JLH League Lines - Spring 2016

JLH CROSSES FINISH LINE OF FIRST VOLUNTEERATHON
BY LINDSAY MERMELL
The first ever JLH Volunteerathon: the Junior League of Hartford’s (JLH) Volunteer Marathon was held Friday, May 6 through Saturday,
May 7. It ran from 4:00 p.m. Friday through 6:12 p.m. on Saturday, resulting in 26.2 hours of continuous volunteering. JLH volunteers
were dispersed around a variety of nonprofit agencies to make an impact our local community with our “woman power.”
Ninety one JLH members volunteered 244 hours during the JLH Volunteerathon.
Pullman and Comley was the Mile Marker corporate sponsor and members raised funds prior to the event by asking friends and
family to sponsor their JLH Volunteerathon participation, raising over $16,500 in individual contributions.
Friday, May 6
My Sister's Place - Volunteers organized the tenants’ reading room by sorting, organizing, labeling and shelving books.
YWCA Hartford - Volunteers led an Activity Night for clients and residents, including Zumba and games like Bingo.
Habitat Restore - Volunteers helped with painting, cleaning and organizing the store.
Saturday, May 7
Junior Achievement of Southeast New England (JA) - Volunteers organized materials to create classroom kits.
New Children’s Museum – Volunteers created an archives binder of print and news clippings.
Hartford Riverfront – Volunteers helped set up for the first festival of the season: Samba Fest, which celebrates the region’s rich
Brazilian culture.
CONTINUED PAGE 2
THE FIRST EVER JLH VOLUNTEERATHON KICKED OFF WITH A TWO-HOUR SHIFT AT YWCA HARTFORD WHERE VOLUNTEERS LED AN ACTIVITY NIGHT.
SPRING 2016
VOLUNTEERATHON RECAP 2
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 3
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION TASK FORCE; ODI ATTENDANCE 4
CORC AND DIAD CELEBRATE IMPACTFUL YEAR 5
CCYW REFLECTS ON A SUCCESSFUL YEAR 6
PROVISIONALS AND SUSTAINERS AROUND TOWN 7
2014-2015 JUNIOR LEAGUE OF HARTFORD 1
ANNUAL REPORT INSERT

The Junior League of Hartford, Inc.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
2015-16
OFFICERS
PRESIDENT
PRESIDENT ELECT
SECRETARY
TREASURER
ASST. TREASURER
Julie Krug
Valerie Bischof
Molly Towne
Denise Callan
Amy Blackwood
COUNCIL DIRECTORS
COMMUNICATIONS Meghan Guerrera
COMMUNITY SERVICE Sarah Needham
FUND DEVELOPMENT Tiffany Spinella
MEMBERSHIP Whitney Sweeney
SUSTAINERS Elizabeth Rogg-Ives
Kate Cassen
NOMINATING/ Emily Shea
PLACEMENT
VOLUNTEERATHON CONT.
HARC – Volunteers joined the Camp Bulova Program (for children in the school system
with intellectual disabilities) for a day of fun working directly with participants and
learning about intellectual disabilities and the vital programs and services they rely on.
Gifts of Love – Volunteers worked on a variety of outdoor projects to kick off the planting
season along with spring cleaning and classroom preparations.
ULA Backpack Packing – Volunteers helped with food packing at the United Labor
Agency and created blankets for those in need.
Hartford's Camp Courant – Volunteers helped Camp Courant get spruced up for the
summer by helping with grounds clean-up and organization.
Clothes Horse – Volunteers made one last lap through the Clothes Horse, where they
helped the store with a few spring projects.
The marathon ended on Saturday, May 7 at 6:12 p.m. with the JLH Volunteerathon
Finish Line Party at Real Art Ways in Hartford. Members, agency representatives and
their families and friends enjoyed delicious barbecue from Bear's Smokehouse and
listened to live music by Fat Free Bob into Saturday night.
MISSION
The Junior League of Hartford is an organization
of women committed to promoting
voluntarism, developing the potential of women
and improving communities through the
effective action and leadership of trained
volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational
and charitable.
