Spring 2021: Volume 6, Number 3

THE

STAR

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF ROANOKE VALLEY

2020

JLRV FORWARD PROGRESS

VOLUME 6 NUMBER 3 T H E S TA R J L R V. ORG

MAGAZINE

2021

T H E S TA R M A G A Z I N E

JLRV COMMITS TO

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION

BY BRIANA APGAR AND COURTNEY WATSON Over the last few years the Junior League of Roanoke Valley has made great strides to improve our efforts in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

During the past year, we amplified our DEI efforts by offering eight training opportunities and bridging DEI to our current activities. These efforts included social media outreach through the JLRV Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Facebook page, which offered a forum for learning, discussion, and sharing resources that offered opportunities for reflection and action. As we look forward to our upcoming league year we want to continue the work to fill the gaps in our league and our community in DEI through educational programs and trainings.

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The JLRV’s commitment to DEI follows a national effort by the AJLI, which now includes a DEI advisory panel consisting of 25 members to “ensure collaboration, alignment, and mutual accountability.” One of many on-going initiatives at the national level of the Junior League is the #ProgressIsPlural campaign, which is designed to raise awareness of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. A primary goal of this campaign is to start conversations and keep them going in League chapters across the country.

In an effort to make DEI a cornerstone of the Junior League, the AJLI is highlighting voices of change in order to work through big questions and make positive contributions to DEI efforts both within the League and beyond.

These organizations include The Racial

Equity Institute, The Anti-Racist Alliance, and the National Diversity Council. Another area being promoted for introspection is implicit bias and the research and education being done by Harvard University’s Project Implicit.

Many Junior Leagues are turning to popular media to engage members in meaningful discussions about DEI. Like the JLRV, Leagues are using book clubs and common reads to learn and grow as a League. Books like Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give and Verna A. Myers’ Moving Diversity Forward: How to Go From Well-Meaning to Well-Doing offer great insight and sound platforms for thoughtful conversation. Podcasts including Revisionist History and Between the World and Me are also promoted by the AJLI as excellent DEI educational tools.

VOLUME 6 | NUMBER 3

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THE

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Junior League of Roanoke Valley 541 Luck Avenue, Suite 319 Roanoke, VA 24016 Phone: 540.343.3663 Email: info@jlrv.org Website: jlrv.org

The Star Staff 2020-2021

Board of Directors 2020-2021

Management Team 2020-2021

Publisher: Sarah M. Johnson Managing Editor: Amanda Hensley Contributors/Writers: Briana Apgar Margaret Ashburn Laura Conte Hannah Hopkins Katie Jones Brittny McGraw Courtney Watson Jenna Zibton

President: Jenna Zibton President-Elect: Kate Hailey Executive Vice President: Katie Jones Secretary: Margaret Ashburn Treasurer: Michelle Pendleton Nominating Director: Anna Muncy Member-At-Large: Lydia Higgs Sustaining Directors: *Lutheria Smith & Puppie McCloskey

Executive Vice President: Katie Jones Executive VP-Elect: Jessie Coffman Communications VP: Sarah M. Johnson Community VP: Franny Apel Finance VP: Lauren Boswell Administrative VP: Jennifer Crook Membership VP: Elizabeth Milne Fund Development VP: Jessica Beemer

designed by

*Past President of JLRV

OUR MISSION The Junior League of Roanoke Valley (JLRV) is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion: The JLRV welcomes all women who value our Mission. We are committed to inclusive environments of individuals, organizations and communities.

The STAR is published three times annually by the Junior League of Roanoke Valley. No reproductions in any form are allowed without written permission.

Designed by Evolve Creative, Inc. and published by Bison Printing ©2021

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For information, please call 540.343.3663 or e-mail starmagazine@jlrv.org 2

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LET’S CONNECT! fb.com/JuniorLeagueRoanokeValley @JLRoanokeValley jlrv.org

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

5 10 14 16

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

VACCINE CLINICS

SUSTAINER PROFILE

COMMUNITY CORNER

FEEDING BODIES & MINDS

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SUSTAINER EMERITUS

18 22 12

JLRV ANNUAL BLOOD DRIVESPOTLIGHT NEW MEMBER T H E S TA R M A G A Z I N E

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

VOLUNTEERISM

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Interested in learning more? Email us at recruitment@jlrv.org 4

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INCLUSION

FRIENDSHIP

FROM THE PRESIDENT Connection is something many of us missed over the past year. We haven’t been able to chat much before or after meetings because they’ve been virtual but we’ve still found ways to support each other, the JLRV mission and our community.

I joined the Junior League of Shreveport-Bossier, Louisiana more than ten years ago because I believed in the mission. Knowing I could find the same like-minded women in whatever Junior League I transferred to was comforting because they would help me feel connected to a new community quickly.

All of you have made a huge impact in my life over the years. I was introduced as a transfer member at a meeting. Not long after, I was alone at a community event and another member came up and asked the simple question, “Aren’t you in Junior League?” That one question sparked a close friendship that I’m so thankful for. When my husband got out of the military and was looking for a job, it was a Junior League member who helped make a connection for him. When I gave birth, it was members who brought us food to help adjust to a newborn.

