Junior Charity League History

     In 1960, approximately twenty daughters and daughters-in-law of Charity League members started a new organization — Junior Charity League (JCL). At its inception, JCL provided volunteers for Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. To this day, JCL members continue to serve Scottish Rite and other local agencies by contributing over 1,000 volunteer hours annually.

     JCL’s association with Parkland Hospital began in 1970 through the efforts of Junior Charity League’s first President, Peggy Hanley. Peggy was a physical therapist at Parkland Hospital who saw firsthand the unmet need for basic rehabilitation equipment essential for the recovery process and quality of life after discharge from the hospital. That year, JCL hosted the first “Bingo Luncheon” to raise money for equipment for patients with limited or no resources.

     The Bingo Luncheon, now known as JCL’s Spring Benefit Luncheon, has grown in popularity and size over the years, offering a silent auction, plant arrangements, raffles, games, baked goods, and bingo. The luncheon is JCL’s primary fundraiser, with all proceeds benefiting the Parkland Rehabilitation Fund.  

     JCL incorporated in 1986 and has since evolved into a dedicated group of women with seventy active and provisional members, as well as many long-standing tenured and associate members, all of whom share a commitment of service to the community.

     The Parkland Rehabilitation Endowment Fund was established in 2007 to further support patients’ financial needs.

     Today, Parkland Hospital recognizes JCL for more than 50 years of service and donations totaling nearly $3 million during that time. JCL’s fundraising efforts continue to provide equipment for patients returning home from the hospital and to purchase of state-of-the-art equipment for the rehab department. In recent years, JCL donations have been used to furnish an in-patient family gathering room, construct an outdoor rehabilitation courtyard, which opened in 2020, and fund a prosthetics program, which began in 2022.

     Junior Charity League is committed to continuing the legacy of promoting compassion and volunteerism throughout Dallas County and to meeting the financial needs of rehabilitation patients through donations to the Parkland Rehabilitation Fund.