Welcoming New Members During COVID-19

Bailey Oedewaldt and Danielle Muenzfeld

The COVID-19 pandemic did not stop the Junior League of Washington (JLW) from bringing new members on board. While many of the events for new members looked different, onboarding new JLW members did not slow down. Despite the unique challenges this year, JLW welcomed 292 new members for the 2020-2021 League year. The New Member Committee (NMC) continued to foster a sense of community for these women through virtual events to ensure the newest JLW members experienced a fantastic, albeit unique, new member year.

The NMC worked hard to replicate the traditional new member year online and was able to retain the same sequencing and scope of events for the class year in a virtual format. The NMC kicked off the League year for new members with an online orientation that utilized new tools to engage members, such as Zoom and Mentimeter. By using features of these applications, including break-out rooms, word clouds, and live polling, the new members were able to connect with other women and express their feelings about joining JLW. New Member Advisor Danielle Ruckert shared that “While things started off rocky in terms of getting to know each other over Zoom and finding opportunities to engage and relate, my advisor group was very open and receptive. We found that sharing personal stories and letting each other into our lives made it easier to relate and understand each other; we also found that having your video on during calls and being fully engaged made our meetings more successful.”

The participation rate of new members in advisor groups and events throughout the League year has been very strong. The advisor groups play a key role in welcoming and integrating women to JLW. As explained by New Member Advisor Victoria Tropiano, “I think flexibility and empathy are things I try to focus on as a new member advisor this year. With everything going on right now, I want to make sure the new members I advise have the information they need to succeed while also ensuring they have options that work with their schedules. I always try to have a phone call or Zoom chat if a new member has additional questions about JLW.”

New members were placed in small advisor groups based on neighborhoods. NMC leadership organized the groups by neighborhood to allow the new members to foster networks in their local communities. Some new members have found safe ways to get together in person outside. As explained by Rising NMC Co-Chairs, Rachel Layher and Mary Lunde, there were a lot more opportunities for new members to engage this year because advisors were active in posting events and meetings they were hosting in the New Member Facebook group. The dedication and creativity of the advisors is recognized and appreciated by the new member class. New Member Julie Beltz highlighted the efforts of her new member advisor, Desiree Carey, “who has gone out of her way to organize pandemic-friendly small outdoor social activities for new members to get to know each other. Whether it was brunch at picnic tables, or a trip out to a VA winery, she went above and beyond to try to do the best she could for everyone who said they wanted to join JLW for the community and relationships, which is nearly everyone I’ve connected with. And has done so in a COVID-19 conscientious way to ensure everyone feels safe and comfortable.”

Additionally, the NMC Facebook group took on a new level of importance as a way for new members to engage with each other. According to Layher, “There really is a higher rate of new members posting in the NMC

Spring Course session helps further integrate new members into JLW

Natalie Lui Duncan and Amanda Wyant enjoy a socially-distant catch-up.

Facebook group and trying to get other new members or advisors to do something whether virtual or ‘COVID- safe’ in person. Lunde shared she “would love for that type of engagement to continue.”

New members were also able to engage with the League and the Washington, DC, area community through mini-placements on League committees and community experience (CE) opportunities. Layher and Lunde were grateful that there were enough opportunities for new members to participate in both mini-placements and community experiences despite the impact of the ongoing health crisis. According to Nora Blalock, NMC Vice Chair, Community Experiences, “We have had to switch to a lot of virtual CEs this year, many of which were done with the excellent partnership of the Done-in-a-Day Committee.” These opportunities supported a number of community organizations. One community experience was in support of People Animals Love, where volunteers and their pets (or any animal–including stuffed!) sit in a reading session with individual children who practice reading aloud to the volunteers. Through another opportunity, new members partnered with the Free Minds Book Club and listened to the creative writing and poems of teenagers charged and incarcerated as adults and provided feedback/ words of encouragement. Additional opportunities supported the Red Cross Missing Maps Project, the Library of Congress Transcribea-Thon, and Everybody Wins DC Story Time.

The 2020-2021 new member class has demonstrated their resilience and enthusiasm for creating community through the League. Ruckert is “proud of the women I got to know for keeping such positive attitudes and being flexible as we all figured out how to work best together during the pandemic” and is “really looking forward to meeting them all in person one day at a future JLW event!” As summarized by New Member Advisor Surayyah Colbert, “I am so thankful for the flexibility, positive attitude, and kind spirit of the new members that I advise. Though we have not been able to participate in activities in-person, we have been able to connect, smile, and learn about each other and the Junior League of Washington. The future looks bright!”

National Rehabilitation Hospital

COMMITTEE SPOTLIGHT

National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) is dedicated to the treatment and education of patients who have suffered strokes and traumatic brain or spinal cord injuries

Junior League of Washington (JLW) volunteers have volunteered with NRH for over 20 years, providing support and assistance to NRH patients and hospital staff

The JLW NRH Committee typically volunteers weekly and plays interactive games, such as bingo, with the patients and their families to support motor skills and provide an enjoyable escape from the normal hospital routine

Though this year looks different due to COVID-19 impacts, JLW members helped write 110 notes of encouragement to NRH patients this fall