Service & Advocacy
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.
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:
Bag Lady Outreach
Big Sisters and Crisis Line
Bridges to a New Day
Catholic Charities
Center for Disability Services
Daybreak Shelter
Drug Coordination and Information Council for Big Sisters
Easter Seals
Groundwork of Joliet
Guardian Angel Home/Guardian Angel Community Center
Joliet Area Community Hospice
NAMI Will Grundy
Northern Illinois Food Bank
Prairie State Legal Services
Tri-County Alcoholism Rehabilitation Center
Trinity Services
Will County Center for Community Concerns
Will County Legal Assistance Program (WCLAP)
Will Grundy Medical Clinic
The 2026 Grant Award Recipient
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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.
Local Support & Sponsorship
International Support & Sponsorship
For the past few years, the Zonta Club of the Joliet Area has 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. Some 19 types of classes are offered. These include the very popular literacy courses and tailoring courses, embroidery, English, computers, miniature painting, beautician training, etc. There is also a preschool. Jebreel has become a valuable networking base for women and girls. 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.
