The Blaze 2019-2020 Edition

The Blaze 813

The Junior League of Lynchburg

Volunteer hours Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce Making a difference from the inside out

Changing our Community... one roundtable at a time Volume 2019

Women Building Better Communities 1

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2 Junior League of Lynchburg

Contact Information

Blaze Staff Coordinator: Meghan Moss

(434) 846-6641 The Junior League of Lynchburg 1113 Church St. Lynchburg,VA 24504

Editors and Graphic Designers: Meghan Moss and Caitlin Tester Contributors: Tiffany Boydoh, Maegan Fallen, Geralyn Gulino, Kara Martin, Bridgett Morrison, Megan Sunwall, Caitlin Tester, Jessica Watts

Contents 4...............President’s Circle 8...............All Aboard 9...............The Little Black Dress Initiative 10.............Diversity and Inclusion 11.............Community Impact 12.............Honor Roll of Donors 13.............Board of Directors 14.............2018-2019 Provisional Class 15.............Training Opportunities 19.............Community Partnerships

Our Mission

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he Junior League of Lynchburg is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving the community through the action of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively education and charitable.

Women Building Better Communities 3

President’s Circle Jessica Watts, President

As I reflect upon my time as President of the Junior League of Lynchburg, it has been a true honor to be a part of such a strong, passionate group of women leaders - we are a force! I am so proud of all that you accomplished in 2018-2019.

At the start of the year, one of my main goals was to increase leadership training and skill-building activities for membership. I encourage you all to read more about these training opportunities on page 13. Developing the potential women as effectively trained leaders is one of three components of the Junior League of Lynchburg Mission. When we collectively come together, we are empowered to achieve lasting community impact.

We have undergone many changes this past year in how our League is governed and managed internally. More change is to come as we now focus on improving member engagement and experience, as well as making a commitment to Diversity & Inclusion, over the next few years. I have been impressed with everyone’s resiliency and enthusiasm to see change during these transitionary times.

If there is a lesson that has remained with me, it is the importance of collaboration, both within the League and with our community partners.

Everyone brings different skills and perspectives, and how those are brought together in a concerted effort defines an organization and its successes.

Thank you to everyone -- our members, community partners, and sponsors -- who continue to support the Junior League of Lynchburg and our efforts.

I offer my humblest thanks for the 2018-2019 JLL Board of Directors. I am so appreciative to have had Past-Presidents, board members and JLL leaders who were selflessly willing to give a hand or offer words of wisdom. Going forward, I encourage all members, Active and Sustainers, to remember the foundation that the League has given you in leadership, community action, and fellowship. I am excited to see we can accomplish together next year and the years to come!

Kara Martin, President–Elect I’m honored to be selected as the 2019-2020 President of the Junior League of Lynchburg (JLL). I arrived in Lynchburg, following my residency in 2010, and knew only my new coworkers. The JLL not only afforded a means to find lasting friendships but also allowed me to feel more integrated in the Lynchburg community. I have a family of educators/administrators and healthcare professionals, and leadership and service have been important parts of my life. Prior to becoming a clinical audiologist, I served as a volunteer coordinator for AmeriCorps, and that ignited my interest in training other volunteers. However, the closest Junior Leagues to my hometown of Kingwood, WV are about 100 miles away, and this organization was foreign to me until I was invited to an Open House in 2012. The Members of the JLL made me feel welcome in a place where I initially felt that I didn’t belong. I hope that we can continue extending our

4 Junior League of Lynchburg

hands out to those who are searching for a safe place to land amongst new friends.

With that said, I am excited to announce that we will have a Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Committee this year who will guide all aspects of our League.

Our monthly general membership meetings (GMMs) will take on a little different format. Meetings will include cultural competency training to help us grow together and keep our doors wide open to differences that might fuel our creativity. In addition, GMMs will be preceded with time for fellowship and welcoming activities, begin with recitation of our Mission and a short business meeting portion, include training or speakers, and will conclude with time for Councils to meet.

