January/February 2014 NYJL Minute by New York Junior League

NYJL

January/February 2014 3

www.nyjl.org

MINUTE

NYJL Launches the 2014 Volunteer Organizational Survey

he NYJL Volunteer Organizational Survey was last sent out to all members in January of 2011, and covered a wide range of subjects (including membership satisfaction and attitudes, community issues/programming, and training) upon which volunteers were encouraged to express their personal views. The confidential survey results were then used by the Board of Directors to guide them in developing the NYJL’s current strategic plan which, among other things, led to the launch of the Affiliation Council, the realignment of our community focus areas and programming, the creation of the “I Volunteer Because” campaign, and much more. The 2014 Volunteer Organizational Survey will be emailed to the membership this month. Completing the survey only takes a few minutes, but the results will benefit the NYJL for years to come. Throughout the upcoming weeks, there will be reminders and events to help boost the number of survey participants. Each volunteer who completes the survey will be entered into a weekly drawing with prizes that include two tickets to an upcoming NYJL special event. Winners will be announced in each Friday Flash for the duration of the survey. The window to take the survey is a short three weeks. After that, the Board Strategic Planning committee will analyze the results and present them to the Board of Directors for review, with an update to be shared with the full membership later in the spring. It’s your NYJL. Help shape the future and take the survey when it is launched and emailed to you!

WHAT’S INSIDE

•Meet the OSs and OVs •Nonprofit Boards Clearinghouse

•NYJL Senior Friends

New View Making a Difference

T Members of New View committee and their mentees at Good Shepherd Photo credit: Precious Williams

he New View committee, with community partner Good Shepherd, provides workshops and mentoring to help at-risk men and women from 18-21 years of age transition from foster care to independent living. Recently the committee tackled the topic of self-esteem in a new way – looking at the “Facebook effect” and its impact. New View committee members spoke openly and honestly about their own struggles and success stories. “The young adults were shocked and delighted to know that we volunteer our time to work with them and are not paid,” says Precious Williams, New View co-chair. “It broke down a barrier with them because they saw themselves worthy of our valuable time.” The committee prides themselves on making valuable connections Picture d are Nina with young adults. Each week the Good Shepherd arrive ready Wainwresidents right (l.) and Annitto (r.) to learn. “At the end of ourJill 90-minute session young adultsesleave at the the Catholi c Chariti both inspired and enthused,Rockaw and soaydoCleanthe volunteers,” says Williams. Up Day.

NYJLMINUTE NYJL Mission Statement The New York Junior League is an organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.

Fiona Grant Small President Suzanne Manning Executive Vice President Cynthia Irons Internal Communications Council Head Lauren Goodwin Communications Associate Casey Cammatte, Jennifer Farrell, Kathleen O’Leary Internal Communications Associates

Please send submissions for the March/April 2014 issue to publications@nyjl.org by January 13, 2014

NYJL Minute is a publication of The Junior League of the City of New York, Inc. 130 East 80th Street, New York, NY 10075 Phone: (212) 288-6220 nyjl.org

