Causeway JUNIOR LEAGUE OF ST PETERSBURG 2020 2021 Quarter 3
IN THIS ISSUE President s Perspective EVP Report MISSION The Junior League of St Petersburg is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism developing the potential of women and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable VISION Training women to transform our community 90th Anniversary Update Membership Sustainers Community The Junior League of St Petersburg Inc has been a driving force in St Petersburg since 1931 Our community focus area is School Success and Health which includes healthcare nutrition and literacy We impact these areas through our community projects financial support and hundreds of volunteer hours in an effort to fulfill our mission of improving the community through effective action and leadership COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY The Junior League welcomes all women who value our Mission We are committed to inclusive environments of diverse individuals organizations and communities Development Annual Plan Updates Sponsors IMPACT VALUES Volunteer The vehicle in which we train and transform our members Empower Training our members to be leaders Educate Promoting our mission through community and league involvement Advocate Together with our partners support and promote those in need Serve Build better communities The Junior League of St Petersburg Headquarters 500 Dr Martin Luther King St North Ste 300 St Petersburg Florida 33705 Phone 727 895 5018 Facsimile 727 904 8605 Website www jlstpete org E mail hq jlstpete org
PRESIDENT S PERSPECTIVE 2021 is upon us and needless to say it may not have yet brought the dramatic transition out of 2020 that we were hoping for but with every new beginning comes new opportunities new opportunities to reflect to be grateful and to give back Reflect Early last spring before we had any idea how this League year would unfold Alexis and I set a big fundraising goal for the 2020 2021 League year We wanted to raise 90 000 in honor of our 90th Anniversary 30 000 for our Endowment Fund 30 000 in Annual Giving and Sponsorships and 30 000 in grants and other fundraising events and campaigns As we entered into the summer months we knew we would have to adapt on many things I wondered if we would have to reassess our big goals in the midst of the global pandemic No one would have blamed us Be Grateful I am pleased to announce that we have exceeded our goals We have raised well over 100 000 already this year We are still a hair shy of our 30 000 Endowment Fund goal but our Development Council and all of our members have blown us away with their ambition creativity and commitment to the League s fundraising efforts this year Their efforts combined with your generosity and the generosity of our community have allowed us to accomplish goals that were lofty for an ordinary year Give Back This year s extraordinary fundraising has not only allowed us to continue to secure our future through our Endowment Fund but it has also allowed our projects and programs to supplement dire immediate needs in our community We have quadrupled our goals for providing nutritious food to school aged children who are at higher risk than ever I hope these accomplishments inspire you to dig deep and answer the call to continue helping the League provide for our community There is so much to be done that it can sometimes seem insurmountable but together we can accomplish more than we can imagine Yours in service Megan L Roach
EVP REPORT THIRD QUARTER REFLECTIONS 2020 brought us stress sorrow and chaos It also brought us resilience The Association of Junior Leagues International Inc slogan is Better Together While our physical time together may have been limited the Junior League of St Petersburg embodied this statement We united to tackle everything from diversity and inclusion topics impacting our country and community fundraising in a global pandemic with record breaking unemployment and social distancing measures in place and gained understanding on how to connect with each other virtually in a Zoomfatigued world As we continue to celebrate our 90th anniversary I think about the women who founded the Junior League of St Petersburg during the Great Depression They were a driving force in improving our community for families especially children amid turmoil In this edition of The Cause Way you ll learn how our members continue to overcome obstacles to achieve tremendous results while honoring the legacy of our League I believe our founders would be proud As Megan noted the 2020 2021 League Year has been extremely successful financially Our members and sponsors have truly supported us with gifts benefiting our projects and programs Our fund development team also contributed greatly to this success securing over 23 000 in grant money by the end of 2020 These grants have played an influential role in supporting our community through the COVID 19 pandemic From the onset of COVID 19 our Community Council has worked to ensure food and educational resource security for our area At the close of 2020 our Kids in the Kitchen program reached over 12 000 food supply donations equating to over 8 000 meals This figure is four times our 2020 2021 annual plan goal The Literacy Committee utilized the remaining funds from the Pinellas County Community Foundation grant we were awarded to provide a total of over 4 000 books to local schools The Care Fair Committee went above and beyond to restock local schools with an additional 1 500 writing utensils 150 hygiene kits and over 250 headphones notebooks and more in December We continue to utilize technology to influence important decisions Our Communications Council has enabled several member surveys to be distributed via social media e blasts and our new website platform This insight has allowed us to move forward with unique diversity and inclusion trainings fundraising event verdicts and overall how our membership is doing during this time Every sponsor council committee and every level of membership has helped our League navigate 2020 and exceed so many of our goals I hope you enjoy learning the impact you made in this publication To echo Megan s synopsis there is still so much more to be done I look forward to sharing with you all we accomplish in the last quarter of our 2020 2021 League Year in the upcoming edition Happy new year Alexis E Carlon
