Junior League of Yakima

2008-2009 A Year of Achievements

Community Impact

The Junior League of Yakima is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of its trained volunteers.  Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.

• Worked with EPIC to write and develop the SWSF brochure that will be used to recruit new mentors from the community

• Organized 5 successful SWSF events that involved JLY membership, the SWSF mothers, children, and the JL mentors

• Recruited 25 JLY members to provide childcare during the events, donated clothing and hygiene items and toys, and maintained 7 mentor matches between JL members and EPIC mothers.

• Provided funding (approx. $12,000) for SWSF program, brochure, events, and one-time scholarships to mentees.

• The SWSF project has provided members training and advocacy on the culture of poverty, addiction, boundary setting and impact of creating healthy families.

• Planned a nutrition and exercise seminar for SWSF women

• Reviewed 15 possible applicants and awarded grant money to 7 organizations whose goals were compatible with those of JLY.

• Participated in the 4^th consecutive year in AJLI’s international initiative to combat childhood obesity, Kids in the Kitchen. JLY new actives coordinated this event and over 100 children participated.

• Provided numerous DIAD opportunities for JL membership in addition to supporting EPIC: collecting stuffed animals for Rotaplast International; Toys for Tots; Buddy Bag Project to support Voices for Children; Reading to children at the Circle of Success monthly Story Time

• JL members donated over 3 bins of healthcare products for the women’s shelter, 25 blankets for Memorial Hospital’s NICU center, and over 65 books for children’s literacy.

• JL members assembled 25 ‘Buddy Bags’ full of clothing and comfort items to help support foster children during transition to new homes.

•  Created and help produced the 75^th Anniversary PSA w/KIMA-TV

• Hosted first time-ever ‘Womenhood- The Divine Comedy’ event for the community, attended by over 100 people,conducted 3 radio interviews for event (KUSA, KIT, KFFM) (Nov. ’08)

• Promoted JLY through Press releases, Yakima Valley Business Times articles  (Aug. ’08 & May ‘09), Yakima Herald-Republic article (May ’09), Scholarship Article in Yakima Herald-Republic

• Creation of cookbook marketplace cards to distribute to community

• Maintaining and growing community connections through cookbook sales with local vendors, wineries, and bazaars, promotion of COTB through community forums, website, and distribution of tickets and event posters.

• Yearlong research and membership approved Community Impact Project on Child Nutrition for JLY direction; expanding our current KITK, and focusing on combating childhood obesity.

Training

The Junior League of Yakima is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of its trained volunteers.  Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.

• Continued gifts and memorials program for members who have become parents, or have passed away.

• Monthly communications were disseminated via the Apple Announcements or the JLY website

• Held events for JL members to gather and spend time together; holiday party, wine tasting party (over 50 people attended), beer making 101, Hands on Art, Trivia Nights, planting pots at LooWits Gardens

• 7 JL members attended the Fall Media Training; learning how to write a press release, and giving an interview to the media

• Membership participated in a demographic survey by the PR committee

• Sent 5 women to AJLI sponsored leadership trainings (ODI) in Albuquerque, sent 5 actives and 3 provisional members to Capitol Days (Jan ’09), 4 board members attended AJLI  leadership trainings in Kansas City, Birmingham, and Atlanta.

• Over 20 women participated in our two-part ‘Women in Leadership’ Training series, in May and February.

• 50 members attended the legislative reception in October sponsored by JLWS, Sen. Curtis King, Norm Johnson (candidate and has since been elected), Vicky Ybarra (candidate) and Rep. Charles Ross graciously attended and provided a Q & A opportunity.

• Successfully recruited and trained 31 fantastic new provisional members

• Provided educational information pertaining to JLY monthly at provisional meetings

• New Actives created and hosted our successful KITK event, covering all areas of media, implementation, fund raising, and budgeting.

• Successful February Follies educated all members on committee responsibilities and placements, 112 placements made

• Created an exit interview, new membership status, Platinum, to encourage membership to stay connected, and initiated a comeback campaign for women who have left JLY.

• Smith Barney presentation to Board regarding account updates, and drafted an investment policy statement

• Utilized Adobe InDesign program to make Apple Announcement more efficient, updated JL website, including links to upcoming events, and providing training to membership to access JL website; cleaned out and painted the JL office.

Fundraising

The Junior League of Yakima is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of its trained volunteers.  Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.

• New Actives hosted a fundraising event at Fresh Taste Meals for KITK($252 raised)

• Raised almost $1300 from: Womenhood: The Divine Comedy

• Drafted an investment policy statement and fine tuned our financial policies and procedures

• Collaborated with FRP for holiday cookbook sales, partial proceeds returned to JLY

• Began new cookbook sales in Pullman; Wild Ivy and Crimson and grey, new vendors

• Expanded local cookbook vendor list; Gilbert Cellars, Visitor Information Center, WA Fruit Place

• Commitment to keeping accurate and up to date account of cookbooks

• Raised over $80,000 from record-hot temperatures at COTB, and a net to JLY of around $40,000 to further our mission.

• Raised almost $3000 at the Placement Follies auction and donated proceeds to Youth Suicide Prevention Program.

• Raised almost $10,000 for Sustainer Legacy Fund which awards scholarships to women completing their education.

• Raised almost $7000 in cookbook sales.

• Facilitated an Annual Ask of the entire membership that has raised about $6,000 to date.

• Collaborated with the Greenway to create comprehensive budget information on past COTB and ticket selling-incentives for JL membership.

• Awarded $8500 to 7 local organizations whose goals were most compatible with those of JLY