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season! As I write this, we have just celebrated Thanksgiving and Hanukkah, and now we are speeding toward Christmas and will soon be welcoming in the New Year. Needless to say, while that means the volunteer year is almost halfway over, I am delighted to report that a lot of exciting things have been happening at the League during the last six months and we have accomplished a lot so far. As always, our community programming, fundraising and training initiatives have continued to flourish, and some of our newer projects have really begun to bear fruit. Each and every one of you has given your energy, time and funds to help those in need, and by working together we have been able to improve the lives of women, children and families – thank you for your efforts. As I mentioned, over the last six months, we have accomplished quite a bit while at the same time continuing to strengthen and deepen our ties to the community. Some of our many activities have included: • As part of our communications initiatives, we launched our “I Volunteer” campaign earlier this fall and I am delighted to hear so many of you talking about it. In this edition of the Minute you’ll hear volunteers on the front lines talk about why they do what they do for our organization and for the New York City community (see back page). • As we continue to execute against our strategic plan, your Board of Directors is already looking to the future and thinking about how we can continue to position our organization to thrive. An important part of this work is hearing from each of you, and right now we are in the process of gearing up to launch the 2014 Volunteer Organizational Survey (for more information, please see the article on the front cover). This confidential survey is your chance to tell us what you think we are doing right and wrong, and what you think we should be doing as an organization in the years to come. We look forward to getting your responses and sharing our results with you in the spring! • We’ve kicked off this year’s Community Improvement Project and have already started working with the New York City Mission Society to renovate the community center they operate in central Harlem at the Minisink Townhouse. I hope you all get a chance to help with those efforts as this important work continues in the coming months. • We successfully launched this year’s Annual Fund campaign and have already completed several exciting special events this fall, including Homecoming, Fall House Tour, Fall Fête and Golden Tree, as well as the 65th Annual Thanksgiving Eve Ball, which was hosted by the Sustainers and where we welcomed in more than 20 new college-age Provisionals (page 4). • And last (but by no means least!), we recognized our 2014 Outstanding Sustainers and Outstanding Volunteers (pages 6-7). I look forward to honoring these wonderful women at our 62nd Annual Winter Ball (page 5), so please mark your calendars! Most importantly, the New York Junior League remains committed to its day-to-day mission of promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women and improving communities. Our committees continue their work in the community – I strongly encourage you to read the articles about the New View committee (and its partnership with one of our new community partners, Good Shepherd) on the cover, and about the NYJL Senior Friends committee on page 5. The work these committees are doing to improve the lives of at-risk women between the ages of 18-21 and of senior residents at the Jewish Home and Hospital showcase the wide-ranging nature of the activities that we, as an organization, undertake every day. Similarly, the training provided by the Nonprofit Boards Clearinghouse (page 5) serves multiple purposes, by enriching the volunteers who provide the training, the participants who take the course (which include both members of the NYJL and the public at large), and the various nonprofits that benefit by having those participants contribute to their work. I think the activities of each and every one of these committees is a testament to how we can achieve our organizational mission. Looking ahead to 2014, there are several exciting events coming up. The most spectacular of these is Winter Ball on March 1 – I hope everyone will turn out to honor our friends and fellow volunteers at the “Enchantment in the Secret Garden” gala at The Pierre. Other upcoming events include our Après-Ski Party (in January, see page 3 for more details), Bags and Bubbles (in April), and Spring House Tour (in May). As always, I encourage everyone to go and to have fun and also to thank everyone behind these events for the great job they are doing! The holiday season is usually a hectic time both for New Yorkers generally and for members of the New York Junior League in particular. This year is no exception. So, in closing, I would once again like to say “thank you” for dedicating so much time and effort to helping the NYJL improve the lives of the less fortunate New Yorkers around us. All that we have accomplished so far this year is thanks to your efforts and support. I hope you will all take some time to rest and recharge over the holidays while spending time with your families and loved ones. And I am truly excited to see everything that we can accomplish in 2014!

Calendar

Visit the calendar on the Membership Area of www.nyjl.org for additional event information.

ja n ua ry

f e b rua ry

1 Wednesday New Years Day, NYJL closed

1 Saturday Affiliation Run Club, 9:30 a.m.

4 Saturday Affiliation Run Club, 9:30 a.m.

5 Wednesday Intermediate Bridge Class, 11:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. Advanced Bridge Class, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.