The Junior League of Hartford, Inc.
is located at:
993 Farmington Avenue, Suite 208
West Hartford, CT 06107
TELEPHONE: 860.233.4300
TELEFAX: 860.570.0823
WEB: www.JLHartford.org
EMAIL: info@jlhartford.org
League Lines Committee
CO-CHAIRS
Elizabeth Fierman
Amy Ruder
COMMITTEE Maria Carl
Kristin D’Amato
Dale Hoidalen
Wendy Scaringe
JLH VOLUNTEERATHON IN ACTION (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP L): VOLUNTEERS AT GIFTS OF LOVE,
HARC, HARTFORD RIVERFRONT, THE CLOTHES HORSE, HABITAT RESTORE AND MYS ISTER’S PLACE.
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
BY JULIE KRUG
95 years and counting!
Many community service programs of which the Junior League of Hartford
(JLH) initially collaborated on, continue to operate under the guidance of partner
organizations, we are proud of all of the programs we have begun that are
fully sustainable with our partners. A few that continue to thrive under JLH’s
direct leadership are:
Souper Sustainers: Our members have volunteered monthly at Loaves and
Fishes in Hartford for more than 30 years.
Done in a Day (DIAD): JLH provides volunteer support for community projects
or events that can be accomplished in a one-time evening or weekend effort.
Community Outreach Committee (CORC): We support a community organization
that has needs related to the League’s mission. Each event is supported
by a group of JLH volunteers, ready to provide support to the community organization.
Career Connections for Young Women (CCYW) – This collaboration with Junior
Achievement of Southwest New England launched in 2015 and focuses on
inspiring students (from urban and suburban communities) to think positively
about their future and develop career pathways.
These programs give our members many opportunities for volunteering. It is
easy to be a part of an organization that does so much for the local community.
So far in this league year we have had 12 DIAD volunteering opportunities,
nine CORC events, 11 CCYW sessions and monthly Souper Sustainer services.
With these opportunities, as well as volunteering at the Clothes Horse, JLH
has volunteered nearly 800 hours of service in less than a year. That isn’t even counting the 200+ volunteer hours completed during JLH
Volunteerathon: The Junior League of Hartford’s Volunteer Marathon. Quite impressive!
Our members are making an impact in the greater Hartford community every day and will continue into the future with our strong, mission-based
values.
All the best,
L TO R: SARAH THRALL, ROZA KOGAN, JULIE KRUG AND DENISE
CALLAN AT JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT DURING THE OVERNIGHT
SHIFT OF THE FIRST ANNUAL JLH VOLUNTEERATHON.
JULIE KRUG (L) AND PRESIDENT-ELECT VALERIE BISCHOF WITH CAREER CON-
NECTIONS FOR YOUNG WOMEN (CCYW) COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND REPRESENT-
ATIVES FROM JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT.
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JUNIOR LEAGUE OF HARTFORD DIVERSITY & INCLUSION TASK FORCE
BY PATRICIA C. A. SASSER
During the 2015 Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. (AJLI) Annual Conference, the Leagues approved the following Diversity
& Inclusion Statement as a replacement to the former reaching out statement:
The Junior League welcomes all women who value our Mission. We are committed to inclusive environments of diverse individuals,
organizations and communities.
The creation of this statement was the result of the yearlong work of the AJLI Diversity & Inclusion task force. I had the pleasure of
serving on the task force with other League members from around the country. Talking about the Junior League’s successes and challenges
around diversity & inclusion was an amazing and enriching opportunity.
To craft the new statement, we explored a variety of topics, including the work various Leagues are doing in this area, the stereotypical
image the Junior League is working against, gender identity, age limits, sponsorship and meeting the needs of their partners and communities.
The conversations left us with a lot to think about in regards to our own Leagues.
Fast forward a year and the Junior League of Hartford has launched its own Diversity & Inclusion Task Force. We did not want to stop
simply with the establishment of a statement, but we want to embrace the statement, explore what it means to us to be a diverse and
inclusive League, and advance our efforts in this area. It was this desire and commitment that led to the creation of our task force on
which the following members currently serve: Patricia Sasser, Kyra Dorsey, Carla Robinson, Anjanette Ferris Senatus, Jessica Olivieri,
Molly Towne and Penelope Jones.
The goal of the task force is to develop an action plan for the JLH. We’ll look at our current practices to see what is going well and what
more we can do to recruit, retain, and support a diverse membership, and to work with our community partners in ways that best meet
the needs of the populations they serve in the greater Hartford community.