FEATURES JLSP 90th Anniversary Shuffle Mask eurade On October 29 2020 the JLSP 90th Anniversary Evening Event Committee successfully put on an evening social to continue our celebration of the League s 90th Anniversary year The socially distanced event was held at the St Petersburg Shuffleboard Club and turned out to be a fabulous evening considering the circumstances While the certainty of the event was not clear at the start of planning with the current situation of the pandemic the Committee pulled it off in true Junior League fashion making it an event that was fun and definitely needed The attendees were welcomed with a one of a kind 90th Anniversary coozie and had the opportunity to chat with friends old and new The attendees played shuffleboard and ate delicious tacos provided by the Taco Lady food truck Our goal for the 90th Anniversary is to celebrate our history in numerous ways to show the incredible things that our past and current members have done over our tenure in the St Petersburg community We did this by first placing details of the accomplishments of the League over the last 90 years in stands around the event The second thing was doing a project for the 90 for 90 Initiative This initiative is doing a service project for 90 during our 90th Anniversary year We chose to write 90 Thank You cards for first responders in the St Petersburg community These cards were completed by our attendees and distributed to the fine men and women at the St Petersburg Police Department and the St Petersburg Fire Department They were very gracious of the thoughtful gesture by the JLSP Thank you for helping us to recognize our first responders
FEATURES JLSP 90th Anniversary Shuffle Mask eurade cont Lastly we had a fun mask decorating competition for the mask uerade We encouraged our attendees to decorate their masks since they were required anyway for social distancing purposes We had four winners who took home a gift of wine graciously donated by our Sustainer Elise Minkoff Thank you to the Committee and Chloe Firebaugh the 90th Anniversary Chair for all of your hard work putting this event together an making it a wonderful time for everyone In Service Stacy Gerardo Mask Decorating Winners 90th Anniversary Committee Chair Evening Event Sub Committee Shuffle Mask eurade Committee
FEATURES Thankful for 90 FOOD DRIVE IS A SUCCESS In honor of our 90 years of service to Pinellas County the JLSP Sustainers spearheaded by Donna Mainguth and Elise Minkoff hosted a league wide collection of nonperishable food items for two worthy grass root organizations Saving our Seniors and Day Star Life Center Many thanks to Scott and Gigi Fleming for creating the JLSP Turkey logo and Chloe Firebaugh for bringing it all together for the Thankful Drive invitation With the help of Actives JLSP Board Members Provisionals and Sustainers the contactless food drive was a complete success The initial goal of collecting 900lbs of food was surpassed and the JLSP collected 1 900lbs of food which was divided between the two agencies Additionally we had several members who provided monetary donations totaling 400 00 None of this would have been possible without the complete support of the day of volunteers Gigi Fleming Gaby Gramling Catherine Gramling Woody Gramling Lisa Johni Carl Mainguth Tommy Minkoff and Maria Rawls JLSP Thank You Yours in Volunteer Service Donna Mainguth Elise Minkoff
FEATURES History of the JLSP Back to the Future with Mailande Weems Holland Barton Originally published in League Boots September 1986 by Evelyn Manley Finklea Abbreviated and updated for the JLSP 90th Anniversary by Elise Minkoff You know it s the children I was really interested in goodness it was a terrible time there was no organization of any type here in St Petersburg to help people who were in distress noted Mailande Weems Holland Barton I arrived in Florida when it was more or less a real estate boom town Everybody was selling property you know on paper and running down here to get in on the kill but instead the Great Depression came Young people today have never lived through a depression they don t know anything about it I guess you might call us pioneers Pioneers are exactly what Mailand Holland Martha Eustis and Margaret Wallace were ninety years ago Well we just saw a tremendous need and decided that we had to do something about it that s all The Junior Service Club was formed in 1927 and later became the Junior League of St Petersburg on March 4 1931 with Mailande Holland as its first president Imagine a little tiny room in the Telephone Exchange Building 834 First Avenue North approximately where Frontier Communications is currently located one without a telephone mind you well that is where we first met Martha Eustis was Room Chairman and it was Helen Rutland s responsibility to keep the Room clean Julia Snyder s job was collecting clothes from fifty valiant members whose one thought in life was to DO something for the needy in the city Many an unsuspecting husbands lost part of his wardrobe to the Room in those early days The list of the JLSP projects and programs span nine decades from the The Milk Fund to Clothes to Kids That s the whole point of the Junior League We find unmet needs that other groups don t have the money or the foresight to attempt and we do it until it s fully functioning then turn it over to somebody else and move on We are never static That s another thing the League never goes into anything where we can t have our members participate We are a volunteer service organization we don t just give money we give of ourselves willingly You have to understand there was nothing nothing was organized and as hard as it may seem you can t turn to anything in the community that the League wasn t in on its beginning I m talking about the fundamentals of the welfare program in the city and county
FEATURES History of the JLSP Back to the Future with Mailande Weems Holland Barton cont When asked if she had any advice for future League presidents she responded No all the presidents have done such good jobs they don t need suggestions Each one brings something new and something of her personality to the office and that is what makes it so interesting I am sure that will continue Mailande wrote the following in League Boots January February 1991 Well I have seen our area go from deep depression to high prosperity I ve witnessed the importance of members working hard in community service I ve watched many new friends being trained to have the judgment knowledge and wherewithal to make a difference and be able financially to provide services that fill in the gaps evident in our community I m proud of the League today I am most grateful however for the many friends and fond memories too numerous to mention as a result of my affiliation with the Junior League Bedtime Bundles Collection Drive HOSTED BY THE JLSP SUSTAINERS MARCH 13 2021 10 00 AM 2 00 PM PARKING LOT DROP OFF AT 500 DR MLK JR STREET N Tales have been told for many a year How Bundles was an event so near and dear Rhymes were spun and the invitations were done So everybody could join in on the fun It s time again for you to go shopping for items And help us help kids through Guardian ad Litem In honor of our 90th Anniversary please consider donating to a League wide drive for Guardian ad Litem No need to get out of your car visit the JLSP parking lot and we will remove the donations from your vehicle Our goal is to donate 90 bundles of pajamas and toiletries to Guardian ad Litem for children who have experienced abuse abandonment and neglect
