Junior League of Houston donates $2M to DePelchin Children's Center for new volunteer facility on Memorial Drive

The Junior League of Houston announced April 4 a commitment of $2 million to the nonprofit foster care and adoption agency DePelchin Children's Center for a new 21,000-square-foot volunteer center.

The donation is the largest single gift the Junior League of Houston has ever made, according to an April 4 press release.

DePelchin serves vulnerable children and families in Texas through programs that focus on school, counseling, parenting and supporting birth parents.

“The decades have seen significant change to both our organizations, but two key factors have remained constant: Houston’s children and families have benefited from our unswerving partnership on their behalf, and DePelchin is stronger because of the Junior League," DePelchin CEO Jenifer Jarriel said in a statement. "This new facility will give us the space we need to gather and sort donations for families, engage more volunteers in our work, and provide programs for more children and families.”

The new volunteer center—which will be named the Junior League of Houston Volunteer Services Building at DePelchin Children’s Center—will be located at DePelchin’s Rice Military-area campus at 4950 Memorial Drive, Houston. It will quadruple the nonprofit’s capacity to provide donated goods to families, and double its family classroom and volunteer workroom space, according to the April 4 release.

The center will also feature a “History Wall,” which officials said would showcase archival material from the nonprofit's last 100 years.

The donation was made in honor of the Junior League’s centennial anniversary in 2025, according to the release. The new volunteer center is projected to open in June 2025.