7 Tuesday Daytime Book Group, The Lieutenant, by Kate Grenville, 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. 8 Wednesday Intermediate Bridge Class, 11:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. Advanced Bridge Class, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. 9 Thursday Lecture Luncheon: Meeting Challenges Head on in Times of Trouble, 11:45 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. 14 Tuesday Duplicate Bridge, 1:15 p.m. 15 Wednesday Intermediate Bridge Class, 11:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. Advanced Bridge Class, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Evening Book Group, Bring Up the Bodies, by Hilary Mantel, 6:30– 8:30 p.m. New Membership Orientations, 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. 16 Thursday January Birthday Lunch, 12:00 p.m. Advanced Beginner Bridge Class, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Community Improvement Project workday, 6:00 p.m. 20 Monday Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – NYJL Closed 21 Tuesday Nonfiction Book Group, The President’s Club: Inside the World’s Most Exclusive Fraternity, by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy, 6:30 p.m. 22 Wednesday Intermediate Bridge Class, 11:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. Career Networking, 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. Advanced Beginner Bridge Class, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Dinner and NYC Ballet’s ‘Jewels’, 5:15 p.m. 23 Thursday Advanced Beginner Bridge Class, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Evening Great Decisions, Assessing threats to the U.S., 6:00 p.m. Community Improvement Project workday, 6:00 p.m.

6 Thursday Lecture Luncheon: Kathy Doyle, 11:45 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. 8 Saturday Brunch and ‘Rusalka’ Live in HD, 11:00 a.m. 11 Tuesday Daytime Book Group, Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. New Membership Orientations, 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. 12 Wednesday Intermediate Bridge Class, 11:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. Advanced Bridge Class, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. 13 Thursday Advanced Beginner Bridge Class, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. 17 Monday Presidents’ Day – NYJL Closed 18 Tuesday February Birthday Lunch, 12:00 p.m. 19 Wednesday Travel Talk Lunch, 12:30-2:00 p.m. Evening Book Group, Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness, by Susannah Cahalan, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. 21 Friday Outstanding Sustainers Celebration, 7:00 p.m. 25 Tuesday Nonfiction Book Group, Ghengis Khan and the Making of the Modern World, by Jack Weatherford, 6:30 p.m. 26 Wednesday Daytime Great Decisions, Defense Technology, 11:00 a.m. Intermediate Bridge Class, 11:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. Career Networking, 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. Advanced Beginner Bridge Class, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. 27 Thursday Advanced Beginner Bridge Class, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Evening Great Decisions, Defense Technology, 6:00 p.m.

24 Friday Astor House Events Winter Party, 7:00 – 11:00 p.m. 25 Saturday Community Improvement Project workday, 10:00 a.m. 28 Tuesday Winter Antiques Show and Lunch, 10:45 a.m. 29 Wednesday Daytime Great Decisions, Assessing threats to the U.S., 11:00 a.m. Intermediate Bridge Class, 11:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. Advanced Bridge Class, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. 30 Thursday Advanced Beginner Bridge Class, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Carats, Cocktails, and Gems, 6:30 p.m.

ALPINE ESCAPE WINTER PARTY

woosh into ski season at the 3rd Annual Alpine Escape, Après-Ski Soirée, on Friday, January 24 from 7 to 11 p.m. The Astor House will be transformed into a cozy ski chalet as guests toast chill-chasing beverages and nibble tasty hors d’oeuvres. Includes special admission to an exclusive after-party and festive party favors. Advance tickets are available until 5 p.m. on January 17 for $75 for NYJL volunteers (limit 2), $95 for the general public. After January 17, tickets are $110. Après-ski attire is encouraged. Purchase your tickets today at www.nyjl.org.

Sustainers Welcome College-Age Provisionals

he Sustainer committee congratulates the

members of the Thanksgiving Eve Ball (TEB) committee for introducing this year’s College-Age Provisionals to the NYJL. Now in its 65th year, the TEB is held in honor of the NYJL’s newest and youngest members. Chairs of the Ball, Ruth Ann McSpadden and Caroline Williamson, report that this year’s TEB was again a great success. We look forward to these young ladies becoming leaders at the NYJL.

