The Junior League of Ogden actively conducts research on community needs in our focus area - Children's Issues. We develop and initiate projects to address these needs either independently or in collaboration with other organizations. To each community project, the League contributes financial support, guidance and trained volunteers.

Oasis Community Garden Oasis is intended to assist residents of the Central Ogden corridor in their quest to overcome poverty, obtain food, and break down cultural barriers. Our plan is to develop an inviting outdoor space that serves our community by creating opportunities for activities that promote interaction among citizens of all ages and cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. The general design of Oasis includes open space, teaching gardens, community garden plots and a gathering area for group functions.

One of the primary goals of this project is education of the public on issues of healthy lifestyles. The gardens will provide an opportunity to learn about proper nutrition and to grow healthy food for consumption. Participants will be encouraged to donate surplus produce to others in need. This gives an underprivileged group an opportunity to care for themselves and be benefactors in their own communities, thereby starting and perpetuating a cycle of health, well-being and community pride and ownership.

Kids in the Kitchen The Junior Leagues' Kids in the Kitchen program, a childhood obesity and nutrition initiative from the Association of Junior Leagues International, is designed to help our communities address the urgent issues surrounding childhood obesity and poor nutrition.

The need for the Junior Leagues' Kids in the Kitchen program is already apparent to leaders in healthcare and is increasingly gaining attention in the media. This attention is focused on alarming statistics related to the percentages of overweight and obese children and adolescents in all four countries where Leagues exist, and the fact that these youth have increased chances of developing health problems such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Children's Health Connection Since 1999, the Children's Health Connection has annually brought together over 700 volunteers who provide medical, dental, vision, hearing and developmental screening exams as well as immunizations for more than 2,000 of Ogden's inner-city children during a two-day event. Well beyond a basic health fair, the Children's Health Connection coordinates follow-up treatment for children identified at the event as having a healthcare concern that needs attention.

Women's Health Connection Women's Health Connection is a twice yearly event designed to make preventive health care available to low-income and uninsured women. Pap smears, breast exams, oral health screenings and routine lab tests are offered to over 500 women annually. The women receive affordable follow-up care for any complications detected during the screening. JLO members assist by coordinating children's activities and escorting the women between services. The event is held in the spring and fall of each year.