Whether you’re thinking about join-

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ing JLRV, just transferred or have been a member for decades, you are connected to a wonderful group of women. It’s those women who support each other through babies, unexpected job changes, cancer, and a pandemic.

As we close out this League year, and move to the next, I hope each one of you is proud of what the JLRV has accomplished over the past year. It would have been so easy for us to cancel events and sit back, but instead we worked even harder when our community needed us most. From a toy drive to make sure kids in the hospital had a wonderful Christmas, to a food and book drive to help our neighbors in need and volunteering countless hours at vaccine clinics so we could move forward and out of this pandemic.

You didn’t let circumstances stop you, your ideas or the JLRV. This is one of my favorite memories from the year [see picture of Ashley and Rosemary].

I spent several hours at the blood drive.

Watching people meet each other for the first time and interact was priceless in a year where

Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”

–RYUNO SUKE SATORO

we haven’t been able to do much in person. Ashley Wills and Rosemary Saul chatted while giving blood and watching them laugh, smile and support each other was special. I heard from so many of you that day what a great time you were having.

As we celebrate 95 years of serving the Roanoke Valley, be proud of everything we’ve accomplished this year and the nine previous decades. We are #BetterTogether.

I’m so thankful to serve with each of you.

JENNA ZIBTON PRESIDENT OF JLRV, 2020-2021

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STAR Magazine is the official magazine of the Junior League of Roanoke Valley, Inc. (JLRV) and is published three times a year. This color publication is distributed to JLRV members, partner organizations, and area businesses.

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If you are interested in advertising in the JLRV STAR Magazine, please contact starmagazine@jlrv.org.

MEET THE EDITOR BOARD FROM Dear STAR Readers, This is my last Editor’s letter. I labored over what to write. Paced back and forth, wringing my hands, in fact.

What do I say to you? We have been through so much. So many wonderful highs and stressful lows. This publication has been a labor of love, a warm sweater on a winter’s day, and a vessel, where I was able to meet and collaborate with inspiring women, tell their stories, and learn so much more about this League and the AJLI as a whole. I sincerely hope that you have enjoyed the articles and have taken away something positive from each issue.

Within this publication, there are highlights and showcases of events and efforts, where this League and its membership looked the pandemic squarely in its face and said, “Not This League, Satan”. The JLRV successfully used existing resources and created ways to meet, have professional development, and act charitably during this consequential moment. I could go on and on about what an awesome organization this is, and the passion and advocacy its members have for the Roanoke Valley communities. If you are perusing this publication, interested in joining, please let this be an incentive to finding out more about the JLRV mission and vision.

Yet, I’m exhausted from talking, or writing about, the pandemic and this past year. Who isn’t… am I right? I’m ready for the new. New year. New role. New focus. New set of goals. It's okay to still be exhausted. It’s okay to still be weighed down from what the pandemic brought. It’s okay to be T H E S TA R M A G A Z I N E

unsure about what the future holds and what the League will look like next year. It’s okay to be nervous about socializing and going to meetings with League members again. Our League continues to be “better together”, but IT IS OKAY to be alone and work things out in your own time and under your own terms. Please allow this STAR issue to inspire you to move forward and progress at your own pace toward your goals. This League has helped me get through some tough times by giving me support, love, and friendships from its members. Please reach out if you need us. We are here for you.

Having recently watched the television reunion of “Friends”, I keep thinking about the end of the last episode where they all turn in their keys. My final issue as Editor of the STAR Magazine…no sad tributes to sing, no lights to turn off, no keys to turn back in! There is so much work to be done in our community and a pandemic to shake off. I cannot thank the JLRV Nominating Committee enough for believing I could take on this role two years ago. And I cannot thank the League leadership enough for putting so much faith in me for the past six issues. The STAR Committees I worked with over these years have not only been comprised of a wealth of talent but also been an incredible joy to support

I embrace the label of bad feminist because I am human. I am messy.

I’m not trying to be an example. I am not trying to be perfect. I am not trying to say I have all the answers. I am not trying to say I’m right. I am just trying—trying to support what I believe in, trying to do some good in this world, trying to make some noise with my writing while also being myself.”

– R OXA NE GA Y, BAD FEMINIST

and cheer on. To the incoming Editor, you will do amazing things with this publication. Courtney, it was my honor to work by your side. To everyone who contributed and made the publication a successful messenger of this organization, THANK YOU. We all made the STAR Magazine better together. And now, forward progress to our 95th year as the JLRV. Let’s go!

AM AN DA HENS LEY S TA R E D IT OR , 2 0 1 9 - 2 0 2 1 VOLUME 6 | NUMBER 3

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FEEDING BODIES AND MINDS

A FOOD & BOOK DRIVE SPONSORED BY THE JLRV

BY LAURA CONTE The Junior League of Roanoke Valley has so much to be proud of this year. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of many, especially the Governance Board and Management Team, we have been able to remain connected, participate in trainings via Zoom, and to continue to create innovative ways to respond to the evolving needs of our community in the midst of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic.

This Spring, the JLRV hosted a successful inaugural Food & Book Drive held in the parking lot of Earth Fare on Franklin Road, as a response to two separate but related issues in our community: food insecurity that continues to impact so many in the region and promoting literacy and supporting underserved 8

T H E S TA R M A G A Z I N E

youth. The final totals for the food drive were 568 pounds of food and additional monetary donations that purchased 1,200 meals.

