Centering Our Community: JLW’s 2022 MLK Weekend of Service

This year’s Weekend of Service brought together record volunteer participation with both new and established community partners

Katharine Shadlock

January 14-17, 2022 marked the Junior League of Washington’s (JLW) inaugural Weekend of Service. Hosted by the Done-in-a-Day Committee, the weekend included volunteer events throughout the Washington, DC, metro area in which JLW members participated to celebrate and honor Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. MLK Jr. Day is observed as “a day on, not a day off” and is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their community.

“We wanted to set up a weekend of events predicated on volunteers all going out together at the same time,” commented Aida Latorre, Chair of the Done-in-a-Day Committee. The Weekend of Service was composed of 12 events of which five were virtual and seven were in person. Across all events, League participants completed more than 288 hours of volunteering.

These service opportunities were very popular among JLW volunteers and many had waitlists. The weekend reflected the theme of JLW’s 109th League year, CENTERING OUR COMMUNITY. During this year, the League focused on

its members, strengthened relationships with existing partners, and looked toward the future as it formed new relationships with community organizations working within its new focus area. The new focus area in effect for the 2022-2023 League year is “Supporting pathways to opportunity through improved access to education, professional and financial development, and capacity building resources in our community.” Latorre was inspired by the Junior League members volunteering with Girls on the Run - DC theme of the League year and was especially motivated by the upcoming changes to the League’s Focus Area. She wanted to build a volunteer opportunity highlighting the various ways JLW can support pathways to opportunity. All JLW members were invited to participate in the volunteer opportunities. “We felt inclusivity was essential […]. The pandemic has limited opportunities for

members to get together and participate in volunteer activities […] considering capacity restrictions caused by COVID, we wanted to afford as many opportunities as possible for virtual and in person participation across all member statuses,” Latorre stated.

Events for literacy education programming, such as the Everybody Wins Book Talk, focused on early childhood reading comprehension and interpersonal communication. The Book Talk event was geared toward second grade through fifth grade children, encouraging group discussion of favorite books and allowing one-on-one chat with a published author, Lauren Poteat.

“As an avid reader and former educator who loves to learn, I am always so humbled and happy whenever I see any child engaged with good books, and to be able to participate,” Poteat commented. “I feel that these are the moments that [Dr. King] dreamed of, a moment where the young and the old, the rich and the poor, no matter race, creed or color, could get together and hang out for an hour, over some really good books. I never cease to be amazed by all of the wonderful events and volunteer opportunities that JLW works so hard to provide for the community and its members,” added Poteat.

JLW’s furry friends also volunteered! Stephanie Driscoll and her dog volunteered with PeopleAnimalsLove (PAL). For the event, children were able to read to pets. For Driscoll, “It was so rewarding to see the children reading aloud confidently, and they were so excited to ask questions about my dog. There’s that old saying – today a reader, tomorrow a leader – and that is how I see those children with PAL. I love that PAL gives children that safe space to read aloud without being corrected or interrupted, and my dog loves the extra attention, even virtually.”

Additionally, JLW supported organizations, which included Martha’s Table, Capital Area Food Bank, Girls on the Run - DC, Free Minds Book Club, and the American Red Cross. For Whitney M. Faison of Martha’s Table, “The annual MLK Day of Service exemplifies Martha’s Table’s commitment to working alongside and within the community in partnership with like-minded organizations like JLW.” For Girls on the Run - DC, JLW members helped the nonprofit assess its inventory to see what supplies the organization needed after its previous season and helped the organization be prepared for its upcoming spring season. As expressed by Alex Peffer, Program and Outreach Coordinator, Girls on the Run - DC, “It may not be the most exciting work but it does make such a difference for us because the amount of volunteers provided more than doubled our total staff, so we could do all of this in a timely manner and knowing what we had allows us to save money on ordering supplies, meaning there is more money available for things like scholarships for participants. The volunteers brought a positive energy on a Saturday morning and seemed so excited to have an opportunity to serve the community!”

JLW members too enjoyed the opportunity to engage with the community. “This was a great opportunity to spread the impact of JLW volunteers worldwide and contribute to an important effort. Coming together in this virtual way for a collective weekend of service was truly a representation of our mission of promoting volunteerism and improving communities,” shared Emily Jordan, a JLW Board member and volunteer for the Missing Maps partnership event between JLW and the American Red Cross. JLW came together, “Centering Our Community,” as the League continues, virtually and in person, to support our community partners. •

Junior League Volunteer, Syreeta Mollet, painting with Martha’s Table