90TH ANNIVERSARY VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION MARY EVERTZ The 90th Anniversary Volunteer Recognition Committee honors the late Mary Evertz for her legacy of extraordinary volunteer service and dedication to the Junior League of St Petersburg and our community Mary resided in St Petersburg for most of her life A passionate volunteer Mary was committed to giving back to her community She had a great venue to share her experience and knowledge with others through her position as a reporter and columnist with the St Petersburg Times for 47 years Following her retirement and in addition to her membership in the Junior League of St Petersburg her community activities included service on the boards of the YMCA of Greater St Petersburg and the West Central Council of the Boy Scouts of America She chaired the 90th anniversary of the St Petersburg Bar Association served with the Margaret Acheson Stuart Society of the Museum of Fine Arts in St Petersburg was a member of Town and Gown supporting the University of South Florida St Petersburg Campus and a member of the Florida Blood Services Foundation She volunteered with the Boy Scouts of America Greater Tampa Bay Area Council helping to launch its Distinguished Citizens Award program Mary received many honors and awards in recognition of her generous commitment of time support and inspiration to these organizations The Junior League of St Petersburg awarded Mary the Virginia Lazzara Outstanding Sustainer Award for the 1999 2000 League year Mary Gardiner Evertz passed away December 5 2020 We thank her for her dedication leadership inspiration and support of our value statement Volunteers who empower educate advocate and serve our community
90TH ANNIVERSARY VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION The 90th Anniversary Volunteer Recognition Committee has been honoring and celebrating the JLSP s 90 years of volunteer service in our community with 90for90Challenge Members are well on their way committed to 90 hours of volunteer service during the 2020 2021 League year This challenge acknowledges the legacy of service the Junior League of St Petersburg has provided to our community Volunteer recognition acknowledges accomplishments reinforces efforts and shows appreciation For 90 years we have volunteered serving to meet the needs of our community We will be highlighting some of our outstanding volunteers who have helped build our legacy of volunteerism in our League and the community These women will be featured through social media interviews on our website and the Causeway Please continue your commitment to the 90for90Challenge and share what being a volunteer means to you Send your thoughts or a favorite quote about volunteerism to share with the League to Donna Mainguth dmdavanzo hotmail com IT S OFFICIAL Mayor Rick Kriseman has officially declared March 4th as Junior League of St Petersburg Day Thank you to our 90th Anniversary AdHoc and Public Affairs Committee for helping make this a reality Megan Roach Mayor Rick Kriseman Jackie Vanderbleek Alicia McShea Lauren Feaster and Veronica Hickey
MEMBERSHIP MEMBERSHIP PRODUCTION The production committee started the league year planning virtual GMMs and adapted to planning both virtual and in person options for GMMs Both options allow for active member engagement through participating in member engagement breakout sessions In October the production committee planned the first zip code meeting for JLSP It was a different format compared to previous GMMs A group of members hosted small groups based on zip code with the option to attend virtually and participated in the GMM content together The zip code meeting was so successful that another is possibly in the works for the end of this league year DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION The Diversity and Inclusion Ad Hoc did a little restructuring at our last committee meeting As a committee we decided to re group and re structure the committee to have the most effective and lasting impact on our members both inside of our committee and outside of it The committee decided that instead of the previous three focus areas that the most important for the time being are recruitment and training The committee then divided into the two task forces and discussed next steps for the League in these areas Earlier in the fall the Board of Directors tasked the committee to write a Diversity and Inclusion section to be added to our strategic plan After a couple months of discussion the Board of Directors voted on and included an entirely new section to the League s strategic plan Diversity Equity Inclusion The Diversity and Inclusion Ad Hoc continues to provide training to our Board of Directors Management Team Councils and Committees We owe the committee chair Kelsey Nolan and the rest of the committee a huge thank you for their continued commitment to diversity and inclusion and to moving our League forward
GOVERNING DOCS The Governing Docs Ad Hoc had a busy 2nd quarter as they read through all of our Bylaws and Policies and together made some changes to each that they deemed necessary The Ad Hoc bought their suggested changes to the Board of Directors in November where they were voted on by the BOD There are some Bylaws and a few Policy changes that were voted on and approved by membership at the February GMM Changes to the Bylaws to make note of 1 Two of the three Directors at Large positions on the current BOD are being proposed to change to two more permanent board positions One is the Community Advisory Board CAB Director position and the second is the Diversity and Inclusion Chair 2 Emergency Bylaws were officially added to the Bylaws The committee simply took the emergency bylaws that were put into effect in 2020 and gave them a permanent spot in the Bylaws The reason being the BOD would not have to draw up and vote on new emergency Bylaws in the case of another state of emergency 3 Proposed changes to the Nominating section from the Nominating Committee there was some verbiage added to clarify the duties of the Nominating Committee