Our theme for the year is, “Igniting and Fueling the Fire” for service and leadership. As we continue to evolve as an organization, it remains essential to find new ways to recruit Provisional Members and involve and satisfy our existing Active/Sustainer Membership. We will continue interviewing our Members to inform placements and leadership trajectories, as well as to glean the training needed to help our Members make the biggest impact within the organization and for the community at large. Our Membership communicated a need for greater flexibility in ways to contribute to the League’s Mission, and we will be enacting a new system to help all interested women feel fulfilled by the volunteer opportunities, leadership training, and friendships that the JLL has to offer. With a resolute commitment to training, the JLL relies on the support of Sustainer Members and the community to continue to train women leaders. Our new Sustainer Director, Beth Kent, will be coordinating events for Sustainers throughout the year.

In January, the JLL hosted Community Roundtables that convened over 50 area nonprofits, City officials, and representatives from City schools in order to identify the greatest needs in Lynchburg. Recurrent themes of extensive effects of trauma, financial disempowerment of women, lack of appropriate/ affordable childcare, and the need for greater collaboration amongst existing helping agencies all emerged. This year, the Focus Area Committee will be developing the framework for a large scale service project to address the impact of generational and systemic trauma. In addition, the Little Black Dress Initiative (LBDI), now approaching its fourth year, has provided resources for women who have suffered acts of domestic violence and/or sexual assault. In the first three years, LBDI raised nearly $28,000, and our efforts will continue this October with supporting projects that reduce the deleterious effects of trauma.

Additionally, the JLL will host another raffle to raise funds to further our Mission. In the spring, we’ll see the return of All Aboard, in its 6th year, as our most interactive fundraiser. Significantly, Day in the Park (DITP) will return for its 42nd year with a refreshing change to a spring date. DITP has been a treasure to the community, and the change to Mother’s Day weekend, May 9, 2020, will offer more time for Members to plan for the event and collaborate with other nonprofits; will serve as a send-off to summer for City students; and will provide a weekend of family fun. Lastly, this year we will engage in three community partnerships that will allow the JLL to fund meaningful service initiatives and provide diverse volunteer opportunities for Members. I’m excited to announce our 2019-2020 partners: Park View Community Mission, providing resources and life skills training to vulnerable neighbors, The Listening, changing lives through the performing arts and youth mentoring, and the YWCA , empowering and providing services for women and promoting equality. Through these partnerships, all Members can serve our Mission and improve our community together.

Overall, I’m thrilled for the upcoming year, and I’m proud to be carrying the torch composed of all of the passion and good work for the community that the Junior League of Lynchburg has offered over the last 12 months and since 1926!

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All Aboard...Trains, Planes, and Automobiles T

he Junior League of Lynchburg’s 5th Annual All Aboard was held on Sunday, April 28, 2019 at the Lynchburg School of Aeronautics and Lynchburg Regional Airport. Despite the rainy spring season, we were blessed with perfect weather and over 900 people in attendance.

New to this year’s event included N Action Arcade Truck, Wheels on the James Therapeutic Cycles, the Brookville Fire Department, the Cotton Candy Lab, and the AAA Entertainment Train. In addition to the trucks and planes, Cinderella’s carriage, Skyla Jade’s Pound Fitness, and Pick and Paint Face Painting all had large crowds of participants. A News and Advance reporter made an appearance at our event and All Aboard was featured on the front page of the Monday newspaper.

League members volunteered

during the event to manage parking, ticket sales, goodie bag and lunch delivery, and dress up as our event’s Cinderella and Jasmine. We received $4,900 in sponsorships and over $4,000 in day of ticket sales. Special

thanks to Watts Petroleum and Blue Ridge Oral and Facial Surgery for their contributions to our All Aboard event.

- Megan Sunwall

Pictured right: The Facebook winner for 2018 best “All Aboard” family picture, inside a frontloader scoop..

Pictured below: Centra One helping children explore the emergency medical helicopter.

Pictured below: Junior League member Lakrisha Young dressing up as Cinderella for the day.

