A century of service: Miami women have been leading change for 100 years | Opinion

In a city as fast-changing and vibrant as Miami, 100 years of anything is a milestone. But 100 years of women showing up for neighbors, families and those too often overlooked is worth pausing to honor.

From June 2025 through May 2026, the Junior League of Miami marks its centennial. As president during this once-in-a-lifetime moment, I have been reflecting on where we have been and what comes next.

Since 1926, the Junior League of Miami has supported women and children in vulnerable positions. During the Great Depression, we temporarily operated The Children’s Home Society, a foster care resource still serving families today. In 1949, we founded Miami’s first science museum, the Junior Museum, which evolved into the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science. In the 1970s, we initiated the concept of a Miami River cleanup. In the 1990s, we launched Inn Transition, a transitional home for survivors of domestic violence and their children. Our members have helped shape Miami’s nonprofit landscape, leaving a legacy woven into the city’s fabric.

Over the years, we have also championed literacy, supported youth in the arts, advanced food equity and invested in programs addressing mental health, maternal care and housing stability. And we have done this as volunteers. Mothers, professionals, caregivers: our 600 members give time, energy and heart to the work.

We remain a stalwart organization today. We deliver diapers to mothers in South Miami-Dade County, host financial literacy workshops for women leaving domestic violence situations and plant food gardens with students in Liberty City. We work alongside grassroots leaders in neighborhoods from Overtown to West Kendall to help every child access a safer, healthier future. Many trained Junior League members now serve as board members and directors across Miami’s nonprofit sector.

Since 2022, the Junior League of Miami has funded nearly half a million dollars in project funding, community grants and scholarships. These grants support organizations addressing homelessness, food insecurity and gender-based violence, strengthening programs that are already embedded in our community.

But this moment calls for more than reflection. Miami is at a turning point. Our population is growing, our economy is shifting and many families — especially women and children — are being left out of the opportunities this growth should bring. As our skyline rises, we must ensure the foundation beneath it remains rooted in equity and service.

This centennial marks a launch point for JLM’s next chapter. Thanks to a dollar-for-dollar match from our foundation, we are providing another $100,000 in grants to nonprofits serving vulnerable women and youth, including those experiencing food insecurity. Our Done in a Day program also grew in scope and budget, reconnecting with longtime partners and forming new collaborations.

We act as a convener for community organizations across Miami-Dade, bringing together leaders to work collaboratively at our fall and spring community collaboration breakfasts.

We are proud to share our legacy with the city we love and to continue building a connected community. This year begins implementation of our new five-year strategic plan. We are researching emerging needs and exploring diverse revenue streams to ensure long-term sustainability. We hope to unveil new data-backed projects soon.

None of this work would be possible without the women who built the Junior League of Miami. While looking ahead, we are also focusing on visibility and storytelling to honor our past. Centennial exhibitions at Frost Science, HistoryMiami, Westchester Library and Books & Books are spotlighting the women who have shaped Miami through service.

We prepare members to lead across Miami’s nonprofit sector through training programs, leadership cohorts and advocacy work with the Miami-Dade Food Nutrition For All coalition, Feeding South Florida’s Food Access Council and Junior League Florida’s State Public Affairs Committee.

By mentoring new volunteers, expanding access to food and resources and creating leadership pathways, we are shaping a culture of service rooted in action. Our focus is clear: to build a stronger, more connected Miami for the next 100 years.

Michelle Vidal is the president of the Junior League of Miami, a volunteer organization committed to promoting voluntarism, developing women’s potential and improving communities through trained leadership.