This is an exciting time for the JLH and we look forward to the amazing work we as a League will be doing together. Anyone who is
interested in joining the D&I Task Force, please contact Patricia Sasser at pca6y@hotmail.com.
BERASI ATTENDS AJLI ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
BY ANISSA BERASI
The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. (AJLI) provides training to its
Leagues in support of The Junior League Mission. One such training is its Organizational
Development Institutes (ODI), a series of mission-based leadership development
meetings. These training sessions are geared toward building the
knowledge of League members who manage the Leagues’ key functions. JLH’s
Anissa Berasi was a delegate at this winter’s ODI on January 29-31 at the Hyatt
Regency in Miami, Fla.
ODI is an interactive and collaborative way for members to learn from each other
as well as from experts leading the seminars. Delegates come away from the three
-day seminar with fresh ideas and a plan to implement what they have learned.
Participants attend three plenary sessions and choose from concentration tracks in
Membership Development, Fund Development, Community Impact, Building Internal
Capacity and Governing for Excellence.
As this year’s delegate from the Junior League of Hartford and current co-chair of
the Provisional Committee, I took part in the Membership Development concentration
where we focused on creating innovative recruitment and onboarding programs,
identifying best practices from successful membership programs and implementing
talent development programs and mentoring practices.
JUNIOR LEAGUE OF HARTFORD PROVISIONAL COMMITTEE
CO-CHAIR AND AJLI ODI DELEGATE ANISSA BERASI
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COMMUNITY OUTREACH COMMITTEE SPREADS ITS REACH
BY CAROLYN HOULIAHN & STEPHANIE MONTEITH
The Community Outreach Committee (CORC) enjoyed another successful year working
with a few of the many charitable organizations in the greater Hartford area. The
Junior League of Hartford (JLH) stayed true to its mission of working with a diverse
group of organizations, with an emphasis on: Empowering Women and Girls to Overcome
Obstacles.
The amazing staff at My Sister’s Place, an organization that provides housing
to homeless women and children in the Hartford area, welcomed JLH to its facility
twice this year. The first visit came during their annual Halloween party in October
and again in March for their annual Easter party. At both events, JLH volunteers assisted
by bringing treats to share, facilitating arts and crafts activities, leading the
game room and distributing prizes.
CORC organized a December volunteer opportunity at the Gardner’s House, an
organization started by Maggie Gardner to help cancer patients transition smoothly
back into the requirements of daily life. Volunteers assisted with their annual holiday
event to wrap donated toys. That same month saw two additional toy-sorting events with Toys for Tots, an organization committed
to providing toys and books to less fortunate children during the holiday season.
CORC ORGANIZED MULTIPLE EVENTS AT MY SISTER’S
PLACE IN HARTFORD THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
In February, CORC worked with another organization, KNOX, a nonprofit that strengthens the greater Hartford community
through horticultural projects. JLH volunteers assisted with decorating for their annual fundraiser. CORC also worked with the
incredible staff at the Interval House, a shelter for women and children who are victims of domestic abuse. JLH volunteers
provided and served breakfast to residents twice this year.
We’d like to thank the various organizations that opened their doors to the Junior League of Hartford. The generosity and
selflessness of the staff is inspiring, and we look forward to continued partnerships in the years to come.
DONE IN A DAY SUPPORTS NONPROFITS THROUGH VOLUNTARISM
BY JULIA ZWEIG
The Done in a Day (DIAD) committee had a busy winter and spring. In December, we hosted the annual Winter Wonderland
challenge, where Junior League of Hartford (JLH) volunteers spread cheer to Hartford-area nonprofits by putting up holiday
decorations. This year we decorated at Hartford Thrive! Community Meals, Peter’s Retreat, The Village for Families and Children
and Gardener’s House.
PROJECT LINUS FLEECE BLANKETS ARE AN ANNUAL
TRADITION AT A JLH GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING.
Also in December, DIAD helped the John J. Driscoll United Labor Agency
(ULA) pack up toys and holiday gifts for local children. We then kicked off
2016 by making 20 fleece blankets for Project Linus, which provides handmade
blankets to children who are ill or traumatized.
JLH members packed food for ULA’s “Labor of Love” program, which provides
nutritious meals for students and families struggling with food shortages.