The Junior League hosts All Aboard as our annual fundraiser. The event gives children an opportunity to meet public safety and service personnel, enjoy train rides and face painting, and climb and explore on different transportation vehicles and equipment.

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mber erella e day.

The Little Black Dress Initiative T

he Little Black Dress Initiative (LBDI) is a fundraising campaign that aims to bring awareness to women facing distress, whether it be poverty, violence, or inequality. It exemplifies the JLL’s mission to empower women in the community. For one entire week in October, participants wear one black dress, or other black attire, to highlight the effect how hardship can affect a woman’s access to resources, confidence, and opportunities.

Members attending the Suicide Walk, 2018 and bringing awareness to the Little Black Dress Initiative.

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e take a stand against violence and poverty through our voice and financial support. In 2018, the campaign took place during the week of October 8th through October 12th. The campaign was headed by LBDI Coordinator, Tiffany Boydoh, alongside the Women Against Violence Committee chair, Chelsea Ogden, and Co-Chair, Katie Young.

JLL members participated by wearing a little black dress or other black attire, along with a LBDI “Ask me about my little black dress” pin. Throughout the awareness campaign, people were encouraged to donate by cash, check, or through the CrowdRise fundraising page.

Additionally, contributions were acquired from six local restaurants

who graciously offered to donate a portion of their sales during the campaign week to LBDI (Chipotle – Wards Road, Texas Roadhouse, Crisp, Blaze, East Coast Wings, and Mister Goodies).

A total of $9,500 was raised this year - supporting our League, the YWCA of Central Virginia, and The Motherhood Collective.

Funds that support the League go toward funding diverse leadership development opportunities so that our members gain the tools they need to successfully impact and improve our community.

We look forward to our fourth year of the LBDI campaign in 2019!

- Tiffany Boydoh

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Diversity and Inclusion from the inside out We welcome all women who value our Mission. We are committed to inclusive environments of diverse individuals, organizations and communities.

2019 Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce CHAIRWOMAN

Ashley Marshall ASSISTANT CHAIR

Hollyn Griffith COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Bethanie Mickles Samantha Dauer

Have Questions or Ideas?

Please contact Ashley by emailing ashleynicolemarshall@gmail.com

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ver the 2018-2019 year, the JLL Board of Directors purposely evaluated our internal member composition through a Diversity and Inclusion lens. Our League attended a D&I-focused summit for Virginia Junior Leagues, which challenged unconscious bias and allowed for meaningful conversations on how we move forward in creating an inclusive culture with our membership, our leadership, and our community work.

The JLL Board of Directors voted to create a Diversity & Inclusion Task Force, and members were placed on this committee in the Spring of 2019. Our D&I commitment is now woven into our three year Strategic Plan, with

the vision to have: 1. a Diversity & Inclusion Task Force that is intentional and proactive in building a diverse and inclusive League 2. a plan to measure D&I progress and goals 3. by 2022, a three-year analysis of D&I embedment.

While we acknowledge that progress takes time, the Junior League of Lynchburg understands the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion. It is the goal that through purposeful D&I work and commitment, we will fully know our Lynchburg community and its needs.

-Jessica Watts

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Community Impact and Governance Transformation Women Building Better Communities: Community Impact Transformation

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he JLL participated in AJLI’s Community Impact Model as a part of the Transformation Rollout. this year. AJLI’s new strategic approach to community impact is defined by three distinct elements: listening to our community’s needs and responding with well-designed strategies to effect change; creating opportunities for a powerful member experience that will develop leadership potential; and creating meaningful and long-lasting community change.

Our Community Impact team met monthly throughout the year to research and select a focus area.

As part of our research, we polled membership in the fall to get an idea of areas of impact members were most interested in exploring.

From that initial feedback and survey responses from

representatives of area nonprofits and organizations, we hosted three roundtable discussions in late January, gaining valuable feedback from nearly 60 different local organizations working in the fields of violence against women, children and families, and basic needs. After analyzing the transcripts from each roundtable, we narrowed down potential focus areas and again polled membership to help select a focus area that members were most excited about.

