Arts in Medicine

The Arts in Medicine program at the Vannie E. Cook Jr. Children's Cancer & Hematology Clinic is a project of the Junior League of McAllen.  Volunteers provide an avenue for the children to express themselves and help the treatment time pass a little quicker.  They organize art supplies, choose age appropriate art projects for patients and their siblings, and work one-on-one with the young patients on arts and crafts - both in the waiting area and during lengthy treatments.  

The mission of the Vannie E. Cook Jr. Children’s Cancer and Hematology Clinic is to offer comprehensive care and treatment to children of South Texas who suffer from cancer and blood disorders. It is the region’s first state-of-the-art pediatric hematology and oncology clinic.  Founded in 2001, almost 5,000 patients seen to date and not one has been denied care.

Most studies show that between 15% and 25% of American students are bullied with some frequency while 15% to 20% admit that they bully others with some frequency.  Bullying can seriously affect the mental health, academic work, and physical health of children who are targeted.  Children who bully are more likely than other children to be engaged in other antisocial, violent, or troubling behavior.

With the increase of violence in our schools on the rise, the Junior League of McAllen has implemented a program called “Bully Talk”, which provides over 3,000 children with the information and tools necessary to handle bullies successfully.  Each year, JLM volunteers visit every third grade classroom in the McAllen Independent School District.  

The children view a video featuring children sharing their stories of having been bullied and allowing the students in the classroom to act out some real-life situations of bullying.  The children are given further guidance by school counselors.

Fiction Addiction

Fiction Addiction is a reading program created and implemented by Junior League of McAllen volunteers for the tween-aged reader (youth between the ages of nine and twelve).  Research indicates that this demographic is often underserved by traditional literacy campaigns.  Fiction Addiction is designed as a book club and is held on summer evenings at the McAllen Public Library under the guidance of the children's librarian.  The program is free of charge and includes free books.  In 2011, the program began with the novel Escape Under the Forever Sky by Eve Yohalem - a novel based on a true story and set in Ethiopia.

Kids in the Kitchen

The goal of the Kids in the Kitchen initiative, which is supported by the Association of Junior Leagues International, is to empower youth to make healthy lifestyle choices and help reverse the growth of childhood obesity and its associated health issues.  Inspired by the Junior League of Calgary's Junior Chefs program, the Kids in the Kitchen initiative began in 2006 with the goal of engaging kids in the preparation of healthy meals as a means to educate them and their parents regarding nutrition and healthy choices.  Over 215 Leagues in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States conducted the Kids in the Kitchen program in their communities in 2009.  

The Junior League of McAllen takes its Kids in the Kitchen program into all of the McAllen ISD elementary schools with summer open gym.  By working with the City of McAllen during this free summer program, the event repeated itself on different days at different elementary campuses in McAllen.  At each school, volunteers demonstrate healthy snack making and fun exercise.  Participants have the opportunity to get active through zumba, karate or dance instructions, learn to create healthy snacks, as well as participate in arts and crafts activities. 

Community figures such as the RGV Vipers, the RGV Killer Bee, and H-E-Buddy are present to teach kids about healthy eating.  Nutritionists from Doctor's Hospital at Renaissance, Kidiatrics, and the WIC Clinic are on hand to offer advice as well.  Each student receives a goodie bag with items that will help them recreate some of the nutritious recipes at home, as well as remind them of the wonderful time they had.  The Association of Junior Leagues International provides materials to support the success of these educational and motivational activities and supports the program with a website, www.kidsinthekitchen.org.

PAST VOLUNTEER PROJECTS

Palmer Drug Abuse Program's
"Special People"

McAllen Police Department's
"Teen Court"