Why are the Juniors always fundraising? And why is your help particularly important this year?

JeanEllen Hiter Melton, National Chair, Junior Membership

August 2, 2021

Junior Members are known for the Junior Shoppe, a sales table of nationally approved DAR- and patriotic-themed products. Your state’s Juniors may also pass a kangaroo through the room at state meetings and ask you to stuff her pouch with loose change. More recently, you might have seen links on Facebook for tee-shirts or registration for the Firefly 5K, a virtual run/walk. Have you ever wondered: “what do the Juniors do with all of these funds?”

The vast majority of Junior fundraising efforts support the Helen Pouch Memorial Fund (HPMF). And despite the pandemic, funds totaling more than $170,000 were distributed to projects across the country, positively impacting thousands of children in 2021.

During this administration, however, fundraising income has been reduced because two Continental Congresses and many state conferences were held virtually, reducing the opportunity for product sales. That is why your support of Junior Membership and its fundraising is more important than ever before! Please help our Juniors light up DAR by supporting your state’s Junior Membership campaigns in the coming months. This blog explains how your support sustains our Society’s educational mission.

What is the Helen Pouch Memorial Fund?

The National Junior Membership Committee was established in 1937 by the Continental Congress. NSDAR Organizing Secretary General Helena R. Pouch was appointed the first National Chair of the committee. A year later, the Helen Pouch Memorial Fund was established in memory of Mrs. Pouch’s daughter Helen, who had passed away in 1919 at age 18. Created with the intention of supporting the DAR Schools, fundraising was so successful the first year that three $100 scholarships were awarded.

Since that first contribution to DAR Schools, Junior members have expanded their school contributions numerous times. During the Calvin Administration, the HPMF distribution expanded to serve all schools supported through the DAR School Committee. This year, with the approval and encouragement of the VanBuren Administration, the two schools supported through the American Indian Committee – Bacone College and Chemawa Indian School – were added to the HPMF distribution.

In 2021, funds totaling over $109,000 were granted in support of the following projects:

Kate Duncan Smith DAR School - Baylies‐Estes Building Fascia, Soffits, and Gutters
Berry College - One Gates of Opportunity Scholarship, Eleven Griswell Scholarships, Mountain campus running track restoration
Crossnore Communities for Children - Furniture for Belkk Cottage for use in the Bridging Families Program, Discover Scholarships for Adventure‐based counseling
Hillside School - Furnishings in the kitchen and a classroom in the Hillside Barn rebuilding project at the Hillside Farm
Hindman Settlement School - Imagination Library & Appalachian Book Club, Farm Immersion Program for elementary students in Knott County, Ky
Bacone College - Center for American Indians Patio
Chemawa Indian School – Students’ Christmas Party, including refreshments and a gift of a heavy sweatshirt for every student

There are two additional ways that the Helen Pouch Memorial Fund supports education:

National Junior Committee Project

The National Junior Committee Project was established during the Young Administration to provide funds to a non-DAR affiliated non-profit organization related to the objectives of the National Society. Project proposals are submitted each year through the state chairs of Junior Membership and reviewed by the Division Vice Chairs and National Chair. A final project is selected annually by members of the National Junior Membership Committee and state chairs, and then approved by the Executive Committee.

This year, the Rhode Island Juniors nominated and the committee selected TAPS – Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. This nonprofit provides support to those impacted by military loss. The 2021 HPMF National Project gift of $10,000 will specifically focus on TAPS’s programming for youth and children.

Junior Membership Classroom Grants

The third prong of distributions through the Helen Pouch Memorial Fund is the Junior Membership Classroom Grant Program. This program, established during the Dillon Administration, provides funds to award grants of $500 each to two classroom teachers in every state. Applicants must be a classroom teacher for grades kindergarten through 12th grade and endorsed by a local DAR chapter. In 2021, the Junior Membership Committee will distribute $51,000 to 102 classroom teachers in 42 states. We continue to grow the program and urge all states to participate. Chapters may reach out to their State Chair of Junior Membership in February for information about the 2022 Classroom Grant cycle.

Now, when you wonder “what are the Juniors doing with all of these fundraisers?” you know the rest of the story. Through the Helen Pouch Memorial Fund, all profits from Junior Sales items, purchases through the National Junior Shoppe, tee-shirt orders and the Firefly 5K support classrooms at the DAR schools and classrooms in your own community. The Juniors are lighting up the lives of children and teachers across the country, and we are counting on your continued generosity to achieve this goal.

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