Next year’s Focus Area committee, under the leadership of chair Nina Rezai, will be diving further into this to develop a specific program or project for the JLL to undertake, with a goal of full implementation by the spring of 2022.

Our focus area statement, derived from the committee’s work over

the course of the year, is as follows: The Junior League of Lynchburg believes that your zip code should not determine your destiny. Our goal is to reduce the impact of generational and systemic trauma by being the convening table for our community through collaborating with and promoting existing resources, as well as working to remove barriers to thriving families through measures such as providing support for children and financial opportunity for adults.

-Caitlin Tester

Governance Transformation

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his year, the JLL decided to participate in the 2018-2019 cohort of the Governance and Management Rollout through AJLI (The Association of Junior Leagues International). I led the Rollout team with the help of members Kara Martin and Kaleigh Giles. The Governance and Management Rollout was designed to help leagues run more effectively through making small, intentional changes. Through watching webinars twice a month, we made little “tweaks” to how we do things.

We have changed the board struc-

ture and have added a Nominating Director. We have created an entire Management Team that is led by the Executive VP. The board of directors now includes: President, President-Elect, Executive VP, Nominating Director, Treasurer, Secretary and Sustainer Director.

The board’s role is solely to be the governing board of the league. The Management Team consists of the Executive VP, Membership VP, Finance VP and Community VP. The Management Team is in charge of the “day to day” runnings of the league. We have also changed the

process for obtaining a slated position (Board and MT); the process is now all application-based and we no longer accept peer nominations for positions. We are focused on selecting the best woman for the position, not based on previous league experience. The president also is no longer involved in the interview process. We are extremely pleased with the changes we have made so far!

-Geralyn Gulino

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Honor Roll of Donors 2018-2019 Miller-Claytor Society ($1,000 - $1,999)

JLL Friend ($99 and under)

Watts Petroleum Corp Blue Ridge Oral and Facial Surgery, LTD

Anonymous Debi Anderson Rory Bell Cathy Burks Caroline Campas Page Carrington Benjamin Cates Deborah Charles Patricia Cox Kasey Forehand Nathan Fortney Geralyn Gulino Connie Haibach Lisa Haibach Amanda McGovern Bridgett Morrison David Neumeyer Chelsea Ogden Libi Prince Kim Smith Sally Starbuck Marcia Stringer Kitty Swanson Karin Truitte

Monument Terrace ($500 - $999) Toler Insulating James River Society ($250 - $499) Blickenstaff & Co. Children's Denistry & Orthodontics of Lynchburg Law Offices of Victoria Humphreys, P.C Peery & Woolwine Family Dentistry Petopia Schewel Furniture Co. The Law Office of Hugh J.M. Jones III, P.C. Main Street Society ($100 - $249) Bee Line Transport Central Virginia Federal Credit Union Diane Walker Frontier Community Bank HumanKind Jennifer Edgell Jennifer Gordan Beth Kent Kubota L.G. Flint, Inc. Cynthia Martin Anne McDaniel Brooke Sterne Randall J. Watts Richeson Drive Pediatrics Sonny Merryman Inc.

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Little Black Dress Initiative (LBDI) Donors Visit http://www.jrleaguelynchburg.org/ lbdi/lbdi-donor-list/ to view complete list

In-Kind Donations AAA Entertainment Audiology Hearing Aid Associates Built to Last Chelsea Ogden Cobra Self-Defense VA Dish Freedom 4/24 Harris Corp.

Jimmy’s on the James Market on Main Paisley Gifts Pepsi Co. Randolph College Rendez-Vous Republic Services Skyla Jade Tahini’s The Academy The Virginian Upper Crust Pizza All Aboard Truck Sponsors AAA Entertainment Train Bee Line Towing Blue Ridge Ice Brookville Fire Department Centra One Helicopter Centra Neonatal Ambulance Gus The Bus Hawkins Graves Construction Kabuto Lynchburg Ready Mix Lynchburg Police Tactical Unit N Action Arcade Truck P&K Trucking Republic Services Shenandoah Carriage Company Southern Landscape Group Watts Petroleum Wheels on the James