Proposed changes to the Bylaws from the Governing Docs Ad Hoc include adding a checkpoint before any AJLI or non League awards are given the addition of persons to be made aware of award recipients beforehand and the BOD to be made aware of Slate immediately Changes to the Policies to make note of 1 In the membership section the Ad Hoc changed the seven active years before you can become a sustaining member to include New Member Provisional year 2 In the Membership requirements section section V Changes to allow Management Team to determine where funds may be applied from unallocated financial obligations 3 Changes funds not allocated from financial obligations to transfer to Annual Giving 4 Changes financial installment plan options to offer a more inclusive payment plan for our Members 5 Removes the breakdown of the current payment plan If you have any questions please email President Elect Lauren Feaster at presidentelect jlstpete org Thank you to the Governing Docs Ad Hoc members who worked many hours to get these changes made The committee consisted of Director at large Morgan Reid Executive Vice President elect Alicia McShea Public Affairs Chair elect Veronica Hickey and President elect Lauren Feaster
MAYORAL BALL Calling all members We have a NEW Ad Hoc in town and we would love for you to help serve on it The Junior League is planning on hosting the 2022 Inaugural Mayoral Ball The Mayoral Ball Ad Hoc is going to be co chaired by Sustainer Donna Manguith and Active Morgan Reid What is the Mayoral Ball and why should I serve on it The Junior League of St Petersburg has now hosted three Inaugural Mayoral Balls to honor the newly elected Mayor of St Petersburg The last ball that we hosted was in 2014 and was co chaired by past presidents Chloe Firebaugh and Carol Russell In 2018 the League opted to not host the Mayoral Ball due to a reorganization of our internal structure The Board of Directors at the time felt that it was too big of a task for the League to take on while we simultaneously rolled out our new infrastructure and introduced for the first time our Board of Directors and Management Team split After taking a brief hiatus we are ready more than ever to bring the Mayoral Ball back to St Petersburg and celebrate our wonderful city and our newly elected Mayor in 2022 The last Mayoral Ball was held at the Mahaffey Theatre in 2014 and was attended by more than 400 people who enjoyed a cocktail reception and dinner The Wizard of Oz themed event demonstrated to the sold out crowd that there is no place like St Petersburg An additional 125 guests joined the On The Green events which included spectacular fireworks declarations from the City and the Mayor a dessert bar and dancing in Club Oz More than 38 000 was raised from the event that was split evenly between the Junior League of St Petersburg and St Pete s Promise The League has such a unique opportunity to host this event and celebrate our wonderful city We hope that you will consider joining this committee It is going to be a FUN committee to serve on and will undoubtedly run like a well oiled machine with Morgan and Donna at the helm This Ad Hoc is going to actually cross over two League years because the event will take place January 2022 so please take that into consideration while making your decision about joining The committee will begin meeting in the next month or so and will have their final wrap up meeting in February 2022 If you have any questions or would like to serve on the committee please contact President Elect Lauren Feaster at presidentelect jlstpete org or 863 640 1172
PROVISIONAL CLASS IN PHOTO FROM LEFT TO RIGHT MEGAN ROACH SARAH LEE TIRRAH BONDS SWITZER MARISA SCHULDINGER REBECCA RAJ SWOFFORD NIKKI TROJANOWSKI HAILEY BEAUCHESNE ALLISON WEST ALEX LANDRY MISSED THE PICTURE HALEY CISNEROS MICHELLE REYNOLDS SARAH TERRY JANE HARRIS By Marisa Schuldinger In December the Provisionals attended a socially distanced holiday gift card drive at 3Daughters Brewing and raised almost 200 Aside from their monthly trainings the provisional members have been hard at work planning their group projects supporting new community partners such as with Kind Mouse the Central Station Barbershop and the Pinellas School District We are excited for them to present such projects at an upcoming GMM New Member Application opens in March Do you know any ladies who would be interested in joining the League If so feel free to invite them to email provisional jlstpete org for an invitation to an upcomingrecruitment social
SUSTAINERS TIMELESS REFLECTIONS By Elise Minkoff I have had the distinct honor of working on the historical aspects of the JLSP s 90th Anniversary I have poured through old scrapbooks photos directories editions of League Boots CauseWay and Past Presidents Annual Reports Recently I ran across a community perspective in a January February 1991 League Boots titled Reflections on the Junior League s Community Contributions by then St Petersburg Mayor Robert Ulrich The article seemed particularly relevant and timeless given the photo of Mayor and Barbara at the League s recent food drive In an excerpt from that article he writes the following Volunteers come in all shapes sizes colors and creed I ve seen them and they re all beautiful What makes them so Let me tell you Mayor Ulrich and Barbara Ulrich When you go right to the heart of a great community its people are at the core And the best cores are the ones with volunteers We joined the Junior League in the early 1960 s I say we because any Junior League spouse will tell you he s involved Whether it is babysitting ferrying quota to the Thrift Shop doing something mundane for laughs at Follies or writing an article for Boots That kind of involvement did it for me I was hooked I saw Barbara and friends spending untold hours doing myriads of chores with their no too discretionary time all in the name of voluntarism The unpleasantness of the job was no deterrent just another challenge to can do volunteers All right all right so they involve their husbands and they perform a flock of community based tasks but what makes them beautiful It s what makes all volunteers beautiful giving of time and talent to a task from which the only perceived reward is the warm feeling in your heart I ve seen it and seen it and with its differences there is always the sameness beautiful people reaching out to a cause organizing educating recruiting implementing accomplishing just doing it And the League takes its rightful place up front Today Leaguers have broaden the scope of who they recruit to help them on League projects Often times we recruit friends Leaguers and otherwise children parents grandparents and other people who are significant in our lives To all those unsung volunteers that we have recruited on behalf of the League and who have helped us along our 90 year journey thank you
