1906: The Martha Society (Ogden Charitable Committee) is Established.

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The Junior League of Ogden can trace its beginnings to the efforts of Mrs. Martha Brown Cannon, who in 1906 called together a group of Ogden’s prominent women interested in general charitable work. The ladies met at Mrs. Cannon’s home in October 1906, and organized the Ogden Charitable Committee, selecting Mrs. Cannon as President. The principal purpose of the group was to do charitable work among the poor and needy of Ogden. After Mrs. Cannon’s death, the organization changed their name to The Martha Society in memory of its founder.

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1913 - 1938: A Day Nursery is Established

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On June 14, 1913, The Martha Society opened a day nursery where working mothers could leave their children. By October 1914, the nursery needed more space and was moved to the home of Lorin Farr. The hours were also extended to offer night and evening care. In late 1917, the Society purchased a building located at North Street and Washington. Dormitories and other improvements were added, making the nursery one of the most up-to-date homes for children in Utah.

• 1934: Welfare League of Ogden: Established March 27, 1934

       On March 27, 1934 a group of 14 women met and formed the Welfare League of Ogden. They were                          enthusiastically led by Dolores Eccles, and had a goal of becoming a chartered member of the Association of            Junior Leagues.

• 1934: Established Well-Baby Clinic

       The Welfare League’s first project was establishing the Well-Baby Clinic in 1934. The Welfare League financed          the clinic for eight years with funds raised by hosting annual bridge teas and fashion shows.

• 1938-42: The Welfare League actively led projects such as:

  • Community Chest Dental Clinic

  • Dee Hospital Tumor Clinic

  • Public Health Nurse Program

  • Immunization Clinic

  • Sponsorship of children’s plays and puppet shows

 

1942-45: The League Becomes Temporarily Inactive.

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During the war, members assisted in efforts such as:

• Sending “Bundles to Britain”

• Serving as nurses aides and Gray Ladies for the Military Motor Corps & Canteen

• Furnishing a recreation room for enlisted men at Hill Air Force Base

In the spring of 1945, the League resumed its active status and again assisted at the Well-Baby Clinic and the newly organized YWCA.

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1953: Junior League of Ogden is Officially Established.

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In 1953 The Welfare League of Ogden was accepted into the Association of Junior Leagues and became the Junior League of Ogden.

Some of the programs and services the League supported during the 1950s were:

• Parents and Children Together (PAC)

• The Golden Hours Center

• Utah School for the Deaf & Blind

• The Shelter Workshop

• Juvenile Court

• Child Advocacy

• The Independence Center for the Handicapped

The League also became active in the environmental and aesthetic arts, along with a focus on lending volunteer assistance to enrichment programs that emphasized education.

• 1953: Established a volunteer bureau & organized Community Arts Council

• 1956: Donated money to the Community Arts Council for the renovation of the Bertha Eccles Art Center

• 1957: Helped organize a new senior citizens recreation center

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1972: New League Project: “Drugs are Like That” film for elementary-age children

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• 1975: Bicentennial project: Donated $15,000 for the Union Station restoration

• 1976: Started new Court Docents Program

The Junior League of Ogden’s Court Docent program was developed to educate community youth about the judicial system. League members would go into fifth and sixth grade classrooms in the Ogden area and provide presentations, through visual aids and role playing (mock trails), to familiarize the students of the court process.

• 1978: Began the Greater Ogden Community Nature Center - Utah's first nature center.

Today, the 152-acre Ogden Nature Center allows the community to connect to the environment and learn about nature through field trips, community events, educational programs, and more.

• In 1978, and again in 1980, The Junior League of Ogden hosted the Avon Futures tennis tournament in Ogden.

 

1979-80: New League Projects: Family Support Center and Juvenile Court Alcohol School

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• 1979: The Family Support Center was established as a 24/7 nursery where overwhelmed parents could drop their kids off for hours at a time, no questions asked, to prevent abuse.

Today the Family Support Center is a nonprofit dedicated to helping families stay together. The Center provides childcare, parenting classes, services for adoptive parents and step-parents, youth emotional development classes, and more.​

• 1979-1980: The League helps facilitate the Juvenile Court Alcohol School in Ogden. The five-week school informed offenders referred by the Juvenile Court of the effects of drugs and alcohol in hopes of lowering recidivism amongst the youth in attendance.

 

1981: New League Project: Weber County Guardian Ad Litem Program.

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• 1982: Marilyn Sandberg, with the help of the Junior League of Ogden, and the supervision of attorney Jane Marquardt, formed the Weber County Guardian Ad Litem program in Utah. League members went through court training to become advocates for abused and neglected children.

