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Despite the snow squalls, false spring and second winter, spring is truly just around the corner. That means that it’s the time to start thinking about the upcoming League year and a new slate. You should have received an email from Jenn or myself over the past month, but here’s a gentle reminder to send your placement preferences to us as soon as possible (no later than March 15). It’s never too early to think about growing your leadership skills in the League and/or learning about areas of interest. So, put yourself out there! In addition to nominating and placement, there are plenty of other things going on this month including but not limited to: some exciting news about our efforts to address diaper need in the Statehouse, savvy ways to fundraise for the League throughout the year and as always-lots of diapers to repackage!
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Yours in Volunteering,
Mary-Katherine
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Happy March ladies!
It is crazy to believe how fast time has been flying this year and that we are almost to spring. That means it is time to start thinking about end of the year awards including Outstanding Member, Rising Star and potentially a couple more to be discussed at the upcoming March GMM so stay tuned! If you already have a member in mind that you would like to nominate, please submit their name and a brief explanation to me via email. We will be announcing the recipients of these awards at the May GMM.
I wanted to take a moment and welcome Amy Bergeron and Heidi Upton! Amy recently moved to Vermont and has previously been involved with the Junior League of Chicago. Heidi also recently moved to Vermont and has previously been involved with the Junior League chapters in Oakland Bay East and New York.
Upcoming social events for March include the following:
- Sunday, March 13th via Zoom from 7:00-8:00 PM - JLCV Book Club: Wild Women and the Blues led by Kathleen James.
- Friday, March 25th from 5:30-7:30 - Bowling at Spare Time in Colchester led by Katie Bazzano
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Featured Speaker:
Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale
Please join us on Tuesday March 8, 2022 for a wide-ranging conversation with Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale.We will discuss such timely topics as: Women’s economic empowerment, volunteerism, advocacy and the future of nonprofits in Vermont.
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Biography:
Kesha Ram Hinsdale of Burlington, Chittenden County, Democrat, was born in Los Angeles and attended public schools in Santa Monica, California. She received a BS in Natural Resource Planning and a BA in Political Science from the University of Vermont in 2008, where she was Student Government Association President and graduated magna cum laude. Kesha earned her Master of Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in 2018. Her career in Vermont has spanned preschool education, legal advocacy for victims of domestic violence, and municipal civic engagement. She currently works to build social equity and inclusion in non-profit organizations, businesses, school districts, and municipalities. She served in the Vermont House of Representatives on behalf of Burlington, Chittenden District 6-4 from 2008 to 2016, where she sat on the House General, Housing & Military Affairs and Ways & Means Committees, and as Vice Chair of the House Natural Resources & Energy Committee. She has also served as Co-Chair of the Vermont Attorney General's Immigration Task Force, and as a member of the boards of Emerge Vermont, the Main Street Alliance of Vermont, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, the Regenerative Food Network, and the Vermont Natural Resources Council. Kesha lives with her husband, Jacob Hinsdale, who grew up on Country Cedars Farm in Charlotte, and their dog, Miso.
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Thank you,
Claudia Lovell Tetreault
New Member/Recruitment Committee
Email Claudia
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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: LARISSA WOODS
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Name and preferred pronouns:
Larissa Woods (she, her)
Hometown:
Saint Albans, Vermont
Employer/Job Position:
Recruiter for the Vermont Army National Guard
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JLCV Position/Committee:
PR/Social Media Chair
Why did you join the JLCV?
I had been trying to find a way to get out into the community and give back. While looking up places to volunteer I came across the Junior League page. After looking into the organization a little more I realized that volunteering on my own would be fine. Getting to volunteer with so many like minded women would be great.
Tell us about the position(s) you hold in the League.
I am currently the PR and social Media Chair. In this position I manage our public Facebook page, and assist with the diaper bank’s facebook page. I collect pictures from members, and build posts so people can see all of the amazing things our members are doing.
What's your favorite JLCV memory?
Being a part of the 1 million diaper donation! It’s amazing knowing that with being a smaller league, we were still able to accomplish something on this scale.
What have you learned from being in the League?
I have learned that volunteering is more than just showing up sometimes. It has given me a lot of respect for the people that find the time, and make time to give back.
What are some other activities you do outside the League?
Being a mother of three keeps me pretty busy keeping up with their schedules. The oldest being a freshman this year, the youngest starting preschool this year, and my middle starting junior high. I have 17 years in the military and that means free time is also spent working out when I can. I love boxing and practicing Muay Thai. For the past 7 years my husband and I have also owned and ran The Grind Cafe in Saint Albans. This past year we sold the cafe, and now just roast and sell the whole bean coffee. When I have free time from all of these other things I like to find other ways to volunteer my time and give back by helping with the local Veggie van and help organize Blood drives.