HONORING JLSP ANNIVERSARIES 25TH 40TH 50TH For the past decades the JLSP has been front and center in celebrating its anniversaries Each celebration has been themed differently with the same basic underpinnings of honoring our community involvement and volunteerism The records of some years have been more robust than others but this article offers a small sampling of those celebrations Above Charter Members during Mary Wyatt Allen s Year as Chair The 25th Anniversary was celebrated in 1956 and the theme of a Silver Anniversary was used by the Charity Ball Committee Ways and Means Co Chairs Nell Curd and Fran Futch promised a very swish occasion and a royal turnout is expected to salute our charter members Over 11 000 was raised for the League s community activities Above JLSP Members during Mary Wyatt Allen s Year as Chair
HONORING JLSP ANNIVERSARIES 25TH 40TH 50TH In 1971 Mary Wyatt Allen chaired the 40th Anniversary where the League s Charter Members were honored and the theme was A Look At Tomorrow A two day event was held at the downtown Hilton Champagne Preview invitations were extended to the media agency representatives and civic leaders The preview was followed by a Fortieth Anniversary Banquet with a 7 50 per person ticket price The following day there was a showing of the League s Billboard Projects
HONORING JLSP ANNIVERSARIES 25TH 40TH 50TH A 50th Anniversary Celebration was wrapped around a production of the Follies entitled An Affair to Remember on November 5th and 6th in 1981 After a 19 year hiatus Follies was revitalized and chaired by Margaret Bowman raising over 35 000
STAR AMONG STARS By Lauren Feaster This year the executive team comprised of Megan Roach Alexis Carlon Lauren Feaster and Alicia McShea decided to start a new tradition Each month we will be recognizing a woman in our league that has stood out that month or has shown her leadership brightly We have named this the Star Among Stars award Of course every member of our league is a stars but these women deserve a little extra recognition and love from our members October recipient Halle Machitar October s Star among Stars award goes to a woman who really went above and beyond this year to make the Little Black Dress Initiative successful even in the middle of a pandemic This year she and her committee came up with new verbiage and statistics for our daily LBDI message which were all so well written and powerful She also formatted each message for Facebook Instagram and Instagram s stories They made being able to post our message on each platform so easy and simple to manage Our members loved being able to post a slide along with their selfies so that people were able to see more than just a picture each day This year the LBDI committee raised OVER their goal with even less champions than they had originally hoped would participate This is a huge accomplishment Which is why we are honored to give October s Star among Stars award to Halle Machitar Congratulations Halle Halle Machitar Lexie Stolen December recipient Lexie Stolen December s Star among Stars award goes to Lexie Stolen Lexie has been the backbone of the Kids in the Kitchen snack pack project since the transition to this League year She s dependable creative and thoughtful She s responsible for placing all inventory orders and running deliveries for finished snack packs every round That s a lot of work and she does it without batting an eye Lexie goes above and beyond to make sure everything is timely organized and the best it can be She always strives to improve processes and considers enhanced ways of getting things done efficiently and effectively Lexie also secured our first snack pack sponsor in September and organized everything from inventory to packing and delivering the snacks with the organization that sponsored the project She also single handedly managed and piloted a breakfast program in August for the boys and girls club The program provided over 400 meals to kids who don t necessarily have access to a breakfast option during the summer We couldn t be successful without Lexie and we are so grateful for her hard work commitment and thoughtful solutions Thank you so much Lexie for all you do We are so thankful for each and every one of our Star Among Stars and for the hard work they continually put into our league to ensure its success It s because of members like them and members like you that we are able to serve our community in a meaningful way As a side note if you have a committee member that has been a STAR please send your nominations to Alexis Carlon evp jlstpete org
DECEMBER CLUSTERS The Programming Committee got such a great response from the August Clusters that we decided to take a twist on the annual Boutiques and Bubbles that occur in December We hosted December Holiday Clusters The events were spaced out over the entire month of December League members family and friends were able to enjoy a morning of private instore shopping at Tory Burch at the International Plaza or shop online from the comfort of their own home Marion s on 4th Street Shoreline Sugars Misred Outfitters and Plain Jane also participated in the Holiday Cluster and helped our members check a few items off of their holiday shopping list Bacchus hosted a delicious wine tasting with charcuterie board pairing that was a hit Chipotle offered burritos and bowls for dinein and takeout to take care of mid week dinner We also had Kahwa Coffee participate for a morning or mid day pick me up All of these vendors graciously provided a giveback to the League By Marisa Mallon Norris President Elect Lauren Feaster with her mom at Tory Burch Taylor Cox Summer Baker Brittany Greco and Emily Lafortune
NEW OFFICE MANAGER By Alicia McShea EVPE The JLSP is excited to announce our new Office Manager Jacqueline Eden Jacqueline will begin February 1st Jacqueline Eden moved to St Petersburg in April 2020 Originally from Long Island N Y Jacqueline relocated to the Tampa Bay area in 1991 Jacqueline s professional experience includes working as a legal assistant criminal investigator account coordinator and teacher In 2005 she began working as an instructional assistant with Pasco County Schools Her focus working with students struggling to read One of her greatest accomplishments was creating and implementing a reading program at a top summer camp here in Pinellas County It brings joy and is very rewarding to help children overcome challenges and become successful Every child s achievement is important They are our future When Jacqueline and her husband Walter were looking for their first house they fell in love with St Petersburg the historical architecture and the small town feel of the city In her spare time she enjoys reading camping traveling up to the mountains painting and spending time with her family and fur babies I am excited for the opportunity to meet and get to know everyone in the organization I love that the work the JLSP does positively impacts the residents of this city that is so powerful I look forward to helping to make a difference in our community together Jacqueline Eden
