Category: JLP Works Blog

JLP COVID-19 Risk Acknowledgement and Waiver Update

JLP COVID Policy Update

The Junior League of Philadelphia, Inc. has updated their COVID-19 Risk Acknowledgement and Waiver. This document reflects the current CDC and local health department guidelines and is in place to protect all JLP members, partners, vendors, and the community. The waiver is required to be completed by all who attend JLP events, whether at JLP HQ or elsewhere. The waiver is available at all JLP events and on the members page of the JLP website.

1 Dress, 5 Days, A World of Difference!

JLP LBDI 2021

The focus of the Little Black Dress Initiative (LBDI) is to raise funds for community organizations that focus on eliminating food insecurity. This year, The Junior League of Philadelphia, Inc.(JLP) will host its third annual campaign from October 11-15, 2021. Participants will wear a black dress or black outfit for five consecutive days as a visible symbol of participation and to start conversations and raise awareness about food insecurity in the Philadelphia area. Participants will also use social media to solicit funds from family, friends, and coworkers. This will allow the JLP to donate to our four selected partner organizations.

JLP members can register to participate through the member portal and they will receive the LBDI participant communication package. All are welcome to contribute at https://donorbox.org/2021-12.

The recipients of our fundraising efforts this year will be The Food Trust, Face to Face, Methodist Services and The Philadelphia Orchard Project. All selected organizations are aligned with the mission and goals of the JLP’s Apple A Day Healthy Living Initiative™.

The Food Trust
http://thefoodtrust.org/
The Food Trust works to ensure that all Philadelphians have access to affordable, nutritious food and information to make healthy decisions. They partner with neighborhoods, schools, grocers, farmers, and policymakers to improve food access by combining nutrition education and greater availability of affordable, healthy food. With your donation The Food Trust will be able to send a classroom of Kindergartners home with four weekends worth of fresh produce for their families.

Face To Face
https://facetofacegermantown.org/
Face To Face has been serving the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia for over 20 years. They are a human services organization that is dedicated to the health, well-being, and stability of the community. They offer a dining room with freshly-prepared meals, a nurse-managed Health Center, a Legal Center, a Social Services Center, a ‘washeteria,’ early childhood education, summer camps, after school programs. Face to Face serves 2,500 individuals and families annually.

Methodist Services
https://methodistservices.org/
Serving an average 2,800 children, individuals and families, annually, Methodist Services is devoted to the well-being of children in all walks of life. By providing access to a safe home and family life, health of mind and body, children, adults and families can achieve their greatest potential. It is with these supports that our most vulnerable citizens can make contributions that have a positive impact in our communities.

Philadelphia Orchard Project
https://www.phillyorchards.org/
Founded in 2007 by economic development pioneer Paul Glover, POP is part of a growing movement across the world to develop more sustainable, equitable, and ethical local food systems. Philadelphia is one of the centers of this work, with some 40,000 vacant lots and the highest poverty rate among big cities in America. As the cost of energy, food, and health care rises, the low-wealth neighborhoods where POP plants are the most vulnerable to hunger and related health problems. Orchards and community vegetable gardens offer neighborhoods the most direct access to healthy food, and build people’s capacity to feed their families and neighbors.

We look forward to your participation in helping us achieve our fundraising goal of $20,000!

JLP COVID Policy Update

JLP COVID Policy Update

The Board of Directors of the Junior League of Philadelphia, Inc. has updated the JLP’s Reopening Policy to provide that the JLP will follow the most conservative of state and/or local ordinances and regulations as well as CDC guidelines.

Presently, CDC guidelines recommend masking indoors for Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties. As a result, masks will be required for indoor events at this time.

We will continue to keep membership informed as any of these ordinances, regulations, and/or guidelines change and it affects our Reopening Policy.

Summer Recruitment Events

The Junior League of Philadelphia, Inc. is currently accepting New Members for the 2021-2022 League year. Join us at one of our upcoming recruitment events, listed below. to learn more about the League and how you can be a part of it! For more information visit https://jlphiladelphia.org/membership/ or email jlpnewmember@gmail.com.

Tuesday, July 27, 6:30pm – 8:30pm, at Urban Village Brewing, click here to sign up

Sunday, August 8, 3:30pm – 5pm at A Taste of Britain, click here to sign up

Thursday, Aug 19, 6:30pm – 8:30pm at the Art Museum Back Lawn, click here to sign up

Monday, August 23, 6:30pm – 8:30pm, Virtual/on Zoom, click here to sign up

Wednesday, Sep 15, 6:30pm – 7:30pm, Virtual/on Zoom, click here to sign up

The Junior League of Philadelphia, Inc. Recognizes Pride Month

As our new League year begins, we are thrilled to work with other Junior Leagues across the world as we prepare our members to serve in our communities. We welcome all who value our Mission, and we are committed to inclusive environments of diverse individuals, organizations, and communities.

Together, we will serve as the undeterred voices for action, justice, and change.

Pride month is an opportunity to advocate for inclusion and equity for the LGBTQ+ within our league and our communities. It is also a reminder to practice our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and create opportunities for engagement wherever and whenever we can.