Madeleine Dixon Bricken Charlotte Ainsley Winifred Cowles Cosima Gemma Corsi Pauline Isabella Cronin Emma Elizabeth Davis Gabriella Sarah Garr Charlotte Page Glatt Deanna Hope Grayson Mercedes de Guardiola Katherine Jane Stratford Harlow Heather Anne Harris Meredith Clare Horan Jane Baruch Jeffery Emily Cardelús Jones Kathryn Lyon Keough Zoe Banks L’Esperance Alexa Nicole Vera Liddle Alexandra Claire Lynn Sydney Alexandra Mandelbaum Caroline Hart McCown Julianna Bowen Miller Annalee Turner Rubin Caroline Reed Shapiro Kendall Morgan Shedden Mary Sayre Sherrill Geige Walton Silver Alexandra Elena Skoler Maria Isabel Villalba

Welcome CollegeAge 4 Provisionals

he Sustainer committee congratulates the members of the Thanksgiving Eve Ball (TEB) committee for introducing this

Dear New York Junior League Volunteers, As we begin the New Year, the Sustainers are busy organizing many exciting events and lectures for the winter/spring season. The second Duplicate Bridge will be held on Tuesday, January 14 at Headquarters. Enjoy an a la carte lunch prepared by Chef John Donnelly before starting your game. Later in the month, on January 30, Carats, Cocktails, and Gems, a history of the diamond district, will be the topic of an exciting evening event, co-hosted by the Sustainer evening subcommittee and the Affiliation committee. The topic for our lecture luncheon on February 6, “Discovering Value: Current Trends in the Jewelry Market” – a Conversation with Kevin Zavian and Kathleen M. Doyle of Doyle Gallery, will educate us on the sparklers we all aspire to own. I hope to see you at the Outstanding Sustainer reception on Friday, February 21, at Headquarters to honor Outstanding Sustainers, Nancy Blackford and Gregg Swain. These women continue to serve the NYJL and the New York City community. Nancy and Gregg have exemplified the mission behind the “I volunteer” campaign and the NYJL core values. We extend our sincere congratulations. In addition, a Sustainer mentoring program is under way within the Special Events area. It is a way for Sustainers to be involved with an Active committee without the commitment of attending weekly meetings. The mentors are providing their experience and knowledge to train these volunteers to be effective fundraisers and leaders. To those Sustainers who currently are serving on active committees, kudos! The NYJL is very fortunate to have such dedicated women who continue to volunteer their time to serve the needs of the City in which we live. Warm regards, Jeannie Egas-Trouveroy Sustainer Chair and Council Head for Sustainers

November luncheon a “Blooming” Success

n Thursday, November 7, NYJL volunteers and their guests enjoyed a lecture luncheon featuring Grayson Handy, author of Flowers for the Home, Influences from the World Over, organized by Lea Carroll and Celeste Rault. Each table was beautifully designed by Grayson for an elegant autumn dinner, a holiday dinner, a wedding and a casual dinner. Each guest received a beautiful three-fold pamphlet with entertaining tips and were able to purchase their own Event co-chair, Celeste Rault Photo credit: Jeannie Egas-Trouveroy copy of Grayson’s beautifully-illustrated book. Chef John Donnelly, who prepared another delectable dining experience, even provided the recipes for the menu. With the Harriman Room so artfully decorated, the Astor House is a wonderful venue for hosting all types of events – from holiday dinners to birthday parties to corporate events or just fun cocktail parties. Something to keep in mind when planning your next event!

