The New Millenium

2001-2005

  • New projects: Community Arts Project and Done In A Day
  • The Junior League granted the Salvation Army $4,000.00 from the Emergency Relief, and $450 was given to Citizens Caring For Children
  • Contributed $50,000 to the Eleanor Blake Kirkpatrick and the Junior League of Oklahoma City Memorial Fund
  • The Association of Junior Leagues International awarded Karen Luke (2002) the Mary Harriman Community Leadership Award
  • Remarkable Thrift Shop moved to 3208 N. May in November of 2002
  • New community projects (2002) included Done in a Day (a flexible placement partnering with Central Oklahoma Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Citizens Caring for Children, Infant Crisis Center, Junior Achievement, Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy, Oklahoma Safe Kids Coalition, and YMCA Sailing) and Community Arts Project
  • After a presence since the 1920s, JLOC concluded its final project with Children’s Hospital (2002)
  • JLOC received a Governor’s Proclamation for its work with Kids’ Place
  • 75 years of service to the community was celebrated – “Time Well Spent” was the motto. The year was one of celebration and special gifts to the community (2003)
  • The “Jungle Gym” community-built playground was chosen as the League’s gift to the community made possible through a gift from and partnership with Chris Kesee and built in partnership with the OKC Zoo. A ribbon-cutting took place on May 10, 2003, with a family picnic celebration at the Zoo.
  • 75th Anniversary Gala was a black-tie affair at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club (2003)
  • The Jungle Gym was completed at the OKC Zoo using 4,000 community volunteers partnering with the League (2004)
  • The Blinn House Task Force recommended, and membership adopted action, to sell Blinn House and purchase a lot to build a new headquarters at Grand Park Centre (2004)
  • One long-term focus area of Literacy was adopted by the membership as the focus for projects for the next ten years(2004)
  •  The property at 1010 North Virginia, where the Remarkable Shop was formerly located, was sold (2004)
  • Pam Newby was installed as the President of the Board of Directors of the Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI) in 2004.
  • Blinn House was sold for $2.25 million to Chesapeake Energy Corporation on August 13, 2004. The League leased the property rent-free until December 2005 and then for a fee until December 2006.
  • The Special Investments Committee formed a Permanent Headquarters Fund at Heritage Trust Company to offset the operating costs of the new headquarters. $577,000 was placed in this fund from the sale of Blinn House.
  • The League purchased property at Grand Park Centre in December 2004 for $540,000. Allen Brown Architects and Bailey Contracting were hired to design and build the new 6,700 square foot building. March 7, 2005, was the Groundbreaking.
  • Jungle Gym at the OKC Zoo hosted a 1 Year Anniversary Party.
  • A new logo was adopted for the Junior League of Oklahoma City. “Changing Lives Through Literacy” was adopted as a tagline for the ten-year literacy campaign. An image of a person reading a book was developed.
  • The AJLI Board of Directors met in Oklahoma City under the leadership of President Pam Newby in September 2004
  • The Literacy Collaboration Initiative was begun, and an appointed and placed position established. Four literacy roundtables were held. 2,250 books were distributed to the community. From this Initiative, the Oklahoma City Metro Literacy Coalition was established in 2007.

2006-2010

  • In celebration of JLOC’s 80th anniversary, the JLOC created The Zone at Children’s Hospital as a place of respite for patients and families
  • Partnered with Desmond Mason, Hornets NBA team, and the New West Group to publish 2000 copies of Helping Hands, a children’s book written by JLOC members and illustrated by Mason
  • In celebration of Oklahoma’s Centennial, Helping Hands was recognized as an Oklahoma Centennial Book; the Jungle Gym was recognized as a Centennial project
  • The Annual Campaign raised over $76,000
  • Received AJLI’s Respecting Diversity Award for its work with the Mariachi Festival
  • Received the Volunteer of the Year award from the Community Literacy Center
  • Hosted the Area V fly-in when New Orleans was unable to following hurricane Katrina
  • AJLI began giving Volunteer Service Awards for members who recorded their volunteer work online. AJLI recognized 35 JLOC members
  • Over five years, Mistletoe Market raised in excess of $500,000. Record numbers of shoppers supported the move of Mistletoe Market to the Cox Convention Center.
  • The Remarkable Shop celebrated 80th anniversary.
  • Launched “Serving Up Chili” as an internal fundraiser.
  • Formed a partnership with the Oklahoma History Center to illustrate the significance of women in voluntarism and the impact of the JLOC on OKC’s urban development. A committee of Sustainers researched the JLOC’s history for an exhibit at the History Center. A display case containing artifacts along with an interactive kiosk tells the story of JLOC through photos, videos, and text is placed on the 2nd floor of the History Center.
  • The JLOC joined the OKC Chamber of Commerce Board of Advisors.
  • Received the Champion of Youth Award from the Boys and Girls Club of Oklahoma County.

2011-2014

  • Received Honorary Mention for AJLI’s Fund Development Award for Financial Development “$20.10 in 2010” campaign.
  • Contributed $50,000 to the Eleanor Kirkpatrick Memorial Fund.
  • The Signature Project committee established during 1998-1999 narrowed the scope of the project to a mobile arts program.

2015-2020

  • Selected Health as a five-year focus.
  • Introduced new fundraising event, Speaker in the City.
  • Published a children’s book, Goodnight OKC, written by JLOC and illustrated by Margaret Hogue.
  • Celebrated 90th Anniversary of partnership with AJLI.
  • Planned and implemented a total renovation of the Jungle Gym at the OKC Zoo.
  • Published WESTERN+GRAND, an entertaining book paying homage to cookbooks of the past and incorporating new ideas.
  • Hosted 25th Anniversary Mistletoe Market.