The food drive was organized in collaboration with Feeding Southwest Virginia to benefit four local food pantries: Bethel Baptist, Truth Tabernacle, Orchard Hills Achievement Center, and United Christian Inner City. The most requested food items included: peanut butter, beans, rice, soup, pasta, and canned fruits and vegetables.

Did you know…the need at food pantries is greatest for children and families in the summer when school lets out because many children from food insecure households rely on the meals they receive at school?

According to Carilion Clinic’s 2018 Community Health Assessment, in Roanoke City, approximately 86.9% of students qualified for free or reduced lunch. On a recent report featured on Feeding America’s website, they project that this year, the overall rate of food insecurity in Roanoke will increase from 13.4% to 15.2% of households.

JLRV’s New Member Class chose the West End Center for Youth as the beneficiary of the book donations to support their goal, in partnership with United Way Roanoke Valley, to have all students reading at or above grade level by third grade. In a Special Report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, findings included: “Before 3rd grade, students are learning to read and after students

FEEDING BODIES AND MINDS are reading to learn. The difference is critical as if a student is not at grade level by or after his/ her 3rd grade year, he/she are at a far greater risk for academic struggle or failure. In addition to long-term academic and employment benefit, reading is a way to cultivate creativity and imagination.” The West End Center also specifically requested books with African American protagonists. For the Book Drive, the Junior League helped to collect over 1,000 books for the West End Center for Youth.

Shepherd Cronemeyer, a New Member, moved to Roanoke just a few months before the start of the pandemic and said she was struck by the altruism she witnessed from community members.

I interviewed a couple of JLRV members who volunteered at the Food and Book Drive to hear about their experience and about what they learned.

Former JLRV President, Lindsay Phipps agreed. “I thought it was really meaningful to see so many [JLRV] members dropping off donations and I felt like you could see the impact it was making on the Community when the various food banks were picking up the food.”

“I learned how generous our community is… Everyone was really eager to help out.”

“One of the reasons I joined [the JLRV] was to

T H E S TA R M A G A Z I N E

be social but also to get to know the community and what we need.

Having a direct impact on needs like literacy and food insecurity is really unique,” said Cronemeyer.

This year’s Junior League theme was Better Together. If living through the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we are just that.

As members of the Junior League and as a community at large, we continue to prove this as we work toward improving our community and lifting one another up.

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VACCINE CLINICS

BY COURTNEY WATSON

While there were many ways the JLRV was needed to serve over the past year, one of the most urgent calls came from Carilion Clinic—and our League answered the call spectacularly. Over the past several months, members of the JLRV have served as non-medical volunteers at the COVID-19 vaccine clinics held weekly at the Berglund Center.

In addition to making phone calls to elderly members of the Roanoke community to help them get signed up for vaccine appointments,

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League members also dedicated many, many socially-distanced hours on-site working with clinical professionals, representatives from the Virginia Department of Health, and the National Guard to vaccinate thousands of members of our community.

League volunteers took on a variety of responsibilities at on-site vaccine clinics at the Berglund Center.

From registration and administrative assistance to line management and simply providing reassurance to those being vaccinated, League members made the most of our

volunteer training and experience to serve as part of this monumental effort. Vaccine clinics were busy and very well attended, but League volunteers helped ensure that the process was streamlined and organized. Whether directing foot traffic inside the Berglund Center or sitting with the just-vaccinated to provide a friendly face and needed support, the League showed up for our community, again and again.

While many members of the League stepped up to help out at the vaccine clinics, Stephanie Force went above and beyond to

VACCINE CLINICS become the League’s super-volunteer. Logging more than 50 hours of volunteer service, Force made a tremendous impact on the effort to get the Roanoke community inoculated quickly and safely. Force was such a steadfast presence at the Berglund Center that she was even recognized by Carilion Clinic and awarded a t-shirt.

Force’s intense desire to see her community through one of its most challenging times drove her decision to offer her time and help Roanoke recover from the pandemic: “I first volunteered at the vaccine clinic because I wanted to look back on 2021 and say ‘during the pandemic I got up early one morning and helped at a vaccine clinic’. But

truly, volunteering at the clinics was more than just showing up to help. What made this opportunity so unique was recognizing I was part of a production that physically embodied the pinnacle of scientific achievement. It was knowing that our teamwork ensured its success.”

Force’s description of the vaccine clinics at the Berglund Center paint an unforgettable picture of the monumental effort that went into vaccinating our community and the essential role played by volunteers. “While the setting was quite clinical, the energy that filled the space was familiar. Like any other event held at the Berglund, the air was buzzing with anticipation of doors opening, signaling it was time to begin. With every hour I spent at the clinic, I greeted and interacted with hundreds of people.

While masks covered half our faces, our eyes established connection time and time again.”

For Force, volunteering at the vaccine clinics offered an unprecedented opportunity to connect with members of our community. “As each

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person passed by, their demeanor expressed degrees of relief, joy, courage, and awe. Some shared kind words of gratitude and encouragement. And if we had more than a quick moment, I got to listen to stories of their past, present, and future. Regardless of what role I was assigned to, the most important part was to simply be a conduit of positivity and comfort for every person who came through the queue. And within all of that, it was witnessing our community come together week after week with one shared vision: not having to spend another day apart.”

