AJF Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Austin Junior Forum FAQs
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Question
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Answer
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What is AJF?
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Austin Junior Forum (AJF) is a non-profit volunteer organization supporting women, children and the elderly in the Austin Area through community service and fund raising.
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How is AJF different from Junior League of Austin?
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Both AJF and the Junior League of Austin are women’s organizations that provide invaluable service to the community. Both provide volunteer hours to and raise funds for local agencies that serve the poor and needy. The major differences in the two organizations revolve around time commitment, how the volunteer hours are organized and dues structures. Currently, the AJF is a smaller organization than the Junior League of Austin.
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How and when did AJF get started?
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AJF was founded in 1969 by 18 Austin women who were familiar with the work of the Houston Junior Forum, which was founded in 1946. The Austin Junior Forum is one of 10 Junior Forum, Inc. (JFI) organizations in the State of Texas. They are all private, non-profit service and welfare organizations. (See History of Austin AJF: (link to document))
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What does AJF do?
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AJF is involved in the community in three main ways:
1) The members of AJF provide over 13,000 volunteer hours each year to selected community organizations.
2) AJF raises funds to provide grants to selected non-profit organizations each year. For example in 2005, AJF distributed a total of $78,885 to twenty non-profit organizations (listed later in this document).
3) AJF owns and operates the Daniel H. Caswell House. This Historic Landmark is available for rent to the public for meetings, weddings, receptions and parties.
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Who are the members of AJF?
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AJF has approximately 220 active and sustaining members. They are working women, stay at home moms, business owners, and professionals who want to make a difference in our community – one life at a time.
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Who can join AJF?
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Any woman may join AJF who has a strong interest in volunteerism and is at least 21 years of age. All Active Members must: Attend a minimum of five general membership meetings per year; participate on one standing committee; pay annual dues; and contribute a minimum of 45 hours of service towards AJF service projects.
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To what agencies does AJF provide volunteer time?
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Our 2008/2009 service projects include, but are not limited to:
The Settlement Home- The Settlement Home for Children is a charitable non-profit residential treatment center and therapeutic foster care program for emotionally troubled children. AJF volunteers host parties, dinner and book clubs, among outher events for these young ladies.
Kids on the Block – The Kids on the Block (KOB) provides educational puppet programs which enlighten children on the issues of disability awareness, medical-educational differences, and social concerns. Austin Junior Forum members donate their time each year to perform these programs at local elementary schools, and AJF is the only organization in Austin who provide KOB services.
Family Elderhaven Birthday Parties - Elderhaven Adult day Care provides a safe, secure and stimulating environment for elderly and disabled individuals as an alternative to early nursing home placement and allows caregivers respite during the day. AJF volunteers will help the staff put on a carnival and celebrate birthdays with the participants. These events will include crafts, projects, and games with the Elderhaven participants.
Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation Parents Night Out - Caswell House Candlelighters is the only program in Austin offering a broad spectrum of outpatient services to families dealing with childhood cancer. AJF volunteers staff events for these families. At the parents’ night out evenings AJF volunteers look after and entertain young cancer victims and their siblings to allow the parents an evening out.
Heart House parties- Heart House is an after school program whose mission is to provide a safe haven and academic-support to low-income children and to encourage the children to become good citizens. AJF members host three parties, where they entertain the children with activities, games, and food.
CASA Holiday party - The mission of CASA is to provide court appointed special advocates for abused and neglected children. This holiday party is for CASA volunteers and the children they assist. AJF hosts and staffs this event.
St. Louise Apartment Make-over – (Spring 2007) St. Louise House specifically focuses on female-headed families with children because they represent one of the neediest segments of the homeless. For this event a group of AJF volunteers will make-over and set-up an apartment for a new family moving in.
Hospice Appreciation Luncheons - Hospice Austin provides family-centered, quality end-of-life care that emphasizes compassion, independence, respect, and dignity. AJF hosts a Spring and Fall Appreciation Luncheon for the patients and their families, employees, and volunteers of Hospice Austin’s in-patient facility, Christopher House.
Manos de Cristo Back to School (4 days) and Sealant Day - Manos de Cristo provides clothing, backpacks, and education items for children from low-income families so that they are adequately prepared for school. AJF volunteers help the children select their clothes and supplies, as well as do crafts with them and assist with process the hundreds of people who use this service each year. Manos de Cristo also operates the only low-cost dental clinic in Austin for the working poor and other medically indigent people. AJF volunteers support their staff for this September event by helping with registration, processing the children, providing snacks and food, etc.
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Other than volunteer hours, what projects are AJF members involved in?
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We have three main projects other than the volunteer activities we support:
1) Our main fundraising activity is Christmas at Caswell which is held in November. (see below)
2) We have a Teddy Bear Picnic and Teddy Bear Celebrity Auction to raise funds to purchase thousands of teddy bears and stuffed Dalmatians for the Austin area Fire, Police and EMS departments. They use these stuffed animals to calm children in crisis situations.
3) Paver Campaign – In 2005 the AJF Board launched a project selling sidewalk pavers to raise funds to repair and maintain the Caswell House. There are 4 sizes available ranging from 4 x 4 inches ($25) to 8 x 16 inches ($850). The pavers will be installed on top of the existing sidewalk at the Caswell House. It is hoped that this project will provide ample funds to restore and maintain the house for years to come.
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What’s Christmas at Caswell?
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Christmas at Caswell started in 1983 (2008 will be our 25th annual event). The historic Daniel H. Caswell House is decorated for the Holiday season and open for viewing for eleven days in the beginning of November. Fund raising takes place through: ticket sales to tour the house; décor sales (all the decorations in the house are for sale); bake shop; lunches served daily (ticket sales); special events such as our Mother/Daughter Tea and other holiday parties; and sponsorships. In 2007, AJF raised $50,000+ through the Christmas at Caswell extravaganza.
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Who receives the money raised by AJF?
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Our grants committee takes applications for grants from February through May each year. The grants are distributed in December each year. In 2005 AJF distributed $92,923 to the following organizations:
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How are AJF and Caswell House related?
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AJF purchased the Daniel H. Caswell House in 1979 (since the members were all women, they actually had to have their husbands sign the loan documents.) To pay off the loan, the ladies compiled a cookbook called Lone Star Legacy I, which sold over 200,000 copies since the initial printing in 1981 and paid the note in full in three years. Now, the Caswell House is the AJF headquarters but also serves as a private venue for weddings, parties and corporate events.
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