Our Members

We see you. We hear you. We are with you.

to help meet this goal included several speakers during Leadership Week and a training on micro-aggressions and biases with Chris Jones of the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub. In keeping with this commitment, there will be additional training offered throughout this League year and the years to come.

Finally, JLLR will utilize the AJLI Placement Matching Tool to help review and outline a JLLR Nominating and Placement process that is transparent and equitable for all League membership.

JLLR seeks to put our members at the forefront of our DEI efforts. We see you. We hear you. We are with you. We also need your help. Please do not hesitate to contact Vontifany Smith with any feedback regarding what steps we can take to improve diversity and inclusivity within JLLR.

We are grateful for all suggestions and recognize our shared desire to remain mission focused in all of our efforts. Through our shared efforts, we look forward to continuing the work to bring about the full potential of all of our members and our League.

Can't Stop, Won't Stop

On recruiting, welcoming, and training a New Member class during a global pandemic

by MANDY KELLER

In March 2020, when the Junior League of Little Rock New Member application went live on the website, no one could have predicted that a group of women would start their first year of

League service virtually. After an open house conducted on Zoom in May with more than 60 prospective members in attendance, applications came pouring in. At 83 members, ranging in age from 23 to 53, this is the largest and most age-diverse New Member class JLLR has had in several years.

Despite the lack of in-person gatherings due to COVID-19 safety precautions, these women gathered enthusiastically on Zoom for an orientation in June and a New Member Retreat in July. In addition to providing the typical introduction to the way JLLR works, the Admissions & New Member Training committee has also flexed its tech muscles by utilizing the Breakout Rooms in Zoom so New Members can experience the social benefits of JLLR as well.

“Joining Junior League was a no-brainer, and I had planned on it for the past year,” JLLR New Member Sydney Rasch said. “I have been involved in various nonprofits and community organizations for the past several years, and felt like JLLR was the next logical step— especially considering some of the amazing women from JLLR whom I've crossed paths with over the years! When the pandemic hit, I was even more committed to joining because I knew that the far-reaching effects of COVID-19 would change the world as we know it, and the work that JLLR does would become even more important,” Sydney said.

All who have gone through a New Member year in JLLR know there are many events and volunteer experiences. While some of those events have been postponed, the rest of the New Member experience remains undaunted. New Members have actively participated in a mask drive, helping JLLR provide 703 masks to the Office of Health Equity at the Arkansas Department of Health. They have also spread the word about and donated to the book drive through the League’s community partners Pyramid Books, Art, and Custom Framing and local chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Even with the state of the health climate unknown, ANMT has plans to complete their annual New Member Spring Project. Along with the Board of Directors, the committee will continue evaluating the possibility of an on-site project with one or more of our nonprofit community partners, while planning to support them in other ways if this cannot happen. With such a committed group of New Members and their Mentors, whatever they do will surely impact the Little Rock community for the better.