Historically committed
Here's a brief look at the history of the Junior League of Nashville (JLN) and its longstanding collaboration with Vanderbilt to provide care to children.
• 1923-24 — The Junior League Home for Crippled Children opens and the Junior League Paper Sale (later the Palm Sunday Paper Sale, now the Friends of Children's Hospital Paper Sale) is initiated to raise funds for the Home.
• 1970 — JLN makes the decision to move the Home for Crippled Children to the Regional Medical Center (later named Vanderbilt University Children's Hospital).
• 1974-75 — The JLN Garden, a terrace play area, is opened at Vanderbilt University Children's Hospital.
• 1984 — With a grant of more than $500,000, the JLN founds the Junior League Children's Lung Center at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital.
• 1987 — JLN, Nashville General Hospital and VUMC begin what is now called "Our Kids," to provide medical and psychological evaluation for abused children.
• 1992 — A collaborative effort between health care professionals at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital and the JLN creates the Junior League Center for Chronic Illnesses and Disabilities of Children (now the JLN Family Resource Center) to ensure that all children receive quality health care. This program is funded with $750,000 from the JLN.
• 1992 — JLN serves as the lead agency to form the Nashville Immunization Coalition to improve the immunization rates of children under 24 months of age, and is recognized as one of the premiere coalitions in the country.
• 1994 — JLN funds the entire cost of a Respite Care Center at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital that enables parents of chronically ill children to enjoy a night or weekend away and is only one of four such programs in the U.S.
• 1998 — JLN pledges $2 million to support the new freestanding Vanderbilt Children's Hospital under construction.
• 2004 — The new Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt opens with the support of JLN volunteers. JLN installs the Textile Art Collection in the Junior League Family Resource Center.