This is not your Mama’s JWC. Not anymore.
Formerly the Junior Women’s Club, the Wyoming organization is showing its commitment to diversity and inclusion with a new name: Joint Women’s Collaborative. The group has revamped its entire image, also unveiling a new tagline and logo, to better reflect their collaborative and cooperative mission, both within the club itself and throughout Wyoming and Greater Cincinnati.
“JWC has worked for a number of years to make the club more welcoming to all women, so this was an extension of that work,” says Amy Cielak, JWC Ex-Officio. “The board came together for a retreat in 2019 to imagine what the club will look like now and into the future. One of the primary opportunities identified during that retreat was a goal to improve the club’s inclusivity.
“We formed a committee called the Future of JWC, led by Angela Onyekanne. It had two primary objectives: creating a diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy, and aligning the name and branding with the culture of the current organization. Angela and the committee really knocked it out of the park. I’m confident their work will position JWC as a leader in the community and among other civic organizations on DEI initiatives.”
The initials JWC remain the same, reflecting the group’s nearly 75-year history in Wyoming. The new logo features bold, stylized letterforms that speak to the group’s active, collective power in the community. Likewise, the new tagline, “Connecting Service to Community,” highlights the significant work JWC does with refugee assistance organization Heartfelt Tidbits, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital’s support program Kudos Kids, and Friends of the Public Library.
JWC hasn’t been part of the national organizing body of Junior Women’s Clubs for years, so the group no longer needs to keep its original name. These changes represent a conscious effort to be inclusive to all members of the larger Wyoming community who identify as women. Along with new initiatives to eliminate membership fees and the creation of the Future of JWC committee, the organization envisions its future as a welcoming and equitable environment.
JWC has also developed an inclusion statement: “JWC of Wyoming is a place for all those who identify as women. Your skin color, address, abilities, background, and religion are welcome here. Our differences make us stronger, bolder, and more interesting, and we celebrate them.”
When Cielak joined JWC several years ago, she worried the club might be too exclusive or time-consuming. She also didn’t know what “junior” meant, but she was grateful to see women of all ages. “I’m thrilled to see JWC’s new look and name,” she says, “which represent both respect for our rich tradition and a nod to the organization that we aspire to become. This change is more than just window-dressing—it represents the work we have done and continue to do on our mission of becoming a place where all women feel welcome.”
JWC of Wyoming is a nonprofit volunteer organization that brings women together for the betterment of the community. By working with organizations through volunteer and fundraising activities, the club hopes to strengthen neighborhoods and improve people’s lives.
In addition to its work with Heartfelt Tidbits, Kudos Kids, and Friends of the Public Library, JWC fundraises more than $20,000 each year, donating 100 percent of proceeds to community groups. The money is evenly divided between Wyoming City Schools, organizations within Wyoming, and organizations in our neighboring communities.
To learn more about JWC, visit https://jwc-wyoming.org/. If you’re interested in joining the group, reach out to membership@jwc-wyoming.org.
