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May 2021 Newsletter

Message from the President

Celebrating Together

Dear Community Leaders, Friends and Supporters,

As I embark on my last month serving in this honorable role, I am reminded of the great work our Members and leaders have not only envisioned, but executed this year. They called upon our trusted advisors and partners, reached into our 60-years of experiences, and trusted their intuition to navigate a once in a lifetime global pandemic. Though we started this year with projects designed to only be completed face-to-face, we overcame this inevitable obstacle and reimagined new and legacy projects that will hopefully go on to serve our community for another 10, 15 or 25 years like Kids’ Boutique.

As a League, we are better because of our shared experiences through this pandemic, and I look forward to our Members recruiting based on their memorable service and springboarding to other nonprofits as volunteer leaders. In a few short weeks, we will formally conclude the 2020-2021 League Year with a celebration and public unveiling of the mural we are commissioning in the downtown area. Please stay tuned for details-- I hope to see you in-person.

Lastly, I am incredibly grateful for your continued support and interest in the Junior League of Tallahassee. Our community’s investment in JLT mission is what allows us year after year to serve more students through Kids’ Boutique and Mighty Meals, partner with new signature partners, and strategically invest in the training and development of our volunteer leaders for the betterment of Tallahassee.

May you always strive to #BeTheOne.

Until next time,

Samantha Sexton
2020-2021 JLT President

Community Impact

JLT Helps Moms & Newborns at HOPE Community

This past month, JLT volunteers created newborn starter kit bundles for the new moms and newborns at HOPE Community. Volunteers collected new items including onesies, burp cloths, bottles, pacifiers, bath supplies, diapers, wipes, nail clippers, thermometers, and lovies and filled 26 diaper backpacks to get our newborns at HOPE off to a good start in life.

Annie Rada, Volunteer Coordinator at HOPE Community, recognizes the immediate need for these items: "On average, a middle-income family spends about $13,000 on their baby's first year (USDA, 2015), while a single parent working a full-time minimum wage job makes $17,992 annually. Being homeless and pregnant facing those costs becomes less stressful when new mothers know that the initial needs of the baby are taken care of. This allows them to continue to save to secure housing and shorten their family's experience of homelessness. Mothers gifted with a new mommy bag have a huge weight lifted off their shoulders, and feel the encouragement and support they need to prevail."

Big Bend Homeless Coalition's HOPE Community provides emergency shelter to families with minor children and works to end family homelessness by providing residents with tools for employment and education, assistance with housing options, and access to supportive services. Every year, over 70% of HOPE’s residents return to stable housing. Visit BigBendHC.org to learn more about this community partner doing amazing work for children and families in our community.

Motivated Women
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

This year, JLT set strategic objectives to support our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement:

The Junior League of Tallahassee believes diversity and inclusion allows us to fully leverage the talents and skills of all members. It is our priority to have membership that reflects the rich diversity of the communities it serves. We are committed to promoting equal opportunity by welcoming and valuing the unique backgrounds and perspectives of all members; while promoting an environment of respect where authentic and empowered participation and a true sense of belonging is a priority.

This year we set two ambitious goals:

Provide training at the committee or council level for 100% of membership.
Host at least 5 mission-focused trainings for JLT members

We exceed both goals! By mid-December 2020, we trained the Board, Management Team, and committees on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion topics relevant to each position. Throughout the 2020-2021 League year, we offered eight mission-focused trainings and launched a monthly Growth Club for membership. The Growth Club chooses books, podcasts, movies, and articles and provides an open forum to discuss how we can apply what we learn to the work we do in our community. For the first time, we also opened our robust training opportunities to the community through a virtual Factuality - Just the Facts session. Our members and the community joined in 90 minutes of facilitated dialog about the structural inequality in the United States.

Collectively, our members have spent over 645 hours in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training just this year. And we are just getting started because we know there is still work to be done.

We're Recruiting

Join the Junior League of Tallahassee!

The 2021-22 Recruitment Season has begun! The Junior League of Tallahassee (JLT) trains new members to be effective volunteers and leaders in our community through a comprehensive training program including workshops and guest lecturers. New members will meet motivated and like-minded women, learn more about our community, be presented with opportunities to manage projects and expand their skill sets, participate in meaningful and impactful service initiatives and make lifelong friends. Membership in JLT is an invaluable networking and professional development opportunity.

Prospective members must meet the League’s objective criteria to be considered for membership:

Be at least 23 years of age
Reside in Leon County or within a 40 mile radius
Possess an interest in volunteerism and a commitment to community service
Possess an interest in developing her potential for voluntary community participation

If you, or someone you know, may be interested in League membership, please visit our website for more information and the application to join. We also have a number of virtual and in-person information sessions. Applications are Due June 1st.

Learn More Here

Fundraising

Looking Back At Bold Sips

Thank you to Governors Club for hosting a wonderful around the world wine tasting on April 16th! Our ever popular wine toss was a big hit on the evening and guests enjoyed the beautiful weather on the balcony while sipping on wines from around the world.

Thank You for Your Support!

It is a shared vision for helping the community of Tallahassee and your belief in JLT which resulted in a stellar year for the fundraising efforts. Each and every donation allows for our mission to be brought to life. Our Fundraising team was creative, shifted gears, and changed plans to meet our donors where they were and provided diverse opportunities to support the League. From a great partnership with the For the Table Hospitality to group to have family dinners and cake flights, to an out-pouring of support from the Community and dedication from our membership during our weeklong Little Black Dress Initiative in the Fall to hosting our sixth annual Golf Classic with Southwood and our Bold Sips Wine Tasting event at Governors Club in the Spring the JLT Funding worked hard all year. These efforts in addition to strategic partnerships with supportive and generous sponsors saw our goal of raising $75,000 far exceeded with over $116,000 raised!! Thank you for your continued support of the Junior League of Tallahassee.

ICYMI

JLT Member, Summer Griffith, Access Tallahassee Future 5 Honoree

Join us in congratulating JLT Member and founder of Drip Drop Fitness, Summer Griffith on recently being selected as a Future 5 Honoree by Access Tallahassee!

The new program celebrates five young professionals that are presently growing and excelling in their respective fields while continuing to positively influence the growth, prosperity, and quality of life in Tallahassee.

Community Partnerships & Donations

Sponsorships

To aid us in our mission of improving the lives of children and families in the Tallahassee area, JLT relies on the generosity of sponsorships and donations to enhance our community impact. When an organization financially supports the League, we support the organization in return by valuable recognition and exposure to both our members and the general public through online and in-person channels. The League consistently fosters strong partnerships with our sponsors, and we would love to work with you or your organization next!

To learn more about how you can become a JLT Sponsor, please click here to review our sponsorship or email Samantha Ferrin at sponsorship@jltallahassee.org for more information.

Copyright © |2021| Junior League of Tallahassee, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
PO Box 13428 Tallahassee, FL 32317

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