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JLRV ANNUAL BLOOD DRIVE The COVID-19 pandemic was no match for the New Member Blood Drive Co-Chairs, Sarah Hill and Taylor Irish. Through their leadership and efforts of the New Member Class, the event ran smoothly while members social distanced and

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masked up when they couldn’t. This event was one of the first that New Members were able to meet in-person, and some for the first time.

The JLRV celebrated the success of this event, yielding 86 total units, 9 Power Red donations, and 78 whole

blood donations. The American Red Cross gave the JLRV and the Blood Drive Co-Chairs many compliments on how well this drive was run. Well done for all of your hard work! Next year’s JLRV Blood Drive will be held on March 26, 2022.

JLRV ANNUAL BLOOD DRIVE

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SUSTAINER PROFILE

Martha Kuyk Hull

BY BRITTNY MCGRAW

Martha Kuyk Hull of Roanoke first joined the Junior League of Roanoke Valley after graduating from Hollins College (now Hollins University) in 1960. But Hull’s connection to and understanding of the League stretch back much further: her mother, Mary Terry Goodwin Kuyk, was one of the Junior League of Roanoke Valley’s founding members in 1926 and the organization’s first President.

“She graduated from Barnard College in New York and I think a lot

of her friends at Barnard had been in the Junior League, so when she came back to Roanoke, she and the others around her decided that it would be a good idea to have a Junior League in Roanoke and so they started one,” Hull said as she reflected on her mother’s contributions to the League.

Growing up, Hull said serving the community was always top of mind for her mother, something that has influenced her throughout her life.

“She always did lots of community work,” Hull shared, as she described

seeing pictures of her mother working with the American Red Cross.

“I did a lot of community work because that’s what my mother did.”

After joining the League in Roanoke, Hull said work and life took her, her husband and family to communities around the world, including Charlottesville (Virginia), Minnesota, Germany, Atlanta (Georgia), and Illinois. Not all the places they lived had Junior League chapters, but in cities and towns where there were opportunities to join, she did.

Hull said the League often played an essential role in helping her to get to know a new place quickly.

“I got to know a lot of people very fast,” Hull said. “It spreads the number of connections you have in a new community.”

Mary Terry Goodwin Kuyk, Martha Kuyk Hull, and Martha's daughter, Lucinda 14

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Hull feels those League connections paid off in other ways: the organization’s reputation for developing leaders opened the door to opportunities in her career when she was a member of the Junior League in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“I was applying for a state job and there

SUSTAINER PROFILE

Martha Kuyk Hull (on left)

was a question on the questionnaire asking, ‘Do you belong to any other organizations?’ so I put down the Junior League and got hired!” Hull said. She said she once heard the organization’s Executive Director proudly tell someone, “My secretary is a member of the Junior League,” a connection she feels is one of the reasons she was hired so quickly.

Hull’s mother and the rest of the original 12 “civic-minded girls” who came together to form the Roanoke Junior League may have T H E S TA R M A G A Z I N E

never imagined how the League would grow from those founding days into the organization it is today: a chapter that is more than 400 members strong and a driving force in equipping its members to lead and serve.

Hull’s commitment to the Junior League of Roanoke Valley her mother founded has continued to the present day: Hull is currently a Sustainer Emeritus member of the League, a membership status that can only be attained by members who have paid their

yearly Sustainer dues and have reached the age of 80 years old.

Sustainer Emeritus members are no longer required to pay yearly dues to the Junior League.

Hull said her experiences with Junior League chapters across the country, from Roanoke to Minneapolis to Atlanta to St. Louis, proved that her mother knew best when she encouraged Hull to join the Junior League.

“She said that I would be glad that I did, and she was indeed right about that.”

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COMMUNITY CORNER

BY HANNAH HOPKINS For the Community Council and the League as a whole, 2020-2021 has certainly been the year of challenge. Many of our community partners, like the Ronald McDonald House, were not open for our usual volunteer opportunities given COVID-19 restrictions. While it was a year of challenge, however, it was also a year of innovation and adaptability. We saw League members within the Community Council and outside of it step up to help create new opportunities and strategies for reaching our goals and addressing our community focus.

The Collaboration Committee, in tandem with members of the Communications Council, spent this year creating a functional and vital resource for partner organizations and community members alike. This new webpage, which will be housed on our Junior League of Roanoke Valley website (jlrv.org/community/), gathers together information and tools to create a “one-stop shop” for food security resources in the Roanoke Valley and surrounding areas. It contains a detailed listing of local food pantries, information on free and reduced-cost school lunches, multimedia resources created by many of our community partners, and so much more. The Committee

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was able to preview the webpage and gather feedback from several community partners at our Spring Community Connections event, during which the response to this new resource was overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic.

The Grants Committee implemented a brand new, streamlined application process this year, allowing applicants to be considered for several grants at one time and creating flexibility for the Committee in deciding on recipients. Despite having to adapt site visits to being entirely virtual, the Grants Committee was able to award community organizations $52,000 in funds.

