However, even with all of that moving (and with the gracious help of the Vermont Food Bank) we are still up to our eyeballs in diapers to be distributed and tasks to jump into both at the Diaper Bank and in the community. So, be sure and sign up for some opportunities to get plugged in and help out. There are also plenty of opportunities to socialize and give back when you aren’t volunteering or attending our first GMM including but not limited to: hiking, navigating a huge corn maze and donating to the League with a click of a button on Amazon Smile. There’s even an opportunity for you to use your voice if you’re an active member and vote to approve some (much needed) proposed amendments to our Bylaws and Standing Rules. I think that just about covers it but I urge you to read this newsletter in its entirety as there is SO much going on. Thank you all for your ongoing participation, joy and can do attitudes. It truly is an honor to serve as your President. I look forward to seeing y’all soon!

Yours in Volunteering,

Mary-Katherine

We are working on getting things rolling for the fall! Here’s a quick update on what’s been happening this summer and ways you can volunteer this fall:

• August was a busy month as we worked to secure a plan to empty the rest of the diapers (19 pallets) out of the mall - see pictures below. We are so grateful to have had the free space since March, and it's always a bit of a scramble to move things...it's a relief to have it done! The Vermont Foodbank generously stepped forward to provide free trucking for us - we moved 8 pallets over to the bank and donated the rest (43,000+) to the Foodbank for distribution through their network. A HUGE thank you to Sarah Lenes, Agnes Kuo, and Charity Clark for helping with the moving!
• Thanks to Kate Hampton for her excellent Newborn-packaging work on September 1st!
• Amanda is hoping to participate on the National Diaper Bank Network call with Senator Leahy and his staff. NDBN is advocating for a $200 million funding package for diaper banks nationally. The diaper bank will provide a summary of the call at the September GMM if it's taken place. I am looking forward to learning more!
• September's South Burlington distribution is tomorrow (Wednesday the 8th) and as of this writing we have 16 agencies picking up! The dates through the end of the year are on the calendar so please take a look and sign up for a shift. Since we do have funding, our need for repackaging has gone down as we can purchase pre-wrapped diapers - a huge time saver!
• So far this year we've distributed 604,000+ diapers - pretty incredible when we reflect that last year (a HUGE year of growth) we distributed 458,148 which seemed amazing at the time. The need is still out there!
• Please save your medium-large boxes and bring them to the bank!

The Diaper Bank will continue to have volunteer opportunities each month for diaper repackaging, diaper distributions, and more.

The Ronald McDonald house room redecorating committee is coming back after a summer hiatus.  Zoom meeting Wednesday September 8th from 7-8. Please come join us and help us get the donations started and then get the actual decorations done. We would love to have you!

We are working on putting together a full calendar of DIADs. They will be posted for the calendar soon but given the COVID situation, there is more uncertainty than normal.

One great way to help from your own house is to help with the advocacy efforts. Lindsay Cahill-Lord is working with Amanda Herzberger and Jessica Rossi on next steps. Please contact her if you want to be part of those discussions (lbcahill16@gmail.com), or look for updates at coming meetings.

If you have any suggestions on community projects or want to get involved, please contact me at karenspach@gmail.com.

Each month the JLCV newsletter will feature a different committee or chair position to assist members both new and old in understanding the League and all its moving parts. This month's spotlight is on the Nominating and Placement Committee.

The Nominating and Placement Committee, in consultation with the JLCV Board of Directors, plays a crucial role in identifying and slating members into leadership positions each League year. Helping with the N&P process this year is the N&P Committee, Kathleen James, Agnes Kuo and Jessica Ralston, who hold other committee positions as well.

The N&P process typically begins in January, when we hold our annual Placement Fair that exposes members to all the League positions available. After the Fair takes place, members indicate their top three committee/chair choices for the upcoming League year. This year, I’m excited to announce that we will be kicking things off a bit earlier in order to take advantage of AJLI’s new Nominating and Placement Matching Tool! This online placement tool will both streamline the N&P process and, most importantly, enable us to better place members intentionally and meaningfully in positions that match their interests, skills and leadership goals. 

We hope that with our help, each JLCV member will identify and find the position best suited to her needs and stage in life. One of the advantages of being in a small League like JLCV is the ability of our members to experience a variety of committee positions and assess how those positions can play into your life outside the League. I know many members who took on a committee position outside their comfort zone and now have a completely new skill set they otherwise may not have had. The N&P Committee is excited to help members find the position right for them as we all progress on our JLCV journey!

