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Mission

AJF is a non-profit volunteer organization supporting women, children,
and the elderly in the Austin area through community service and fund raising.

Austin Junior Forum serves the community in many different ways from hands-on community service to raising funds and providing grants to other non-profits in our Austin community. We work with several local organizations serving the community, as well as hosting some community service projects of our own, including our Teddy Bear Program, which provides stuffed Teddy Bears and Dalmatians for local public safety agencies to give to children involved in traumatic events, and Caswell House Etiquette Classes, offering the children and youth of central Texas an opportunity to develop and polish their interpersonal skills. The members of AJF also provide approximately 11,000 volunteer hours each year to selected community organizations. For more information on our community service projects and the organizations with which we work, please visit our Community Service page.
 
AJF’s annual fundraiser, Christmas at the Caswell House, raises funds that are distributed to other local area non-profits through our Grants Program. The historic Daniel H. Caswell House is transformed into a winter wonderland for the holiday season and open for viewing during the first part of November. The house is filled with holiday merchandise including Christmas ornaments and holiday décor, fabulous jewelry and clothing, afforable gifts, and a wonderful gourmet bake shop. Funds are also raised through ticket sales to classic Austin holiday events such as our Daily Tearoom Luncheons, Mother-Daughter Tea, Candlelight Supper, Gospel Brunch, and other special holiday events. Since the inception of the Grants Program in 1983, AJF has contributed more than $1.3 million dollars towards causes benefiting women, children, and the elderly in the Austin community. For more information on our grant recipients, please visit our Grants page.
 
Austin Junior Forum is also the proud owner of the historic Daniel H. Caswell House. This beautiful Victorian home was built at the turn of the 20th Century and was purchased and restored by the ladies of Austin Junior Forum in 1979. It was opened to the public in 1983 as a venue for weddings and events as well as a center for community service. The Daniel H. Caswell House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Texas Historic Landmark.



History of Austin Junior Forum

AJF was founded on March 28, 1969. That spring, 18 young women joined together to promote civic, educational, and philanthropic interests in Austin. Application was made to Junior Forum, Inc., (JFI) to initiate a local chapter, and the following year, Austin Junior Forum was granted a charter and recognized as a chapter of JFI. AJF is one of ten JFI chapters in Texas, with Houston Junior Forum being the initial chapter founded in 1946. Each chapter is a private, non-profit service and welfare organization.

Junior Forum, Inc., chapters around the state include:
In November 1978, AJF submitted a bid to the City of Austin for the purchase of the Daniel H. Caswell House. The city council awarded the home to AJF, but because the members were all women, they actually had to have their husbands sign the loan documents. To pay off the loan, AJF members compiled a cookbook titled Lone Star Legacy, which has sold over 200,000 copies since the initial printing in 1981 and is available for purchase on this website (just click "SHOP" near the top of this page). Through sales of the cookbook, AJF members paid the note in full in three years. AJF members and their families spent many laborious hours working to rehabilitate the interior of this stately home. Now, the Caswell House serves as AJF's headquarters and center for community service, and also serves as a private venue for weddings, parties, and corporate events.
 
Today, AJF has approximately 200 active and sustaining members. Members include working women, stay-at-home moms, business owners, and professionals who want to make a difference in our community -- one life at a time. Any woman may join AJF who has a strong interest in volunteerism and is at least 21 years of age. For more information on becoming a member, please visit our Membership page.


Austin Junior Forum

Board Members

Kristen Caldwell, President
Shalyn Bridges, President-elect 
Christi VanRite, Past-president Advisor
Stacey Hunt, Treasurer
Luisa Mauro, Recording Secretary
Linda Cavazos, Caswell House Chair
Nicole Chargualaf, Community Service VP
Robin LeTourneau, Fundraising VP
Allison Tillotson, Grants VP
Melinda Planchard, Membership VP
Demetra Pender, New Member VP
Nicole Daspit, Public Relations & Development VP
Christy Dellas, Web Administrator
Paula Murray, Parliamentarian
Tina Melcher, JFI Representative
Kelly Connor, Sustainer Representative
Melissa Furrow, New Member Representative


Leadership Chairs

Denice Bettencourt, Historian
Carrie Pitt, Hostess Chair
Krista Moore, Hostess Chair
Cindy Keathley, Christmas Chair
Christi VanRite, Teddy Bear Chair
Kim Wilkins, Newsletter Chair
JoAnn Safady, Social Chair
JT Tarin, Social Chair
Kathy Schmidt, Corresponding Secretary
Patricia Brison, Corresponding Secretary

Tax-exempt Information

AJF is sales tax exempt under Sec. 151.310, Texas Tax Code.
AJF also has a 501(C)(3) designation under the IRS Code.
Tax return information is available through GuideStar.org.

Phone: (512) 472-0779   ::   Fax Number: (512) 472-9988   ::   1404 West Avenue   ::   Austin   ::   Texas   ::   78701