Recipients covered a wide range of community needs, and the League was able to fully fund five programs and partially fund three. Among these were LEAP’s Hurt Park Community Garden project, a community health worker program for United Way, and a Roanoke City Schools project to purchase washers and dryers for every school in the district, to name a few.

The Service Committee faced many challenges in needing to seek out and facilitate new and different opportunities for members to volunteer in the community, and did so with ease and grace. With new requirements to keep our members

safe while volunteering, they facilitated a number of both in-person and virtual opportunities to allow for flexibility and the shifting needs of our membership and our community. From COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics, to the new food and book drive, to hosting a toy drive for Carilion Children’s Hospital and gift wrapping holiday presents for children in Roanoke County’s foster care system, members were able to make meaningful and vital contributions this year in the Roanoke Valley.

With creativity and gumption, the Community Council has taken the challenges of a global pandemic in stride. We became lighter, quick-thinking, and flexible in our approach to challenges and community projects. Plus, our amazing members stepped up to the challenge, volunteering above and beyond their requirements and always striving to find ways to jump in and give of their time and expertise in service of the greater good. While we hope to leave the challenges of this year behind as we move forward, we take with us the lessons learned in this unique year. We know that with a little innovation and elbow grease, there are no limits to the impact the JLRV can have next year and into the future.

WITH CREATIVITY AND GUMPTION, THE COMMUNITY COUNCIL HAS TAKEN THE CHALLENGES OF A GLOBAL PANDEMIC IN STRIDE

COOKBOOK CORNER

Four-Cheese Pimento Sandwiches INGREDIENTS: •

3 cups (12 oz) shredded white Cheddar cheese

•

2 cups (8 oz) shredded yellow sharp Cheddar cheese

•

4 oz crumbled bleu cheese

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1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

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1 (4 oz) jar sliced pimentos, drained

•

1 cup light mayonnaise

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2 tbsp Dijon mustard

•

Party-size loaf white bread or favorite bread, cut into slices

DIRECTIONS:

Photo credit: Savory Experiments

1.

Combine the white cheddar cheese, yellow cheddar cheese, bleu cheese, parmesan cheese, pimentos, mayonnaise, and Dijon mustard in a food processor and process until smooth.

2.

Remove to a bowl. Cover and chill.

3.

Spread on bread slices to make sandwiches.

4.

Think excitedly about the Stocked Market pimento cheese merchant.

Strawberry Margherita Pie INGREDIENTS: •

1 ¼ cups crushed pretzels

•

¼ cup sugar

•

½ cup (1 stick) margarine/butter, melted

•

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

•

½ cup frozen margarita mix concentrate, thawed

•

1 (10 oz) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed

•

8 oz whipped topping, or 2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped

3

Photo credit: Pillsbury

DIRECTIONS: 1.

Mix the pretzels, sugar, and melted butter/margarine in a bowl. Press firmly onto the bottom of an ungreased 8- or 9-inch springform pan. Chill.

2.

Combine the sweetened condensed milk and margarita mix in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the strawberries and beat at low speed until mixed. Fold in the whipped topping. Pour into the prepared crust. Cover and freeze for at least 3 hours or overnight.

3.

Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

If you are interested in purchasing the Junior League of Roanoke Valley’s “Oh My Stars” cookbook, please contact the JLRV office.

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SUSTAINER EMERITUS

A League of Their Own

BY BRITTNY MCGRAW

They are women who have lived and worked from Roanoke to Charlottesville, St. Louis to Atlanta, New Jersey to New Orleans and plenty of places in between. They have a variety of skills in everything from gardening to the arts. But despite the different backgrounds and life experiences, these women have

Lucy Hazlegrove 18

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one special connection: they are all Sustainer Emeritus members of the Junior League of Roanoke Valley.

“They have given so many years to [the] Junior League and it’s fun to hear their stories about what they did as Active Members and the different projects we’ve done over the years. Talking to Sustainers and Sustainer Emeritus members is one of my favorite things at events,” said Jenna Zibton, JLRV President.

“The bond they have with each other and our community is a testament to JLRV.” The Junior League of Roanoke Valley has more than 40 Sustainer Emeritus members, many of whom were excited to join the League because of its solid reputation for community involvement and leadership development. Members who qualify for Sustainer Emeritus status have paid their yearly Sustainer dues and have reached the age of 80 years young. Sustainer Emeritus members are no longer required to pay yearly dues to the Junior League.

Sustainer Emeritus member Kathryn Hoback joined the League in 1976 and said, “I wanted to experience all the League had to offer: training, making and doing volunteer work with new friends, and to become more involved in the community. I was always aware of the League’s outstanding reputation for good works and wanted to be a part of it.

Martha Kuyk Hull, whose mother Mary Terry Goodwin Kuyk was one of the JLRV’s founding members and its first President, said her mother encouraged her to join the League. Hull joined after graduating from Hollins College (now Hollins University) in 1960 and said she is glad she listened to her mother’s advice.

“There were friendships that I would never have made otherwise,” Hull said. “Sometimes the community organizations I was involved with, I heard about through the League. If I had heard about an organization through the League, I could be pretty sure that it was worth my while to work there.”