COMMUNITY COUNCIL LITERACY COMMITTEE By Alysse Griffin Chair The Junior League of St Petersburg is committed to promoting literacy and early reading readiness among our youngest readers in St Petersburg This year we have been able to provide young readers with reading materials to use at home and school The Literacy committee was able to partner with a new organization based in Saint Petersburg called Barbershop Book Club This organization partners with local barbershops providing books for kids to read while getting their haircut Not only do they get their hair cut they get to take home a new book Altogether we have been able to donate 734 books for all school aged children Our committee is looking forward to many more opportunities to bring literacy and the love of reading to the youngest members of our community You can find magic wherever you look Sit back and relax All you need is a book Dr Seuss COMMUNITY OUTREACH Amaya Payne Jacqueline Vanderbleek GOTR Board member and Alyssa Doring
COMMUNITY COUNCIL COMMUNITY OUTREACH By Katie Ragsdale Co Chair The Community Outreach committee has been working diligently to secure volunteer opportunities that are both safe and fulfilling to League members On December 5th Girls On The Run GOTR hosted a Gallery Walk showcasing the amazing arts crafts created by GOTR participants Our volunteers helped cheer on the girls and direct participants throughout the exhibit After the event we received amazing feedback from Laura Moore Executive Director of Girls On The Run I want to send you the BIGGEST THANK YOU for those volunteers THEY WERE THE BEST They were super fun arrived and time and worked so hard the whole time I really can t say enough good things about them We did not have a ton of extra volunteers like we normally do and we couldn t have pulled it off without the JL crew so awesome Thank you to our volunteers who represented JLSP so well At the January Community Council meeting three motions were approved to move forward to the Management Team First Community Outreach was able to establish two volunteer dates with The Kind Mouse the first on January 16th and the second on February 27th Volunteers will sort and pack food that is ultimately distributed to members of our community The second motion involves Starting Right Now SRN SRN works with homeless youth to help break the cycle of generational poverty We have heard the organization discuss the incredible mentorship opportunities with our League members however we would like to start a long term partnership with them and provide options that do not require a long term commitment They currently have 30 empty wooden garden boxes overgrown with weeds Our hope is to assist RSN with weeding the boxes and planting new fruits and vegetables alongside the youth who are involved with this important program The third motion was approved by the Community Council slating new weekday volunteer opportunities with Clothes To Kids CTK Clothes To Kids has been a crowd favorite among JLSP members Unfortunately the organization is not currently allowing regularly scheduled Saturday shopping days due to the pandemic However they are still operating and need our members help sorting and tagging clothes Shifts will be posted shortly so please keep an eye out for opportunities Community Outreach sincerely appreciates everyone s patience as we work through the many challenges the pandemic has brought all of us We are dedicated to finding volunteer opportunities for our members that are safe for everyone involved If you have any organizations in mind you believe we should reach out to and that fit within our IBCIs please let us know
COMMUNITY COUNCIL PUBLIC AFFAIRS By Whitney Green The Public Affairs Committee is looking forward to the 2021 Florida legislative session which is scheduled to convene on March 2 2021 Historically we have had the honor of travelling to Tallahassee to meet with our elected officials and advocate for legislation and policies of interest to our League and community It is unclear at this time whether we will be able to travel in person this year due to the pandemic However the committee looks forward to keeping members informed about proposed legislation impacting our League s priorities and making sure that our elected officials hear our voices even if we cannot meet with them in person in Tallahassee We also continue to celebrate the centennial passage of the 19th Amendment for the remainder of the League year by highlighting minority women who fought for suffrage and voting rights As our country prepares to inaugurate its first Black Asian female vice president it is more important than ever to recognize these hidden figures many of whom did not live long enough to fully realize the fruits of their labor
COMMUNITY COUNCIL KIDS IN THE KITCHEN By Kelsey Nolan Kids in the Kitchen Chair Kids in the Kitchen like many other committees continues to be creative with how to serve our community following COVID parameters We certainly miss our in person nutrition activities but have found ourselves very engaged with new ways of serving These opportunities wouldn t be possible without the help and collaboration of other committees fundraising and donations Over the past quarter we hosted a COVID compliant Halloween party where the only thing that was spooky was some of the pumpkin designs we received pictures of Our committee worked hard to ensure that the Boys and Girls Club of Pinellas Park and Royal Theater had a festive but healthy snack decorations pumpkins for carving and decorating and very cool crafting activities that were individually created by the Kids Create committee The kiddos had a blast and some of the pictures can be viewed via the Boys and Girls club Facebook page Planning for the post COVID world sounds like a dream While we have enjoyed the opportunity to provide monthly snack packs we are also working on planning for other programming for years to come This summer Kids in the Kitchen committee member Lexie Stolen led a week long Breakfast program for the Boys and Girls club She coordinated the supplies