Junior League of Lynchburg Board of Directors PRESIDENT Jessica Watts PRESIDENT ELECT Kara Martin EXECTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Geralyn Gulino TREASURER Meagan Bigham RECORDING SECRETARY Hope Moffa COMMUNITY VICE PRESIDENT Caitlin Tester EVENTS VICE PRESIDENT Cassidy DeWitt MEMBERSHIP VICE PRESIDENT Maegan Fallen SUSTAINER DIRECTOR Helen Wheelock

2018-2019 Board Retreat

Board of Directors 2019-2020

Management Team 2019-2020

President. . . . . . . . . . . . . Kara Martin President-Elect . . . . . . . . Geralyn Gulino Executive VP . . . . . . . . . . Caitlin Tester Treasurer. . . . . . . . . . . . . Kaitlin McCombs Secretary. . . . . . . . . . . . . Bethanie Mickles Nominating Director . . . Courtney LaMothe Sustainer Director . . . . . Beth Kent

Executive VP . . . . . . . . . . Caitlin Tester Finance VP. . . . . . . . . . . . Hope Moffa Membership VP. . . . . . . . Chelsea Ogden Community VP . . . . . . . . Maegan Fallen

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Inspiring Women The Provisional Class of 2018-2019

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ach year, the Junior League of Lynchburg welcomes a new “provisional class,” a group of women who will spend their first year in the JLL learning about the operations of the League, its structure and its purpose. This year, we had the privilege to work with fourteen exceptional women as they embarked their provisional year.

Welcome new members: Melissa Busse, Emma Clemenson, Rebecca Frye, Anna Heilman, Hannah Parker, Emily Rudich, Kathleen Van Allen, Elizabeth White, LaKrisha Young

Provisional Project: The Blood Drive

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n March, the provisional class partnered with the Red Cross in a statewide Junior League initiative to host JLL’s first annual community blood drive. Members of the provisional class coordinated all aspects of the event including publicity, recruiting blood donors and securing donations from local businesses (The Craft Beer Cellar, The Farm Basket, Mrs. Joy’s Bakery, and Sam’s Club). Class members also successfully raised funds to offer a scholarship for which members of the 2019-2020 class will be eligible!

“The blood drive was not only an excellent opportunity for JLL to continue making an impact but also an opportunity for our provisional class to work together. We loved seeing the number of donors who came to the event, and appreciate their contributions to help us reach our goals,” reflected provisional

14 Junior League of Lynchburg

class member Emma Clemenson. A series of severe weather events this year led the Red Cross to announce a national critical shortage of blood, and when approached by state League representatives, provisional members voted unanimously to accept the blood drive proposal as their class project. A total of 38 units of blood were collected during the drive, which has the potential to save as many as 114 lives in central Virginia. Said class member Melissa Busse, “it was a great opportunity... it was exciting to directly impact our community in a positive way...we also bonded over putting the event together”! The League extends its gratitude to the community for its support of this initiative and to our gracious event host, First Presbyterian Church of Lynchburg.

-Bridgett Morrison

Training Future Leaders The Junior League of Lynchburg training membership opportunities

2018 Winter Leadership Conference: New Orleans

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his year, a major focus was on training our women, both in developing new skills and honing already existing skills.

Effectively trained volunteers enable our League to have the greatest impact with the work we do in the community.

Skills gained during active membership ready our women to confidently and efficiently take on future community and career leadership positions.

With the generous support of our Sustaining members, the League sent women to two conferences. Nine women attended a regional summit of Virginia Leagues, held in Norfolk, VA, where women learned strategies in promoting and embedding Diversity & Inclusion within our organization. Our President-Elect, Kara Martin, attended AJLI’s Winter Leadership Conference in New Orleans, LA. Here, Kara attended workshops on effective governance and management in preparation for her term as President.

Internally, the League hosted several training opportunities for its members.