Many Sustainer Emeritus members, including Anne Cassell Bromm, Lucy Hazlegrove and Mary Ann Waskey, shared that having friends already in the League made them eager to join and serve the community. And it

SUSTAINER EMERITUS “THE BOND THEY HAVE WITH EACH OTHER AND OUR COMMUNITY IS A TESTAMENT TO JLRV.” is that community service and the ways the Junior League addressed the needs of men, women, children and families in the area that created plenty of memorable moments for these members.

Dee Moore joined the JLRV in the early 1950s and served as Secretary. She remembers the League’s commitment to supporting children’s programs, teaching American Red Cross nurse’s aid classes at Roanoke Memorial Hospital, representing the League at the Department of Mental Health and co-chairing the Harvest Bowl in 1962. The Harvest Bowl was an annual football game and celebration that was a fundraiser for the Junior League from 1958 until 1969.

During that time, the Harvest Bowl

May Justice

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raised more than $114,000.

Mary Elizabeth Kepley

Beth Powell initially joined the Junior League of the Oranges and Short Hills in New Jersey in the mid-1950s and transferred into the JLRV in 1969. She shared memories of giving hearing exams to children in public schools as a part of her work with the League. Powell said both then and now the League has continued to play an important role in identifying needs within the community and finding ways to address those needs.

Sustainer Emeritus member Mary Elizabeth Kepley joined the League in the 1970s and said it is wonderful to see the JLRV maintain a very active role in the community. Betty Lou Kienle shared the same sentiment, saying it is great to see the League’s major projects and fundraisers, including the League’s involvement with the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southwest Virginia, continue.

In addition to a rich legacy of community service, May Justice, who joined the Junior League of Roanoke Valley in the mid-1960s, said the League has played an important role in teaching women how

to be leaders in the community.

Justice said she continues her work in other organizations to this day because of her training and experiences with the League.

As the Junior League of Roanoke Valley celebrates 95 years of service since its founding in 1926, we salute our Sustainer Emeritus members for their accomplishments and contributions that have shaped the League into what it is today.

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JLRV YEAR HIGHLIGHTS MISSION: The Junior League of Roanoke Valley, Virginia Inc. is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.

3rd Year for JLRV’s Community Focus: Addressing poverty by connecting the community to existing resources and removing barriers to healthcare and food.

2020-2021 HIGHLIGHTS

BY JENNA ZIBTON, PRESIDENT, AND KATIE JONES, EVP More than $60,000 given: Community Focus Grant ($32,000): • Local Environmental Agriculture Project (LEAP): $17,000 to improve the Hurt Park Community Garden, increasing access to fresh food.

• United Way of Roanoke Valley: $15,000 to launch the HUB Community Health Worker (CHW) Referral System and promote usage in the community. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Roanoke Valley’s low-income citizens have become less healthy, poorer, and more likely to face barriers to care based upon social determinants.

Care that Counts Grant ($15,000): • YMCA: $5,000 to provide scholarships for students to attend youth enrichment centers • Community Youth Program: $5,000 to cover the additional costs for staff, internet updates, cleaning supplies, 20

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transportation, and maintenance of their van. In order to pivot from the model of after-school programming to daytime virtual learning due to the pandemic, CYP incurred many unplanned expenses • Healing Strides: $2,500 to provide 50 lessons in the Therapeutic Riding and Horsemanship Program to children who need financial assistance for an adaptive healing approach through therapeutic riding.

• Kids Soar: $2,500 used to help make up for lost Virginia Social Services Voucher income due to the pandemic.

The after school and summer program targets children who are behind on their reading scores in K-6th grades.

Apel Family Grant ($5,000): • Roanoke City Public Schools: $3,420 to buy two sets of washers and dryers for students and families to do laundry at school.

• The Agape Center: $1,580 to buy one chest freezer for its food pantry.

Mary Terry Goodwin Kuyk Scholarships ($4,000): • 2 graduating high school seniors got $2,000 each Additional money given out: Since we could not have an in person holiday party, JLRV members voted to donate $1,000 to the JLRV and Carilion Children’s Toy Drive for supplies, craft kits, etc and $2,000 to local organizations to include: $665 to Feeding Southwest Virginia, $665 to Bradley Free Clinic and $670 to Humble Hustle to buy coats for Roanoke City school children at Garden City Elementary School. $735 to Feeding Southwest Virginia in lieu of Annual Celebration in person gathering.

Fund Development: We raised more than $32,800 through fundraising and other income • The Stocked Market had to be cancelled due to the Coronavirus, but the committee organized three other fundraisers to keep the holiday spirit alive including Letters to Santa, a raffle basket valued at more than $1,000, and Stocked Market in a Box valued at $100. We also asked the community to donate the cost of their ticket.

NOMINATING JLRV YEAR FUTURE HIGHLIGHTS LEADERS

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JLRV YEAR HIGHLIGHTS • A new Annual Giving Campaign started in April and brought in $18,000 to be used for our general operating fund making up for the loss in Stocked Market revenue.

• We participated in Roanoke Valley Gives again this year, raising more than $400. Members voted to donate half our proceeds to CHIP for them to purchase diapers.

