2021 Spring Newsletter

Finally able to meet face-to-face, we enjoyed a boxed meal at Coonskin Park on May 18th

The Junior League of Charelston has so many accomplishments to celebrate this league year Even during a pandemic and an unpreceded year we truely can say we have made an impact on our community Details about some of our outstanding members are sprinkled throughout this newsletter edition

LETTER FROM OUR PRESIDENT

LESLEY SHAMBLIN

As this anything-but-ordinary League year comes to a close, I can’t help but look back on where we were a year ago and marvel at how little we understood then When I began my term as president, the restrictions that had kept us at home all spring were diminishing, businesses were reopening, and events that had been canceled were being rescheduled At that time, things were looking up for a return to normalcy by the September GMM, and I was hopeful that we’d have a fruitful year full of opportunities to positively impact the Charleston area

At least part of that prediction turned out to be true! The pandemic sparked an unprecedented need in our community, and our members - actives and sustainers alikestepped up to the plate to tackle it Our active members surpassed 500 volunteer service hours this year, exceeding our 20182019 League year total Recently, we helped Kanawha County reach more than 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines given at the Saturday clinics, and we banded together to beautify Kanawha City at the City of Charleston’s spring cleanup Generous donations from actives and sustainers allowed us to provide stocking stuffers to babies in the NICU at CAMC Women & Children’s Hospital, hygiene items to seniors through Faith in Action and the youth at Daymark, Inc ’ s centers, and baby items to the Gabriel Project and Diaper Drop Charities Our Backpack Buddies Signature Project, through funds we received from sustainers and other community members and a grant from our local Walmart store, supplied 120 bags of supplemental nutrition

each month to students at Grandview and Mary C Snow Elementary Schools And those are just the highlights!

I am so proud of everything we have been able to accomplish this year, and I am humbled and grateful for the opportunity to serve the JLC as president I can’t wait to see what the next League year has in store for us!

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Blood

RMHC dinners: 1 hr for $15 food or monetary donation.

Girl Scouts: 1 hr for $15 donation

Manna Meal: 1 hr for $15 food or monetary donation Any

OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEERS

Our league members stepped up and provided a record number of volunteer hours this year. At our May picnic, we recognized Adrienne Katsan as the active member with the most hours, and Taylor Bailey as the board member with the most hours

COVID-19 VACCINE CLINIC

A special message from Jennifer Herrald Oakley: On behalf of Kanawha County, I would like to thank all who volunteered at the large scale community vaccination clinics at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center over the first four and a half months of 2021. More than 140,000 doses of vaccine have been given to Kanawha County citizens through different clinics Let's continue to fight to end this pandemic together #endthistogether #JLbettertogether

SPRING FUNDRAISER WRAP-UP

Our spring fundraiser had members "spreading sunshine" across the community Orders were taken for decor to be set up in yards of friends and family members for 48 hours. It may not have produced a huge profit, but it did net $525 which was applied to our Ronald McDonald House Playroom commitment. Way to go ladies!

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

SUMMER RAY RYANNE BALL Membership Chair

Hometown: Saint Albans, WV

Occupation: Child Life Specialist Years in Junior League: Fall 2019 Hobbies: Love to bake and craft

Favorite JL Moment: Provisional project - went to a local nursing home and played bingo with the residents

Favorite Movie/Book: All Disney Movies! Really watch more TV shows than movies - Grey's Anatomy is my favorite!

The JLC book club will pause during the summer, but that does not mean you should not pick up a great book Keep reading and offering suggestions for book club The next book club meeting will be in August

Jennifer Herrald Oakley

You'll notice some restructuring of placements for the upcoming league year Several placements have added co-chair opportunities and eliminated committee member placements, with the exception of the Fundraising Committee which will be a group of six leaders working together to coordinate our league fundraisers In addition, we have added two new placements, Member Communications Specialist and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) Liaison

President: Taylor Bailey

President Elect: Erin Deegan Conner

Treasurer: Myranda Pike

Treasurer Elect: Emily Spradling

Executive VP: Candace Nelson

Secretary: Elizabeth Belcher

Membership Committee Co-Chairs: Ryanne Ball & Jessica Shortridge Booker

Placement Advisors: Adrienne Katsan, Jordan Martin, Ashley Miller

Provisional Development Co-Chairs: Elleyse Gemondo & Lesley Shamblin

Sustainer Development Chair: Jessica Westfall

Historian: Laura Babiak

Newsletter Editor: Meghan Capps

Member Communications Specialist: Tracy Bess

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Co-Chairs: Melinda Greathouse & Samantha Nygaard

Fundraising Committee Members: Kara Boehm, Ashleigh Campbell, Megan Kueck, Lindsay Rubenstein, Katie Robeson, and Lindsay Silbernagel

Grant Coordinator: Shannon Hill

Scholarship Reviewer: Laura Suppa Sammons

Community Committee Chair Co-Chairs: Stephanie Moran & Summer Ray

Signature Project Co-Chairs: Kayla Bays & Blair Wessels

Ronald McDonald House Board Member: Jennifer Herrald Oakley Daymark Board Member: Emily Watson

NICU Liaison: Rachel Taylor

Gabriel Project Co-Liaison: Kristen Ross & Sayde Spears