A century of contributions to the welfare of children is both an extraordinary milestone and a powerful legacy–and this year the North Shore Auxiliary of JCFS Chicago celebrates that very special centennial.

This volunteer women’s auxiliary has been an “essential” part of the agency, said JCFS CEO Howard Sitron.

“For two-thirds of JCFS’ 160 years, the organization has been behind our work, completely volunteer-driven, incredibly dedicated to the kids in our care and ensuring they’re well taken care of,” he said. “We cannot express our appreciation adequately for the work that they do. Their work has significantly impacted our ability to lead our mission and successfully serve the people who come to us for care.”

In addition to fundraising, the NSA supports JCFS through hands-on volunteering at the Knapp School. “The most important thing we do is give the students a better life and style of living, teaching them skills, and give them the ability to mainstream into high school or public life,” said long-term board member Lori Lavin. After hearing advice to “do everything” when she joined the board 29 years ago, she quickly discovered that “there isn’t anything our board does that I don’t want to get my hands on.”

“What appealed the most was that we had the ability not only to do well for the families and kids, but as a board member, I was able to get my hands dirty, to go to the schools and do the pizza reward lunches and graduation parties,” she continued. “There are a lot of children’s boards in the city, but we are a unique board to have senior members who still participate in all the things that we do.”

The NSA board is also unique for its legacy board members, who are family members of previous board members. Wendy Kleper, a board member for 35 years, became inspired to join when she watched her late mother, Jeanne Kleper, and her friends host events.

“They were the movers and shakers of Chicago,” she said, and the creative fundraising programs they launched like the dinner dance and shopping spree card with local businesses continue to this day.

“My mother’s generation,” Kleper said, “set the standard for what the organization is, and we’re proud to follow in their footsteps.”

“The greatest gift we have is to go to graduation each year and to see where these students have taken themselves. Like our own children, it’s wonderful to watch them progress and see them go to college or industrial school and feel comfortable in their own skin.”

The NSA’s current president, Jennifer Riback, also enjoys seeing the fruits of her labor–and is eagerly looking ahead to the organization’s future. “In the future, we’d like to expand our ability to fundraise so we can always be a great source of support to JCFS Chicago. We feel very proud to be able to be a constant support to them,” she said. “We’d like to build on the momentum we have and make it even bigger.”

And JCFS is very appreciative: “I, in my years with them, have been awed by their dedication, generosity, and creativity,” said JCFS COO Stacey Shor, who previously served as a liaison from JCFS to the NSA. As for how the auxiliary has thrived over a full century, Shor believes it the perfect combination of honoring tradition and dreaming for the future.

The North Shore Auxiliary Dinner Dance celebrating the 100th anniversary will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 7 at JW Marriot, Chicago. For more information, visit jcfs.org/donate/north-shore-auxiliary .