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

Would you like to subscribe to our blog?
Each Monday there is a new blog post, you will receive an email in your inbox. Sign-up here: http://eepurl.com/bMpulD