Happy September ladies! I am very excited to get the new League year started. A big thank you to everyone who was able to join us for the new member socials! We met some amazing women from our community and look forward to seeing them at the September GMM. Also please welcome Krystal Granzow who transferred from the League in Lubbock, Texas! 

Upcoming social events for September include the following:

Saturday, September 11th - Walk/hike at Mill River Park in Jericho at 9:00 am led by Katelyn Shea, sign up on the website!

Sunday, September 26th - The Great Vermont Corn Maze in Danville, time is TBD led by me! I’ll be posting about this in the Facebook group and the September GMM to figure out tickets/time!

Also mark your calendars for Tuesday, October 12th for our October GMM, which is also a Welcome Back BBQ! Our meeting will take place at the Isham Family Farm in Williston from 6-8 in their beautiful barn space. It will be a potluck (which we’ll talk about more at the September GMM) with a great training that will be more active and hands on than our previous trainings! We are encouraging active, provisional and sustainer members to join us for this fun fall event. 

Why did you join the JLCV?
My mom was a member of the Junior League. We moved around a lot growing up, and one of the first things my mom would do when we got somewhere new was to reach out to the local Junior League. Philanthropy has always been a cornerstone of my family's values and it's something that I'd love to share with my children. 

What's your favorite JLCV memory?
I had so much fun at Katie's Harry Potter themed zoom trivia! It was so nice to get to know other ladies in the league and to acknowledge our shared love of HP. I'm so looking forward to many more events.

What have you learned from being in the League? 
Where there's a will, there's a way. The last 18 months haven't been easy, on so many levels, but the league has thrived despite the road blocks in our way. It's really inspiring to see people who are so passionate about helping our neighbors. 

What are some other activities you do outside the League? 
My life is mostly kids (Lily is 3 and Bill is 1) and real estate right now. Like nearly everyone in Vermont, we love to hike, go berry picking and just be outside. I have three younger sisters and the four of us live all over the country (Philadelphia, Fairfield, CT and Los Angeles), so travel is really important to us.

Throughout the year, the Finance & Fundraising team will be reaching out with an array of opportunities to support, promote, and raise funds for the Junior League and the Diaper Bank in unique and fun ways! Below are a few of our ongoing and somewhat upcoming fundraising opportunities. 

Amazon Smile
Amazon Smile is a website operated by Amazon that lets you enjoy the same shopping experience as Amazon.com, but with a benefit to the Junior League. Amazon Smile will donate 0.5% of qualifying purchases to the League when you shop smile.Amazon.com and select JLCV as your charity of choice. If you haven't yet registered, please take a moment to visit JLCV's page at https://smile.amazon.com/ch/03-0317619. 

Community Nights
Community Nights are an opportunity to partner with local restaurants to encourage members and our community to dine in/take out from a local restaurant while a portion of the proceeds are donated to JLCV. We aim to coordinate at least a few community nights per year and would welcome any input in terms of local restaurants to partner with. 

#GivingTuesday 
JLCV participated in Giving Tuesday last year and it was a resounding success, raising over $10,000 for the Diaper Bank! This was an amazing opportunity for JLCV to highlight the wonderful work of the Diaper Bank, while also raising additional funds to sustain our state-wide distribution. We are planning to bring back this amazing fundraising effort this year. Planning and organization of this event will start early in the fall. If you are interested in taking on a more active role for this fundraiser, please reach out to Katie or Jessie at treasurer@jlcv.org. 

BYLAW AND STANDING RULES UPDATES

The Governance Committee (formerly the Bylaw Committee) met over the summer to ensure our governing documents reflect both best practices and the requirements of state law and AJLI. As a result of this review, the Board is proposing several amendments to the Bylaws to better reflect our current operating structure, including the consolidation of the recording and responding secretary position and streamlining of committees. Bylaw changes require a majority vote of the active membership, provided a quorum is present at the GMM. If you are an active member and will not be in attendance at the September GMM, you are invited to submit an absentee vote by emailing info@jlcv.org no later than noon on Tuesday, September 14. In addition to amending the Bylaws, the Governance Committee also prepared revised Standing Rules for the 2021-22 league year which were approved by the Board of Directors at its most recent meeting. The Standing Rules may be viewed below.