and ensured there were a multitude of options to accommodate the different preferences or tastes of each member and possible allergies Each meal was distributed safely and individually an example of this would be that a pouch of milk or juice was provided to each child instead of purchasing gallon containers for groups of kids to share We are hoping to expand on Lexie s experience and project planning to provide a summer breakfast option to kids consistently in the future As we reflect on the last eight months of the league year we re grateful for the continued opportunity to serve the Boys and Girls Club of Suncoast through the snack pack program This effort wouldn t be possible without those who donated monetarily and through food donations our hard working volunteers and the incredible Fund Development Team The Fund Development Committee worked really hard to secure two grants for the project Kids in the Kitchen was recently awarded a grant from Wawa and another from the CARES Act With the combination of these two grants we have secured over 10 000 in funding and this has enabled us to be able to continue the snack pack project for the remainder of the League Year The project commenced in March of 2020 when it became clear the impacts of COVID were making food resources even harder for members of our community to access When the project began we were able to provide 360 packs every other week to the clubs Typically there are about 360 kids that attend the Boys and Girls Clubs of Suncoast Due to COVID restrictions not all of the members are able to attend the clubs programming However they are still able to access resources provided such as the snack packs The 360 packs that are given contain 8 different shelf stable snacks and are distributed right before the weekend so kids have food resources to help them when they re away from school meals Since school started at the end of August we ve scaled the project back from every other week to once a month With the support that we ve received we will be able to continue this throughout the remainder of the League year To Date we have donated 5 305 packs to the Boys and Girls club of Suncoast since the commencement of the project March 2020 The next round of snack packs will be distributed January 21 2021 If you are interested in being involved please feel free to reach out to us directly at kitk jlstpete org We want to thank everyone who has supported this project in any way as it would not be possible without you
CARE FAIR By Kristen Lefkimiotis Care Fair Co Chair Gauri Sunkersett Kristen Lefkimiotis and Tim from Expert Messenger The Care Fair Crew kicked 2021 off the only way we know how by giving back to our community Through generous donations we were able to serve one of our favorite partners once again Woodlawn Elementary The community council has worked closely with Woodlawn over the years by hosting events like the Back to School Bash and also by delivering backpacks filled with supplies to individual classrooms there While it saddens us to not be able to interact with the kids in person these supply donations have been the next best thing It truly warms our hearts knowing that the kids are still getting these much needed items especially when times are so tough for so many right now With the help of Expert Messenger we delivered a variety of school supplies that included paper composition books folders glue sticks crayons pens pencils headphones hygiene kits and hand sanitizers We even scored a few extra stuffed backpacks for them winning The staff at Woodlawn was blown away and beyond grateful While they knew supplies were coming they definitely did not expect two pallets of supplies to show up at their door They themselves looked like kids on Christmas Day A huge thank you to everyone who has supported us this year in our effort to make sure the children in our community are taken care of We are forever grateful for your generosity and dedication A VERY special 90 thank you goes out to Halle Machitar for donating an additional 64 headphone sets The teachers expressed how incredibly useful they are in the classroom and they are beyond excited to have them
SUFFRAGETTES SERIES By Whitney Green Public Affairs Chair CELEBRATING SUFFRAGE The Public Affairs Committee and the Diversity and Inclusion Ad Hoc continues to celebrate the centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment via its Suffragette Series which highlights a few of the many women from marginalized communities who championed the cause of suffrage and fought long after the Amendment s passage to secure its promise for all women While the Junior League of St Petersburg does not endorse political candidates we heartily encourage all members to honor the legacies of these brave women by exercising your right to vote Make sure you have a plan for your voice to be heard Voting information including ballot drop off locations registration status and polling locations can be found at the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections website at https www votepinellas com FEATURED ARTICLES Nannie Helen Burroughs Fannie Lou Hamer Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
Nannie Helen Burroughs By Melissa Zepeda Nannie Helen Burroughs devoted her life to educating Women of Color and fighting for women s right to vote Despite her academic achievements in graduating school with honors Burroughs was turned down for all school teaching positions because of her skin color Undeterred by setbacks Burroughs decided to open her own school to educate and train poor working African American women Burrough s strategy was If you can t find a job make one Relying mostly on small donations from the Black community Burroughs managed to raise enough money to open the National Training School for Women and Girls In addition to being a fierce advocate for education she wrote about the need for black and white women to work together to achieve the right to vote The ballot wisely used will bring to her the respect and protection that a woman needs