Budgeting and Parliamentary Procedure workshops were held, and we graciously thank former Mayor Michael Gillette and our own Treasurer Meagan Bigham for leading these events. Our Membership Committee organized book clubs directed at understanding the current social justice climate and at identifying common leadership “mistakes” that

women make. Membership Committee also lead networking and skill building activities at each general membership meeting.

Each year, members hold positions where they have the opportunity to deploy and develop skills. This is in it of itself training. During the 2018-2019 year, our members conducted an advocacy campaign with the 3rd annual Little Black Dress Initiative, used creativity with new fund development ideas, organized our fundraising and educational 5th All Aboard event, collaborated with community organizations to fund and execute direct service projects, learned how to devise annual and strategic plans and how to review bylaws and make new policies, and planned citywide community roundtables to foster inter-organizational communication and to identify areas of greatest needed in Lynchburg.

Our women worked hard this year, and we can all be proud of their ambitions and what they accomplished!

-Jessica Watts

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ith the support of our Sustainers and other sponsors of the League, I was able to attend the Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI) 2019 Winter Leadership Conference in New Orleans, LA. The conference served as a collaborative of incoming counterparts from other Leagues and provided training on best practices in leadership, governance, management, membership, and communications. I was able to learn from presentations and other League members from around the world. One message exemplified the experience…“If serving is below you, then leadership is above you.” I appreciated the opportunity to be trained, and I’m looking forward to serving beside my fellow members this year as the 2019-2020 President.

-Kara Martin

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Thank you for your endless support, Sustainers. See you at the fall Sustainer Social!

16 Junior League of Lynchburg

Licensed, Insured and Bonded Windows Residential New Construction Commercial/Churches

Move Ins/Move Outs Remodels Spring and Fall Cleanings Stripping and Waxing Floors Women Building Better Communities 17

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Junior League of Lynchburg Community Partnerships The Junior League of Lynchburg is proud to announce our 2019-2020 Community Partners. We received 15 applications from amazing organizations in Lynchburg and the surrounding area who are all working to make our community a better place.The selection committee had a difficult task to narrow down the applications and chose 3 that closely align with the organization's mission as well as keeping in mind the League's new focus area of trauma.

-Maegan Fallen PARK VIEW COMMUNITY MISSION Founded in 1996, Park View Community Mission is dedicated to providing help, healing and hope to the vulnerable neighbors in the community, many of whom live in poverty. Park View Community Mission seeks to restore the lives of families and our community, by building relationships and by equipping these neighbors with life-changing skills and resources.

THE YWCA OF CENTRAL VIRGINIA YWCA of Central Virginia has been an integral part of this community since 1912, with a long- standing and intentional focus on empowering women.

YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. This mission drives their key direct service programs: the Domestic Violence Prevention Program (DVPP); the Sexual Assault Response Program (SARP); and the Town Center Women’s Residential Housing Program.

THE LISTENING The Listening’s mission is to engage, change and save lives with the performing arts through community engagement and youth mentoring. The Listening has a bold vision to see our community changed by socially minded artists who have a burden to use their talent, time, and passion to change the world around them, as well as the world inside of them. They believe that the road towards a better tomorrow is best accomplished passionately, creatively, and intentionally together.

A YEAR IN REVIEW; 2018-2019 COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS In its second year, the Junior League of Lynchburg’s Community Partnership program is an evolution of the JLL’s grant program; in a similar process, the League solicits applications from interested area nonprofits each spring and selects two to three that best align with the mission of the League as a partner for the following year. In addition to providing financial assistance to selected partners, the Community Partnership program also allows the League to leverage its considerable womanpower on their behalf, and gives members insight into other organizations working alongside us in the community.

-Caitlin Tester Camp Kum-By-Yah

The Miller Home for Girls

The Motherhood Collective

92.5 hours volunteering, $366.78 given

123 hours volunteered, $216.26 given (Randolph College, Freedom 4/24, & Cobra Self-defense VA

166.5 hours volunteered, $1270.11 given ($400 from the Little Black Dress Initiative)

Women Building Better Communities 19

Non-Profit U.S. Postage PAID Lynchburg,VA Permit No. 653 P.O. Box 2751 Lynchburg,VA 24504