NYJL Offers Opportunities for Nonprofits To Expand

he Nonprofit Boards Clearinghouse committee successfully concluded their fall nonprofit training course and is now gearing up for their spring course. Participants gained competence and confidence in board leadership skills through workshops on topics that included board roles and responsibilities, monitoring financial policies, understanding legal responsibilities of board members, and developing strategic plans. The final night of the course included a Q&A session with current nonprofit executive directors, which was followed by a networking event with over 35 nonprofit organizations. “NPBC plays two important roles,” says Courtney Guzman, Training Council Head. “First, adhering to the NYJL mission by internally developing our volunteers to understand the intricacies of board governance, and secondly by opening the training to the public and therefore educating our community partners.” The NBPC committee’s five-night spring course will be held at the NYJL on Wednesday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. on March 26, April 2, 9, 16, and 23. Due to high demand, a one-day course will also be offered on Saturday, April 12. The course is $300 for NYJL volunteers and $325 for the general public. Please visit nyjl.org for more information. Also announced for the spring is the 12th Annual NYJL Forum for Nonprofits, which will take place on April 9, from 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. This year’s theme is “Indelible Impact: Creating an Effective Community Footprint.” Nonprofits must increasingly develop partnerships with local businesses, community leadership, and other nonprofits to achieve success and have impact. Distinguished panelists will discuss how nonprofits can involve their communities to improve their effectiveness. “The NYJL Forum for Nonprofits picks themes that are strategic components to the training of both volunteers and staff of nonprofits” says Guzman. Invited panelists from both profit and not for profit sectors will lead discussions about best practices, real life examples, and practical steps to achieve the most profound impact. Advance tickets are $50, which includes breakfast and lunch, and will go on sale on January 15. For more information on both events, please visit nyjl.org.

62nd Annual Winter Ball

eave the winter blues behind at this year’s Winter Ball, “Enchantment in the Secret Garden.” Author Frances Hodgson Burnett famously writes in The Secret Garden, “If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.” Taking cues from the pages of this literary classic, the NYJL’s Winter Ball committee will honor seven exceptional volunteers who exemplify commitment to serving the New York City community and tending to the needs of local women and children. Please join us as the Winter Ball returns to Manhattan’s famed hotel, The Pierre, on Saturday, March 1, 2014. Enchantment in the Secret Garden features a cocktail reception, a VIP Reception for Harriman Circle Ticket holders, a seated dinner, silent and live auctions, and dessert and dancing. For more Winter Ball news, including opportunities for underwriting and to purchase tickets please see nyjl.org.

NYJL Senior Friends Enriching Many Lives

he purpose of the NYJL Senior Friends committee is to enrich the lives of the senior residents at the Jewish Home and Hospital by providing weekly activities designed to engage, excite, and offer an escape. Senior Friends meets on Tuesdays at Jewish Home Lifecare (JHL), which provides healthcare services and assistance for elders. Each week, two event captains plan and lead activities for JHL residents such as trivia, bingo, pumpkin painting, games, jewelry making (even the male residents enjoy this one!), therapy dog visits, and craft projects. In December, the committee planned a holiday bazaar where residents “shopped” for gifts Senior Friends rounded up. At the end of the year, Senior Friends will hold an exciting spring finale with performances by “Elvis and Priscilla,” a husband and wife team who own The King In Me Productions. They put on a great show for the residents, who yell requests, sing along, and dance in their wheelchairs. Elvis even throws scarves out to the audience, and the event is always the highlight of the year! The committee works with anywhere from 20 to 40 residents each week, who always look forward to the programs. Last year, Senior Friends offered two nights of programming for JHL residents, and the committee’s goal is to return to offering both Monday and Tuesday opportunities to both NYJL volunteers and the residents – hopefully this spring. Senior Friends is also still accepting new volunteers for the 2013-2014 year, so tell your Provisional friends!

