Junior League of Annapolis Celebrates Our Volunteers!
April is National Volunteer Month! Let’s celebrate and recognize the contributions of our members at the Junior League of Annapolis (JLA). As an organization committed to promoting volunteerism and meaningful community service, we are thrilled to share some of the projects we’ve worked on over the 2023-2024 league year.
The Discoveries Community Pantry
During our October GMM, JLA members packed hundreds of kits filled with period supplies to donate to The Discoveries Community Pantry.
Read the full blog post and see pictures from the project: https://bit.ly/46XMjrK.
Most recently, JLA supported Discoveries at the Mall’s newest initiative, the AACPL Prom Boutique, with a formalwear drive. We collected dresses and suits from the community and donated them, where they were available to teens for a free shopping event in early April.
More info about the pantry: https://www.aacpl.net/services/discoveries/pantry
Maryland Food Bank
Volunteers from JLA regularly support the Maryland Food Bank by sorting and packing donated items, including shelf-stable food, fresh produce, and toiletries.
Find out more about the Maryland Food Bank here: https://mdfoodbank.org
Sarah’s House Dinner
JLA Members volunteer their time at Sarah’s House for dinner service, which requires light kitchen duties and some engagement with the Sarah’s House residents.
Sarah’s House is a supportive housing program for homeless women, children, and men in Anne Arundel County providing case management, childcare, transportation and employment services. The Anne Arundel Department of Social Services performs initial screenings for potential guests of Sarah’s House.
Read more about Sarah’s House here: https://cc-md.org/programs/sarahs-house/
SOUPer Bowl benefitting The Light House
JLA returned to Heritage Baptist Church to support the 18th Annual SOUPer Bowl! Some volunteers assisted Chef Zachary Pope behind the scenes and helped make and monitor the soup, prepare salad bar items, and support food service. Other volunteers helped with decorations and food service.
The SOUPer Bowl benefits The Light House Homeless Prevention Center, which supports local homeless individuals and empowers them as they transition toward employment, housing and self-sufficiency.
Learn more about the SOUper Bowl here: https://www.heritageloves.com/souper-bowl-2024
West Annapolis Pop Up Pantry
JLA regularly supports the operations of the West Annapolis Pop Up Pantry by packing bags for the food distribution effort and sorting and arranging diapers and clothes in the Baby Pantry.
Read about the West Annapolis Pop Up Pantry here: https://www.marshallhope.org/
Woodside Gardens
In December, JLA helped to stock a holiday pantry for parents and guardians to select gifts for the community’s youth.
In February, JLA had our annual Galentines Brunch where we set up a station to create Valentines for the senior citizen residents of Woodside Gardens. In addition to making cards, JLA members upcycled the floral arrangements from our event by delivering them to bring cheer to the Woodside Gardens seniors. That week we also put together 20 kindness bags to deliver to senior citizens at their weekly social on February 14th. It was a blast!
Woodside Gardens is a low-income housing community in Annapolis with 144 units serving families at or below 60% area median income.
The Blue Ribbon Project: Backpacks of Love
JLA works with The Blue Ribbon Project to help source and stuff backpacks with the essentials a child needs while they transition into the foster care system. In addition to volunteering at their facility, this year JLA donated over 400 backpacks to support them.
Read more about it on our blog here: https://www.jlannapolis.org/jla-donates-400-backpacks-to-foster-kids-in-the-blue-ribbon-project/
Junior League of Annapolis, Inc has a membership of nearly 300 women dedicated to positively impacting the greater Annapolis community. Our members work tirelessly to support our community partners, and we look forward to continuing that service into the future!
About the Junior League of Annapolis:
Junior League of Annapolis, Inc. is an organization of women whose mission is to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration, and training. It reaches out to all women of any race, religion, or national origin who demonstrate an interest in and a commitment to voluntarism.https://www.jlannapolis.org
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General Membership Meeting: April 2024
Members Only Event:
Mark your calendars for our April 23 General Membership Meeting (GMM) at the Wiley H. Bates Legacy Center at 7pm!
JLA will be celebrating the diverse cultures of our membership during the April GMM. Sign-up here (LINK) to contribute to this event by bringing a dish to share and/or memorabilia to display. (LINK FOR SIGN UP)
Workshop: Bringing U into DEIB
Members Only: Join the DEIB Team for an interactive and engaging workshop to obtain practical tips on how we can continue to make strides towards our goal of embedding diversity into JLA!
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging are words that can evoke a variety of emotions and responses in people, especially in 2024. To some, they represent a recent trend and to others, a way of moving through the world. For those who are interested in becoming more involved in the DEIB space, it can be tricky to determine your place, your role, and your impact. For this session, we will explore the various aspects of DEIB including race, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, faith, generational differences and more, with a goal of understanding the ways we all can (and likely already do) contribute to this work in meaningful and impactful ways. This workshop will be a safe space to examine how members can embrace, promote, and uplift the mission of JLA through a lens of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Our presenter for the workshop is Bettina Straight
Bettina Straight is a diversity and leadership educator who has worked with organizations across Maryland and throughout the US for over 20 years. As a facilitator, Bettina’s goal is to help participants see a subject from a new perspective, to engage them in respectful, honest, and productive conversation, and to leave them with a sense of connection and new understanding. In her own words, “Beyond anything, I hope people know that my goal is to help them become even more successful than they already are, whether that’s as an individual, as part of a team, or within an organization. I am invested in helping make that happen, even when the topics we face are difficult.”
VIRTUAL March General Membership Meeting (GMM)
Members Only Event:
Mark your calendars for our March 25 General Membership Meeting (GMM) online at 7pm!
Little Black Dress Initiative
Founded in 2014 by the Junior League of London, the Little Black Dress Initiative (LBDI) is a social media-driven awareness campaign and fundraiser. Advocates wear one black dress (or outfit) and a LBDI button for 5 consecutive days to:
- RAISE AWARENESS of Women’s Poverty Issues
- ILLUSTRATE how limited resources affect daily life; and
- RAISE FUNDS TO FURTHER THE MISSION OF THE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF ANNAPOLIS.
The funds raised will help us sustain our efforts in assisting our community partners address the unmet needs of individuals living in poverty. We have addressed and supported efforts with food insecurity, period poverty, diapers,supporting theunhoused, seniors in poverty, and women suffering with substance abuse. Some of the partners include:
- Discoveries Pantry
- Annapolis Light House Shelter
- Salvation Army
- Sarah’s House
- Maryland Food Bank
- Tyler Heights Elementary
- West Annapolis Pop Up Pantry
- Blue Ribbon Project
- AAMC Foundation
- Woodside Garden Community
Visit our Facebook to learn more and support this year’s campaign! (LINK)