’s 
founder, Mary Harriman, who started the very first Junior League in New York City in 1901, these women wanted to band together, creating friendships forged by shared service to others. The influx of immigrants to the New York area that arrived with little in personal belongings created a need that the first Junior League was eager to fill.
Today’s Junior League is no less motivated to serve those in need in the community, but the diversity of their membership has changed. Today Junior League members are doctors, lawyers, teachers and state workers. Of the current members of the Olympia Junior League, 75% are working full or part-time. “We have 160 members and 60 active members,” says Marianne McIntosh, Olympia Junior League President. “Our organization is run completely with volunteers and no paid staff.”
McIntosh has been a member for 13 years and served in several leadership roles before taking on the presidency. McIntosh works full-time and has young children. For her, Junior League is an opportunity not only to give back to her community, but to socialize with like-minded friends and obtain experience and professional training in many different areas.
“Many of our members have gone on to serve on the boards of other non-profits, received promotions and even started their own businesses after receiving the high-level training available at the Junior League of Olympia,” shares McIntosh. Members are encouraged to participate in trainings that are given by the Junior League at the national level and take place all over the country. “We have sent members to leadership conferences as far as Texas and the East Coast,” says McIntosh. “It is such a gift to have access to the all the technology and resources of the national organization of the Junior League.” The Junior League of Olympia is just one of 293 leagues in the US, Canada, Mexico and the UK.
Norma Cortez-Moreno has been an active member of the Junior League for 18 years. She transferred to the Olympia league almost five years ago, from the Junior League of Yakima. “This group is full of absolutely amazing women, from many different walks of life and I love that,” shares Cortez-Moreno. “Transferring my membership to another league was a no-brainer, knowing that I could move from one city to another and still find like-minded women was a real comfort!”
Norma is the president-elect and will serve her term in 2019. Her favorite component of the mission is developing the potential of women. “Personally, through years of top-notch leadership training opportunities, League has empowered me to find my own voice, grow in my confidence and has really given me a strong connection to the community I live in,” says Cortez-Moreno.
The Junior League of Olympia partners with non-profits such as the Child Care Action Council, SafePlace, Big Brothers and Big Sister of Southwest Washington and the YWCA. Members provide both volunteer time and financial support to these organizations and more. Each chapter of the Junior League chooses its own focus based on the needs of their immediate community. The Junior League of Olympia is committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.
This year, the Junior League of Olympia will celebrate their 25th anniversary. They will celebrate by honoring their commitment to the community and dedicating a new park in the Tanglewilde community this summer. Investing over $25,000 in landscaping and playground equipment, this will be the second park that the chapter has adopted. Fifteen years ago, the group created Decatur Park on Olympia’s West Side. This spring, the newest members of the Junior League hosted an Easter egg hunt at Decatur Park for families associated with DSHS.
Washington State lieutenant governor Cyrus Habib will dedicate the new park located in Lacey and recently attended a kick-off event at the Schmidt Mansion. Habib is an ardent advocate for parks for children and believes that these spaces go along way in creating a better life for kids and their families.
The Junior League accepts new membership applications twice a year in fall and spring. For more information on how to join this service organization, visit the Junior League of Olympia website.