Fannie Lou Hamer By Jackie Vanderbleek Fannie Lou Hamer was a civil rights activist whose life s work exemplified resistance to oppression She was born the youngest of 20 children on October 6 1917 in Mississippi Hamer s activism was spurred by attending civil rights conferences in the 1950s where she encountered prominent movement leaders and began to focus on voting Due to Jim Crow era laws meant to disenfranchise Black voters Hamer herself was only able to register after taking a literacy test three times and paying a poll tax In 1963 she was arrested with fellow activists and beaten by law enforcement officers She suffered long term physical and psychological damage but continued to fight to enfranchise Black voters In 1964 President Lyndon Johnson gave an emergency press conference to block Hamer s speech at the Democratic National Convention from airing on t v Hamer s speech was later aired across the country and in stirring testimony she described the oppressive conditions she and other Black Mississippians faced on a daily basis and urged recognition of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party to encourage Blacks to register to vote Her campaign led to significant reform in the way delegates are selected Hamer unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 1964 but continued her advocacy in Mississippi Hamer was a trailblazer in history throughout her life as an activist and was a crucial advocate for the rights for Black voters Frances Ellen Watkins Harper By Nicole Randazzo Frances Ellen Watkins Harper a poet author and lecturer was born on September 24 1825 in Baltimore Maryland She was raised by her aunt and uncle who was an outspoken abolitionist and activist From a young age she had a love for books and had written her first volume of poetry by the age of 21 By 26 she had become the first female instructor at Union Seminary Not long after Maryland passed a law that banned free African Americans from entering the state preventing her from returning home She moved to Philadelphia and began writing poetry for anti slavery newspapers In 1859 her short story The Two Offers became the first short story published by an African American woman For over 8 years Ms Harper traveled throughout the US and Canada lecturing on behalf of Anti Slavery societies In 1866 she spoke at the National Woman s Rights Convention in New York where she gave her famous speech entitled We Are All Bound Up Together in which she highlighted the double burdens of racism and sexism that Black women faced and urged attendees to include African American women in their fight for suffrage Ms Harper was also a co founder and vice president of the National Association of Colored Women s Clubs helped found the American Woman Suffrage Association directed the American Association of Colored Youth and was superintendent of the Colored Sections of the Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Women s Christian Temperance Unions
DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL GRANTS APPLICATIONS By Jenna Garnatz Mid way through the 2020 2021 League year the Fund Development committee has submitted a total of 7 grant applications with another 4 applications currently in progress Earlier in the year the League was awarded the MBSK Youth Development Grant the Police Forfeiture Grant and the White Family Foundation Grant together providing nearly 12 000 of additional support to Care Fair 2021 Development VP Jenna Garnatz Most recently the League was awarded the Wawa Foundation Grant as well as the Pinellas Community CARES grant which will together provide an additional 11 000 in funding for the Kids in the Kitchen Pack a Snack expansion Funding will be used to expand the services currently provided to the Boys Girls Clubs of Pinellas by distributing donated packs to food insecure children as evening and weekend food resources during the COVID 19 pandemic The CARES grant was provided as a reimbursement for the 7 730 snack packs provided to BGC since the start of the COVID 19 pandemic plus an additional 2 500 to facilitate the distribution of 720 snacks per month through the end of 2020 The Fund Development Committee is very excited about the progress made in 2020 and hopes to receive positive news on the pending PCF Operating Grant application in the near future In addition to grant work the Fund Development Committee also partnered with the 90th Fundraising committee for the Annual Giving Campaign and Giving Tuesday Open House The Fund Development committee is currently working with several local businesses throughout the community to coordinate giveback events and looks forward to diversifying fundraising efforts throughout the second half of the league year
DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL ANNUAL GIVING By Morgan Reid The Junior League of St Petersburg officially kicked off the Annual Giving Campaign in November Each member was mailed a letter from JLSP President Megan Roach and an invitation to the First Annual Giving Tuesday Open House which was held on Tuesday December 1 at the JLSP Headquarters The Fundraising Committee is grateful for the overwhelming support of Annual Giving which has raised more than 14 000 to date Annual Giving funds the Mission of the Junior League of St Petersburg through member training and development and supporting our various community initiatives such as Kids in the Kitchen Literacy Programs and Care Fair JLSP s sustained impact in the community would not be possible without each of you and your dedicated generosity thank you ENDOWMENT By Erin Whittemore Lohmiller As we wrap up our year long Endowment Campaign as part of the 90th Anniversary DETAIL we are so close to reaching our match goal through the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay CFTB Last year we set a goal to raise 30 000 toward our Endowment which we launched on Founder s Day March 4 2020 Upon reaching our goal before March 4 2021 CFTB will match our contribution with 10 000 We are so appreciative of each and every donor who has given to the Endowment Your generosity has helped to ensure the future of our League and its impact in the community grant to be used towards 2021 Care Fai
To celebrate our 90th anniversary we ve launched our Commemorative Fund For a donation to the League members can recognize each other s personal milestones in our newsletters and Causeway Please reach out to At Large Director Morgan Reid for more information atlargedirector jlstpete org
THANK YOU 2020 2021 SPONSORS COMMUNITY LEADER COMMUNITY PARTNER COMMUNITY PATRON COMMUNITY SUPPORTERS
Annual Giving Donor Benefits Our 90th Anniversary Fundraising subcommittee has streamlined our donor benefits Online donations can be made at jlstpete org and questions emailed to fundraising jlstpete org
Junior League of St Petersburg 500 Martin Luther King Jr Street N 300 St Petersburg FL 33705 NONPROFIT ORG U S POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO 616 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED SPECIAL THANKS TO SEMINOLE AND SUNRISE LANES KATELYN AND KELSEY KRAUSS AND THE KRAUSS BASCHAB FAMILY FOUNDATION FOR UNDERWRITING THIS PRINT EDITION OF THE CAUSEWAY
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Causeway 2020-2021 Quarter 3
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