The education system in the Adams County area has been on the change for a few years now and Junior Auxiliary of Natchez has taken note.

With the closing of an area school, an increase in students to other schools and the many changes taking place in both the public and private schools, many parents are now turning to other alternatives — including home school.

While keeping children in the home to educate them has its benefits, it also has some drawbacks — primarily social issues. Also, the parents are tied to the home while educating the children.

Junior Auxiliary of Natchez, the local JA chapter, has been seeking community suggestions and looking for any and all ways they can assist with the needs of the area home school children. Currently, we offer “The Breakfast Buddy Club,” the first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to noon at the JA Duncan Park Canteen Building.

Each month, a JA lady hosts a children’s social time, which includes a project and refreshments. During this time, the parent(s) are able to have some “me” time, unless they decide to stay and participate in the activities.

The group meets monthly, with the exception of July and December. During December, we invite the club members, as well as others, to attend our Annual Breakfast with the Grinch. The ladies always have something fun going on. They do an art project, have a reading time, play games (inside and outside-weather permitting), sing karaoke, and on occasion have a surprise character visitor(s) for entertainment.

Being that JA of Natchez, which is the local chapter for the National Association of Junior Auxiliaries, we are just one chapter of more than 250 that reach across the southern part of the United States. NAJA’s main focus on a national level is the welfare of children in each local chapter’s community.

JA wishes to help parents and their children with home schooling and all of the JA ladies are open to any and all suggestions in areas where we can assist with projects or something you would like to see us entertain the children with. We invite children from Adams and Franklin County and Concordia Parish, Louisiana.

The local chapter of Junior Auxiliary was first founded in Natchez in 1948 and became a charter membership to NAJA in 1950.

The founding purpose of JA of Natchez was to help the needy and underprivileged children of “Little Mexico,” as it was known of back at that time.

This area is currently known as Natchez Under the Hill, today. The ladies each loaded up their personal automobiles and brought the children to the Canteen in Duncan Park to teach them reading, writing, arithmetic and personal hygiene as well as fed them breakfast and lunch.

Today, with the changes in the community JA wishes to fulfill some of those same needs once again by returning to their organization’s roots. We no longer only assist the underprivileged, we are here to help all children in the community and often extend our hands to assist with the elderly.

The Breakfast Buddy Club is only open to area home school moms/parents and children and we invite all to call and talk to us or see our group page on Facebook under Home School Moms — “Breakfast Buddy Club” for more information on getting your child set up to attend or more information.

You may contact Morgan Groover, JA Chapter President at 601-597-8244 or call the Canteen 601-442-7061/leave voicemail for call back. 

The Breakfast Buddy Club meets again on Aug. 3, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Canteen located in Duncan Park in Natchez. 

Chassity Cannon is a member JA of Natchez.