• There were multiple other fundraisers including a partnership with Minted for people to buy holiday cards and we got a percentage of the price and the JLRV Swag Sale where people could by clothing, hats and tumblers branded with our logo.

• WSLS 10 3 Degree Guarantee charity for March and JLRV got $680.

• JLRV raised $4,187 during the Family SERVICE VIP Dinner event benefiting Family Service of Roanoke Valley.

Other donations: • JLRV members donated about 815 items to the RAM House as part of a Done In A Meeting including canned goods, toiletries, clothing and more.

• About 20 members participated in the AJLI 21 Day Racial Equity Challenge.

• Launched pre-GMM training opportunities. The one hour sessions focused on everything from how to become an elected or appointed civic leader, ace a Zoom interview, the need for foster care and adoption regionally, yoga, financial and estate planning and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

• 3 Members attended the Junior League Southwest Exchange.

• 11 Members attend the 5th Annual Virginia League Summit on Zoom.

• 8 Members attended AJLI’s special Fall Conference online.

• 10 Members attended AJLI’s Winter Conference online.

• JLRV organized and partnered with Carilion Children’s for the first ever toy drive because corporate toy drives are unlikely this year due to so many employees working remotely. We collected more than 3,000 items and $1,850 in monetary donations.

New Members also created 200 craft kits so children in the hospital would have something to do during the holidays.

Volunteering:

• Feeding Bodies and Minds: A food and book drive benefiting four Feeding Southwest Virginia food pantries and the West End Center. 568 pounds of food donated, $240 donated which will provide 1,200 meals, and 1000+ books donated (including 65 highlighting African American protagonists).

• JLRV was selected to provide volunteers during mass COVID-19 vaccination events at the Berglund Center and made calls to people to help schedule vaccine appointments. New Members, Actives and Sustainers all volunteered.

Training and Meetings: • JLRV continued meeting through Zoom due to the COVID-19 Global Pandemic (Coronavirus).

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• Diversity and Inclusion Task Force became a placement for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Co-Chairs and they planned seven different training opportunities for members including book clubs, optional trainings and GMM keynote speakers.

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• Our members provided 8,864 hours of community service over the last year at a value of more than $252,000. ($28.54/hour).

• JLRV members volunteered for the 5th year to sponsor and wrap presents for the holidays for children in foster care in Roanoke County.

• Partnered with United Way of Roanoke Valley for the ALICE Survey to gauge how COVID was impacting our community and solicit responses.

• Community Blood Drive brought in 86 units of blood with the theme “We Can All Be Heroes.”

NOMINATING JLRV YEAR FUTURE HIGHLIGHTS LEADERS Other: • The JLRV nominated women to the Roanoker Magazine’s 40 Under 40: 2021 Class. Members Margaret Kreger Ashburn, Kate Hailey and Brittny McGraw were all named to the list.

• We worked with the TCV Trust and Wealth Management company to start timing money to mature in the first or second quarter of the year to better align with when we give out grant money.

• The Mary Terry Goodwin Kuyk Scholarship Fund became fully funded to give two $2,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors.

• Brought the Sunshine Committee back to give members encouragement and recognize life events.

• Used the opt-in planning calendar for the first time for leaders and members to see the year at a glance and help with planning.

Membership Awards: • Rising Star (New Member): Layla Khoury-Hanold • Shining Star (Active Member): Briana Apgar • Mary Terry Goodwin Kuyk (Sustainer): Sheryl McNally • Galaxy Award (Committee): All Active Members • Management Team Member: Franny Apel • Governance Board Members: Anna Moncure Muncy, Margaret Kreger Ashburn, and Katie Jones

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VO UM | U NM UM VO L UL M E E5 6| N B EBRE R2 3

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2021 STOCKED MARKET

SAVE THE DATE The annual JLRV Stocked Market is returning to the Berglund Center in Roanoke on November 12-14, 2021 Mark your calendars and get ready to shop from over 100 different vendors including our Homegrown Market. Make sure to check the Stocked Market Facebook page for updates.

“Like” our Facebook page for up to the minute details on giveaways, events, and more.

If you are interested in sponsoring the event or becoming a merchant of the Stocked Market, please email stockedmarket@jlrv.org for more information.

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JLRV ANNUAL CELEBRATION

BY COURTNEY WATSON

On May 18th, the Junior League of Roanoke Valley gathered together (virtually!) to toast the end of an extraordinary year. While we can’t yet be together in person, there was plenty to celebrate as our League raised our glasses to a successful year full of great work in our community. President Jenna Zibton and Vice President Katie Jones promised a night full of surprises, the first being a warm joint-welcome as they gathered together in the same location.

Throughout the evening, it was clear that the Junior League of Roanoke Valley rose to the many challenges we faced throughout the pandemic, fully embracing this year’s “Better Together” theme in a multitude of creative ways. From virtual gatherings to socially-distanced volunteering, the JLRV moved mountains to serve our community during a time that has tested us all.

There were many updates about the great work being done by all of our committees, who found excellent ways to reach out to people

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and organizations needing support throughout Roanoke. It was very exciting to see all of the outstanding service done by League committees this year, and the tremendous impact their efforts made. One example of this is the Community Collaborations Committee’s development of a food security webpage, which serves as a hub of free educational and community resources.