The Junior League of Philadelphia, Inc.’s Kids in the Kitchen Program Recognized by After-School All-Stars

At After-School All-Stars Philadelphia & Camden (ASAS)’s Annual Meeting on June 3, 2021, The Junior League of Philadelphia, Inc.’s Kids in the Kitchen (KITK) Program was honored as ASAS’s Outstanding Program Partner. ASAS is an innovative extended-day program available to children in Philadelphia and Camden. They provide classes and activities to enrich the student’s school experience and inspire students towards lifelong learning. The KITK Committee has worked with ASAS for the past few years and, during the pandemic, worked creatively to keep students engaged and to continue to promote healthy eating, in alignment with the JLP’s Apple a Day Healthy Living Initiative ™. The KITK program has been a positive addition to ASAS’s holistic after-school enrichment programming.

Junior Leagues Recognized for Outstanding Programming at 99th Annual Business Meeting of The Association of Junior Leagues International

NEW YORK, May 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The outstanding programs of eight Junior Leagues were awarded the highest honors during the 99th Annual Business Meeting of The Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI) on May 22, 2021. After a year unlike any other, these initiatives are shining examples of how Junior Leagues address the real needs of their communities by collaborating with key partners to take action. The AJLI Awards are given in areas ranging from community impact to fundraising to leadership development.

AJLI President Bett Williams, a member of the Junior League of Columbia, SC, said, “Amidst cancelled fundraisers and hours of Zoom meetings, Junior Leagues continued to respond to deep community needs. These awards honor Leagues helping their communities in new and innovative ways by providing resources that address basic human needs, literacy and education, and so much more.”

The 2021 AJLI Award Recipients are:

Community Impact Award: Junior League of Philadelphia

The Apple a Day Healthy Living initiative™ is a multitiered and multifaceted community initiative that creates positive impact on the health and wellness of adults and children in the Greater Philadelphia area. Now in its eighth year of operation, the program supplies both interactive and educational opportunities for the community, while increasing the region’s capacity to supply and distribute healthy food to families in need.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award: Junior League of Fort Smith

Since 2018, when their DEI Committee was created, the Junior League of Fort Smith, through their Rewriting Our Narrative initiative, has revamped policies and procedures to incorporate DEI within their culture, diversified their new member base by 20%, created a safe space for members to speak on their firsthand experiences with racism and discrimination, and issued a powerful commitment statement to publicly denounce racism.

Development Award: Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri

The inaugural C3KC fundraiser was presented by the Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri in 2018, to convene men and women from all community sectors so that together, solutions to deeply entrenched and complex social issues could be found. The annual event has transformed the League’s fund development diversification strategy, opening doors to new funders and strategic partners, engaging 21st century League members, advancing the League mission, and in the process created a better Kansas City.

Innovation Award: Junior League of Montgomery

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the Junior League of Montgomery’s 35-year-old College and Career Fair had to be entirely improvised and reimagined. Simply not having it was not an option, as it would affect students and families who rely on this community event to explore college and career possibilities, gather scholarship information, and discover financial aid opportunities. And so, the Virtual College and Career Fair was born. Adjusting to a virtual platform, though not ideal, still allowed the Junior League of Montgomery to grow their reach far beyond what they envisioned, as they realized they were able to impact more students and more families.

Leadership Development Award: Junior League of Wichita

To promote quality board service, the Junior League of Wichita created the Nonprofit Board Development Program, a series of board development and training opportunities. The program prepares League members, local nonprofits, and community members to serve as competent and impactful board members. The training ensures that participants will be able to contribute to developing and enhancing a board’s functionality, thereby making them more effective, and essentially, truly building a better community as they are deployed out into their local nonprofit ecosystem.

Membership Recruitment and Engagement Award: Junior League of Seattle

The provisional program of the Junior League of Seattle introduces new members to the League and paves the way for a successful League career. The program is instrumental in acclimating new members to the League’s values, mission, and vision through advising, curriculum & training, projects, building community and thoughtful recruitment. These efforts have led to a 90% retention rate for new members.

Marketing and Communications Award: Junior League of Fort Smith

During the summer of 2020, the Junior League of Fort Smith filmed a “day in the life” video aptly named Rewriting Our Narrative highlighting members of all backgrounds, ethnicities, professions, and skill sets. This video made a strong statement of how richly diverse they are as an organization – from ethnicity to sexual orientation to socioeconomic status. The video has reached over 16% of the population within the Fort Smith community.

Public Policy and Advocacy Award: Junior League of Birmingham

The Junior League of Birmingham lies three miles from I-20, dubbed “the sex trafficking superhighway.” League leaders recognized that women and children served by their programs were at greater risk for being targeted for sex trafficking, so they developed an Anti-Human Trafficking Program focused on raising awareness and municipal declaration, enabling and enforcement of state law, support of new legislation, and support of needed programming. The keystone of the League’s work to reduce victimization is by leveraging their role as a nonprofit leader and nonpartisan coalition builder to affect transformational change through advocacy and public policy. They are a recognized leader in the efforts to combat human trafficking in the state and are a desired partner and resource.

About The Junior League

Since its founding in 1901 by social activist Mary Harriman, The Junior League has evolved into one of the oldest, largest and most effective women’s organizations in the world, encompassing more than 125,000 women in over 295 Leagues in four countries. For more than 100 years, the mission of Junior Leagues has not wavered: to develop exceptionally qualified civic leaders who collaborate with community partners to identify a community’s most urgent needs and address them with meaningful and relevant programs and initiatives that not only improve lives, but also change the way people think. In 1921 the Leagues joined forces as an association, which is today known as The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc., in order to bolster their power and amplify their voice through shared knowledge and common causes.

Media contact:
Rosalia Scampoli
rscampoli@marketcompr.com
914-815-1465