The program operates at three local schools and serves 375 people every
week. The event was so popular with JLH volunteers that we returned in
April!
A group of volunteers spent a February morning at the South Park Inn to
clean the dining area at the Hartford-based shelter. The following month,
DIAD made Easter baskets for children at My Sister’s Place. We filled baskets
for children of all ages with small toys, coloring supplies, bubbles, glow
sticks and treats. We closed out the year with a spring gardening project at
Elizabeth Park in late May.
It has been a pleasure to work with so many local organizations this year and we look forward to continuing these partnerships
and finding new ways to help our community next year.
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CAREER CONNECTIONS FOR YOUNG WOMEN SUCCESS STORIES
BY JOCELYN HAWKINS
To inspire young women to focus on career planning and financial independence, The Junior League of Hartford in partnership
with Junior Achievement of Southwest New England developed the Career Connections for Young Women program. The program
targets Hartford area high school women living both in suburban and urban communities. The CCYW program has a created
a diverse range of volunteer opportunities for The Junior League of Hartford.
The CCYW program began its second year in January of 2016 with JLH members facilitating a class to the fourteen young women
entitled “Conflict Management and Communication.” New additions to the ten week 2016 program included personal finance
modules, a job shadow and a group project in which students in groups of four to five under the guidance of JLH volunteers researched
a chosen career cluster and created a presentation. Upon conclusion of the program, the young women presented
their findings to their peers, family members, JLH volunteers and to the staff of Junior Achievement.
To further enhance the young women’s learning experience during the program, they created resumes, participated in mock interviews
and had the opportunity to interact with a panel of female professionals from The Junior League of Hartford. Here is some
of what the 2016 CCYW participants said about the program:
“Overall, I found this to be an eye-opening experience. I loved when women would come and tell us about their experiences in
their work field.”
“I developed many great skills and learned how to be a woman in charge. I felt empowered every time I came here.”
“The mock interviews were especially helpful. I will continue to use the skills I have acquired.”
The Junior of League of Hartford is looking forward to the 2017 Career Connections for Young Women program!
CAREER CONNECTIONS FOR YOUNG WOMEN MET AT THE JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF-
FICES IN HARTFORD AND EXPOSED HIGH SCHOOL WOMEN WITH A VARIETY OF CA-
REER GUIDANCE, PANELS AND TIPS FOR PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE.
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FROM PROVISIONALS TO SUSTAINERS, CELEBRATING OUR MEMBERS
JLH SUSTAINERS ENJOYED THEIR WINTER GATHERING AT THE HOME OF MARLA AND JOHN BYRNES IN WEST HARTFORD (PICTURED TOP RIGHT).
THE CURRENT PROVISIONAL CLASS IS SEEN OUT AND ABOUT AT THE CLOTHES HORSE (L) AND AT THE POND HOUSE CAFÉ WITH PRESIDENT JULIE KRUG (R).
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NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
US POSTAGE
PAID
WATERBURY, CT
PERMIT NO. 1522
Junior League of Hartford
993 Farmington Avenue, Suite 208
West Hartford, CT 06107
Since 1921, the Junior League has been making the Greater Hartford community a better place to live by promoting
voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving our community through the effective action and
leadership of trained volunteers. We are a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization whose purpose is exclusively educational
and charitable. The Junior League of Hartford is a member of the Association of Junior Leagues International
(AJLI).
MAKE A DONATION: JLH ANNUAL FUND
Thank you for making our work possible.
OUR MISSION
The Junior League of Hartford, Inc. is an
organization of women committed to
promoting voluntarism, developing the
potential of women, and improving communities
through the effective action and
leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose
is exclusively educational and
charitable.
Your support is critical to our continued success, and we invite you
to join us with a gift to our Annual Fund. Donations to the Annual
Fund provide unrestricted funds to the Junior League of Hartford,
Inc., which enhances our ability to provide quality community services
projects and trained volunteers who serve the needs of the
Greater Hartford community.
The Junior League of Hartford, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Your gift is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Please donate online (www.jlhartford.org/give) or by sending a
check, made payable to the Junior League of Hartford, Inc., to 993
Farmington Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06117), with the notation
"Annual Fund donation."
If you have questions about donations to the Junior League of Hartford,
please contact us at info@jlhartford.org.