In addition to providing much-needed community resources, the League continues to show great dedication to education. League members were thrilled to watch video messages by this year’s Mary Terry Goodwin Kuyk Scholarship recipients. Winners (and twins!) Nathan and Emily Snow both expressed their gratitude for the scholarships that will support their educations at the University of Virginia and Radford University Carilion, respectively.

As always, the JLRV has its eye on the future, particularly with our 95th and 100th anniversaries on the horizon. To continue the League’s mission and grow our outreach efforts, the Recruitment and New Member committees were espe-

cially active throughout the League year. Devising multiple virtual and socially-distanced events, both of these committees did a wonderful job expanding the League and supporting New Members, who themselves hosted a blood drive in conjunction with the American Red Cross.

In addition to the blood drive, there were a number of other events held throughout the League year.

Members did a great job configuring ways to make a difference while limiting contact and socially distancing for initiatives like the RAM House donation drive (815 items donated!), the Food and Book Drive, the first ever Carilion Children’s Toy Drive, and volunteering at COVID-19 vaccine clinics held at the Berglund Center. JLRV members were also dedicated volunteers at the American Heart Association Heart Ball, Feeding America, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Roanoke County Department of Social Services, the Rescue Mission, Girls on the Run, and Humble Hustle. Whew, the ladies of the JLRV clearly didn’t let the pandemic slow us down one bit.

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JLRV SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

BY MARGARET ASHBURN

Every year, the Junior League of Roanoke Valley’s Executive Committee selects two graduating, high school seniors to receive the Mary Terry Goodwin Kuyk Scholarship, awarding up to $2,000. This scholarship was established to honor the first president of the JLRV, and recipients of the scholarship must demonstrate both academic success and outstanding volunteer service in their communities.

This year, the JLRV received 15 applications, and by unanimous decision, Emily and Nathan Snow, twin siblings who attend Salem High School in Salem, Virginia, were the scholarship winners Nathan Snow stood out because of his dedication to his community, which he stated has helped him greatly while suffering from a condition called Pectus Carinatum, a chest deformity. The condition does not improve on its own, but rather worsens over time. In his application, Nathan described how the pandemic impacted his community and discussed his observations of so many struggle to get good legal help. This inspired him to want to do more to help and he has chosen to attend the University of Virginia, with a goal to finish in three years. After which, he plans to attend law school and return to the Roanoke Valley to practice law and serve this community.

Emily Snow plans to attend Radford University Carilion, located in Roanoke, to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in

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Nursing. She is in the top 5% of her class at Salem High School. Emily stood out because of her dedication to community service. She particularly has connected and related with children who have speech impediments as she has also grown up with and has worked hard to overcome similar barriers. By taking this head on with dedication and practice, Emily joined a forensics speech team, where she won her very first competition. She has continued to help others find their voice by volunteering for several years as a counselor with Forensics Speech Kids Camp.

If you know of an upcoming high school senior deserving of this award, please go to the following website to learn more about the scholarship and how to apply: https:// www.jlrv.org/mary-terry-goodwin-kuyk-scholarship/. Local schools are notified about the scholarship application process every February. Applications are due in early March. Winners are selected and notified in April.

MEMBERS ON THE MOVE STAR asked members how they celebrated together once COVID-19 restrictions were loosened by Governor Northam and fully vaccinated individual guidance was given from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) earlier this year. Here are some of the precious moments captured of our members.

Rosemary Saul and husband’s 17th wedding anniversary

JLRV Members at Margaret Ashburn's baby shower

Sara Hill’s wedding: Taylor Irish, Elizabeth Milne, and Hailey Feldman

JLRV Members at Mary Kathryn Newton’s bridal shower 28

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JLRV’S 2021-2022

Calendar of Events Jul 27

Summer Social: McAfee’s Knob Sunset Hike (Bring a friend!)

Aug 6

Summer Social: Salem Red Sox Game (Families Welcome)

Aug 17

JLRV Leadership Book Club (“Dare to Lead”

by Brene Brown)

Sept 6

Volunteering at 2020 Health Focus Salem Distance Run

Sept 21

General Membership Meeting (7 p.m.)

Jan 18

General Membership Meeting (7 p.m.)

Oct 19

General Membership Meeting (7 p.m.)

Feb 15

General Membership Meeting (7 p.m.)

Nov 9

Stocked Market Pep Rally (7 p.m.)

Mar 15

General Membership Meeting (7 p.m.)

Apr 19

General Membership Meeting (7 p.m.)

May 17

Annual Celebration (7 p.m.)

Nov 12-14 Stocked Market Dec 10

WEDDINGS

Holiday Party (Location TBD)

COUPLES

FAMILIES

SENIORS

FAMILYTREEPHOTOGRAPHYVA.COM

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VOLUME 6 | NUMBER 3

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THE

STAR

Junior League of Roanoke Valley | 541 Luck Avenue, Suite 319 | Roanoke, VA 24016 | 540.343.3663 | jlrv.org

2 21

SEASON TRINKLE MAINSTAGE SERIES

THE FRINGE

MMT CONCERT

YOUNG AUDIENCES SERIES

Visit millmountain.org or call 540-342-5740 for tickets.

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