How We Serve the Community
The mission of the Zonta Club of the Joliet Area is to advance the status of women locally and globally. The club, made up of professional women in the Joliet area, is a service based and raises funds through annual fundraisers. The money Zonta raises goes toward scholarships, international projects, and local charities.
Local Support & Sponsorship
The Zonta Club of Joliet has a long history of providing small grants to local organizations that serve girls, women, and their families. Some past area recipients of these grants include:
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Bag Lady Outreach
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Big Sisters and Crisis Line
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Bridges to a New Day
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Catholic Charities
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Center for Disability Services
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Daybreak Shelter
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Easter Seals
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Groundwork of Joliet
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Guardian Angel Home/Guardian Angel Community Center
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Joliet Area Community Hospice
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NAMI Will Grundy
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Northern Illinois Food Bank
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Prairie State Legal Services
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Tri-County Alcoholism Rehabilitation Center
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Trinity Services
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Will County Legal Assistance Program (WCLAP)
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Will Grundy Medical Clinic
Zonta presents grant to BluePrint Agency in 2024
2026 Grant Award Recipient
Stepping Stones of Joliet received $8,000 to assist in funding and operating the newly created recovery center that is designed specifically for mothers with children.
International Support & Sponsorship
For many years, ZCJA contributed funds which directly support women in Herat, Afghanistan. At the very active AIL (Afghan Institute of Learning) Jebreel Learning Center in Herat, the majority of its 1,477 students are female.
It costs $25 per student for a six month class. Thus for every $1,000 our club provides, 40 Afghan women are able to study at the Jebreel Learning Center.
In 2025, due to the instability in Afghanistan and difficulties in reaching AIL, ZCJA began contributing to a different organization--Friends of Imiliwaha, Tanzania, where we have sponsored a specific student, Angelique, who is studying dentistry. ZCJA was able to donate $882 to her education in May 2026.
Annual Advocacy Events Joliet Club Sponsors or Participates In:
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Will County’s Take Back the Night March & Rally
Sixteen Days of Activism: Zonta Says No To Violence Against Women awareness campaign from November 25 to December 10
Guardian Angel Community Services’ Walk a Mile in Her Shoes campaign
The United Nations’ International Women’s Day: The city of Joliet and the village of Plainfield proclamation honor