Meet the 2014 Outstanding Sustainers and Outstanding Volunteers Outstanding Sustainers Nancy Geer Blackford “I volunteer with the NYJL because I know that I am working with bright, capable, and well trained women who are committed to making a difference in the New York City community.” Nancy initially joined the NYJL seeking “valuable volunteer experiences and the opportunity to work with other dedicated and interesting women.” Today she is a member of the Thanksgiving Eve Ball committee. Nancy appreciates being involved with the committee and truly values both the funds the Ball raises for the NYJL’s community activities and the young women that the committee introduces to the NYJL as college-age Provisionals. Over her NYJL career, Nancy also served as Chair of the Training Task Force and the Vice President of Community Programming under the former Board of Managers governance structure. In recognition of her efforts, Nancy was named as a 1992 Outstanding Volunteer. Nancy also volunteered with a number of other organizations through the years and credits the NYJL for giving her “the confidence to know she could be a part of any board of a non-profit.” Currently, Nancy volunteers as a mentor at Harlem Academy, where she has worked with Miles, a third grade student, since he was in the first grade. She is also a member of the Williams College Parents Fund committee.

Gregg Deane Swain “I volunteer with the NYJL because I know that every week I can have a positive impact on the community while spending time with interesting and dedicated fellow Junior League volunteers.” As a native New Yorker, Gregg first learned the value of volunteering from her mother who sat on multiple non-profit boards and taught Gregg and her three siblings the importance of giving back to the community. Within the NYJL, she chaired the Playground Improvement Project, Project Muse, and Women’s Prison committees. In 2002, Gregg was recognized as an Outstanding Volunteer. An active volunteer in NYC, Gregg is grateful for how her NYJL experiences helped her on other boards. Outside the NYJL, Gregg is involved with the Bronx Charter School for Better Learning, the Church of the Epiphany, and the West Side YMCA. As a former member of the Grosvenor Neighborhood House Board of Directors, Gregg was instrumental in merging Grosvenor, which is also an NYJL Community Partner, with the West Side YMCA. This move allowed Grosvenor to continue to be “a thriving force for good” in Manhattan Valley. Gregg’s Doctorate in Clinical Psychology has helped with her volunteer board work. Recently, she has been enjoying work on a new project: co-authoring “Mah Jong: The Art of the Game,” scheduled for publication in October 2014.

Outstanding Volunteers Robin L. Body “I volunteer because it feels wonderful to be part of something bigger than myself and to give back to the great NYC community. Volunteering pushes me to grow as a person, a leader, and a friend. Every project offers an opportunity to work with amazing NYJL women and to leave the city a little better than we found it.” For nearly a decade, Robin has shared her enthusiasm with every volunteer she has encountered. Robin began her NYJL experience on the FUNdraisers committee where she held the roles of Secretary and Vice-Chair, overseeing the End of Year Party and Spring Auction. Following her time in the Special Events area, Robin honed her leadership skills as a group leader and eventual co-chair of the Provisional Training committee. As co-chair, Robin helped to develop the Provisional Walking Tour activity, which gives Provisional volunteers a first-hand opportunity to see where Mary Harriman began her volunteer work on the Lower East Side. Robin also showed her leadership skills as a VTL co-chair, where she and her committee exceeded their Council Head’s expectations by planning the entire spring semester calendar by the end of January. Additionally, she was integral in instituting the first full year of online reservations for membership trainings. The NYJL has challenged Robin to step outside of her comfort zone at times, and she is grateful to the women along the way who have “encouraged me, and led by example to teach me how to be an empowered, involved and caring leader.“ Today, Robin is a volunteer on the Senior Friends committee and actively participates in the NYJL Run Club. Professionally, she is a freelance consultant testing quality assurance for educational software.

Colleen Caden “I volunteer because I love New York City and want to give back to a community that has given me so much. Volunteering also continuously teaches me something new - about people, about compassion and about myself.” Since joining the NYJL in 2005, Colleen has been influential in NYJL communications, revamping internal communications and assisting with the evolution of various NYJL publications. After being placed on the Publications committee, and subsequently going on to chair the committee, Colleen was appointed as the first Internal Communications Council Head under the revamped governance structure. As Internal Communications Council Head, Colleen was instrumental in such efforts as the launch of the Friday Flash, the re-launch of the NYJL’s print newsletter, NYJL Minute, and the revamping of the electronic newsletter, Up to the Minute. Colleen appreciates the NYJL for its ability to “foster and encourage its volunteers to reach for the stars and support you in every aspect of your efforts.”Currently, Colleen sits on the Board of Directors, chairs the Governance committee, and is a member of the Audit committee. Since 2009, Colleen has been a lawyer at Pryor Cashman LLP, where she is a Partner and the Chair of the firm’s Immigration Practice.