• 1984-85: Produced Utah Dining Car Cookbook

• 1987-88: Helped establish Weber County Coalition of Resources (COR)

• 1989: Started new AIDS Education Program

 

1990-91: Assisted with Fundraising for Women’s & Children’s Facilities at St. Anne’s Homeless Shelter

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• 1996-97: Started Jumpstart school attendance program

• 1999: Held first Children’s Health Connection event

The Children’s Health Connection (CHC) has since evolved from a two-day event serving 2,000 children and 6,500 health services to a 24/7 year-round, health care voucher program. CHC 24/7 provides free medical exams, immunizations, dental screenings, and follow-up care for under- or uninsured children. The vouchers are distributed through the schools, area clinics, and the Head Start program. The program also serves as a vehicle for educating parents and children on the importance of routine healthcare and healthy lifestyles.

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2001: The Junior League Creates Kids in the Kitchen

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The League begins focusing on childhood obesity by creating a yearly Kids in the Kitchen event to teach local school-age children about nutrition and making healthy lifestyle choices. The goal of the Junior Leagues’ Kids in the Kitchen initiative was to use fun, engaging activities to teach kids how to prepare healthy meals and to educate families about nutrition and healthy lifestyles.

• 2002: In response to the success of Kids in the Kitchen, planning for a community garden begins.

 

2003-04: Introduced 'JLO Art of Cooking' Cookbook

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All the Junior League’s across the country have a cookbook full of recipes submitted by local chapter members, local residents and family favorites. The Junior League of Ogden’s cookbook is titled JLO Art of Cooking. Purchases of the cookbook help fund JLO projects and ongoing efforts to promote volunteerism, develop the potential of women, and improve communities.

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2005-06: The Oasis Community Garden is Born

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Oasis Community Garden is located at 2445 Monroe Blvd in Ogden. The garden is 1.7 acres with 38 garden plots available to the public for a $25 donation during the growing season. The garden directly targets issues of food equity through education and access by creating a place where individuals can learn how to plant, grow, harvest, and prepare healthy food. Its design integrates landscape ecology, food production, and community engagement. The space also assists families in the central Ogden corridor in their quest to overcome economic challenges and break down cultural barriers preventing access to fresh produce.

• 2009: Women’s Health Connection created

The Women’s Health Connection (WHC) is a two-day women’s health event that provides free, full diagnostic and treatment to under and non-insured women. Approximately 500 women are seen during the two-day event held at Midtown Community Health Center. Statistics have shown that many women put the health care needs of their children and family before themselves and leave their health care needs untreated. This event provides free mammograms, pap smears, dental, and depression screenings.

 

2010’s: A New Decade Bringing More to the Community

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• 2011: The Children’s Health Connection Dental Days created

Children’s Health Connection Dental Days was created in 2011 as a two-day dental clinic, after statistics indicated a tremendous need in the area of dental care. It provides full diagnostic and dental treatment on-site to under-served and non-insured children. Local dentists, assistants, and Weber State hygiene students, donate their time to provide restorative and preventative dental treatments to children.

• 2012-14: The Get Fresh Annual Fundraiser was established. The Get Fresh event was held in late September at the Oasis Community Garden. It consisted of a raw food cook-off competition with area chefs. The chefs were given garden ingredients and allowed one secret ingredient of their own to create a signature entrée. Guest judges and the community sampled the food and voted for their favorites. Votes were based on donations received for tastings. The family-friendly event had booths, entertainment, and food and beverages for purchase.

• 2013: Oasis Summer Nights brings the community together.

Oasis Summer Nights was a free community event that included a mini farmer’s market and live music every Thursday in August. The event was a way to bring more people to the Oasis Community Garden’s 1.7-acre space with family-friendly activities, craft vendors, local products, and live entertainment.

• 2014: Jr. Junior League is established.

The Jr. Junior League of Ogden is a program for girls ages 10-16. Their mission is similar to the Junior League’s overall mission, but they operate with their own board structure, work on their own chosen projects that impact their community. Jr. JLO is about empowering the next generation of women leaders in our community to be proactive problem-solvers by offering volunteer opportunities, leadership training, and mentorship with current League members.

• Oasis Community Garden gets a pavilion.

Oasis Pavilion Phase One was completed in September 2014, adding a covered structure for the community to gather and meet.

• The Adopt-a-Smile is added to Dental Days.

The Adopt a Smile program was launched in October 2014. CHC Dental Day patients can apply for a scholarship to receive a “dental home” and be assigned to an area dentist who agrees to “adopt” the patient as their primary dentist at no charge until they turn 18 years of age. Local dentists sponsor a child and provide routine dental care on an on-going basis as long as the recipient qualifies each year.