Anne-Marie Peterson McMahon “I volunteer to give back to our community and to help provide experiences and opportunities to those who are less fortunate and in challenging situations.” For the past 10 years Anne-Marie has made her mark in the NYJL fundraising area, holding co-chair roles on the FUNdraisers and Winter Ball committees as well as the Special Events Council Head. In 2010 as Winter Ball co-chair, Anne-Marie pitched the first “Fill the Need” cash call in order to increase fundraising revenue. Since 2010, “Fill the Need” has become a signature part of the Winter Ball live auction. Anne-Marie currently holds the role of Volunteer Development Council Head on the Management Council. She finds the opportunity to be a part of promoting volunteerism and developing the potential of our provisional volunteers to be one of her most rewarding NYJL experiences. She says, “I only have to talk to a provisional to remember why it was that I chose the NYJL as the means through which to give back to the community.” Anne-Marie works at Credit Suisse Securities in the investment banking division.

Lauren Jenkins Chung “I volunteer because I love the city of New York and want to give back to a place and people that have given so much to me. The NYJL has allowed me to do just that all while gaining invaluable leadership skills and building treasured friendships.” Since transferring to the NYJL from Washington D.C. in 2006, Lauren has utilized her talents and interests in advocacy and strategic planning to inspire her fellow New Yorkers and volunteers. She has advocated for anti-human trafficking legislation and led statewide League efforts in advocating on behalf of merit time for incarcerated survivors of domestic violence in conjunction with the Women in Prison Project. In 2011, Lauren turned her attention to the area of strategic planning, serving as a co-chair of the Research and Strategic Planning committee. As co-chair, Lauren was responsible for the development and initiation of metrics surveys for all League committees which help volunteers to “track the work they are doing and understand the importance and value of gathering an accurate measurement of the countless hours we contribute as volunteers.” Currently, Lauren serves on the Management Council as the Strategic Planning Council Head, where she is taking the reach of her work on the Research and Strategic Planning committee further by implementing metric surveys for the rest of the League including the Management Council, Board, and Board committees.

Amanda Koenig Stone “I volunteer to give people hope for a better life than they imagined was possible.” Amanda has given her time and energy to a number of community activities over the past 13 years, providing support to those in need including children who had experienced neglect and homelessness, young women in at-risk communities, and incarcerated women. As chair of the Bellevue Buddies committee, Amanda started a tradition of reading to the kids during snack time since none of them had ever had a story read to them. She also used her professional contacts to have lights installed on the rooftop playground at Bellevue Hospital so that the children, who live and go to school in the Hospital, would have a place to play in the evenings. In recognition of her efforts, Amanda was selected as a 2004 NYJL Woman to Watch. Amanda is appreciative to the NYJL for “allowing me to take on leadership roles that were not available to me professionally.” Currently she is putting her “I Volunteer” statement into action as the Adult Education and Mentoring Council Head. Professionally, Amanda is a Project Manager with EBI Consulting, Inc. where she provides construction consulting services to commercial lenders. Amanda continues her relationship with W by Worth, where she enjoys styling her friends in high-end private label women’s clothing.

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I volunteer because Hilary McNamara – Provisional Training & Community Strategy committees

I volunteer because... “I am fortunate to have both the opportunity and ability to give back to the community in which I live. The good fortune to do so as part of an organization where I have made wonderful friends and learned from some remarkable women is a terrific added benefit.”

Echo Bloom – New Beginnings I volunteer because… “I want to lead by example. I hope that by contributing my time to those in need I can inspire others along the way to do the same.”