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As a reminder, there are always opportunities to raise money for JLCV!
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.
Facebook Fundraiser
Whether you have a birthday coming up and you want to ask friends to donate in lieu of gifts, or are just looking to ask your friends to support JLCV, an easy way to raise funds is through a Facebook Fundraiser! Just click the '+' button in the top right, click fundraiser, select Non-profit, and then type in "The Junior League of the Champlain Valley Inc." Change the details as you see fit and click post! 100% of funds raised through your post will be donated to JLCV through Network for Good. Email treasurer@jlcv.org with how much you raised so we can be sure to send you a thank you!
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Reimbursement
Have you spent any money for a JLCV event or other activity this League year (starting in July)? Don't forget to submit a reimbursement form and your receipts! You can either request to be reimbursed for the money you have spent or have it treated as a donation, and not be reimbursed. It is important that the Finance team knows all funds that are spent on League activities in order to properly budget for future years. Email treasurer@jlcv.org with any questions or to request/submit the reimbursement form.
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AJLI continues to consider member feedback on updates to the mission statement used by the Association and all member leagues. On behalf of JLCV, Jenn Papillo participated in a Delegate Dialogue earlier this month with representatives of leagues around the country, to discuss the current proposal:
“The Mission of the Junior League is to mutually build the power of women’s leadership and meaningful community impact through effective volunteer action, collaboration, and education.”
It is AJLI’s hope to adopt an updated mission statement at the AJLI Annual Meeting in May. However, additional refinement is expected before that vote is scheduled. If you would like to share your thoughts with AJLI, please complete this survey no later than March 4. If adopted, JLCV will need to consider the impact on our own operations and messaging.
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Committee placements for next year are currently being assigned. If you have not yet responded to N+P outreach from Jenn Papillo or Mary Katherine Stone, please do so no later than March 15. The officer and director slate, as well as the committee placement roster, will be announced later this month and voted on at the Annual Meeting on April 12.
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Progress continues to be made on the advocacy front. The Senate Committee on Health and Welfare this month took testimony on S.198, an act relating to the Diaper Need Working Group, including remarks by member Amanda Herzberger, sustainer Charity Clark and Vermont Foodbank CEO John Sayles. Amanda and Charity's testimony can be viewed here starting at 48:30. The discussion was robust and Senators seemed engaged and interested in the issue. Instead of passing S.198 as written, the Foodbank has agreed to help lead a more informal working group to include the Diaper Bank, Building Bright Futures, the Department of Children and Families and the Parent Child Center Network. This feels like a good middle ground where the work will still be done but we won't have to wait until the summer to get started. We have asked the committee for help with funding for the next year as we work through the process of determining a more long-term solution. We hope to have updates on the status of more funding in time for next month's newsletter. In the meantime, please check out this commentary featured in VTDigger by JLCV friend Wendy Rice, discussing #diaperneed and the importance of a publicly funded diaper distribution program to help address economic and health inequities in Vermont's most vulnerable population. Thank you Wendy for your words and support!
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Sixteen pallets of ordered diapers arrived in mid-February that should keep the Diaper Bank going through March and April. We distributed over 64,000 diapers in February to bring our yearly total so far to 131,000!! Thanks to those who helped receive the diapers and move them into place for our next distribution. We have a few repackagings available for sign-up in March so check the calendar for those at jl.org. If you'd prefer to come in on your own, please reach out to Amanda for guidance on what to do. Thanks to all!
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Thank you,
Karen Spach
Community Projects VP
Email Karen
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COMMITTEE SPOTLIGHT: PRESIDENT
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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 President.
Who is the President?
The President is the chief executive officer of the League. As CEO, the President directs the League’s operations, represents the League in the community, and maintains communications between the League and AJLI. The President presides at all meetings of the General Membership and Board.
What Does the President Do?
Attends and participates in Board meetings, serves as the official League spokesperson and represents the League in the community, serves as primary point of contact with AJLI, approves editorial policy for external communications on all League subjects, presides at all meetings of the General Membership and Board, helps to ensure the financial integrity of the organization, coordinates and directs the Board orientation/retreat, sets meeting calendar for operational year ahead, acts as a non-voting ex-officio member of all committees (except the Nominating Committee, where she serves in an advisory capacity), maintains familiarity with files and League projects to facilitate administration, facilitates adherence to and progression of annual and/or strategic plan, submits Annual Report to the League at the Annual Meeting and submits a monthly update for the newsletter and approves content of newsletter prior to production.
How do you become the President?
Start getting involved now! Serve on a committee, become a committee chair, work towards serving as a member of the board, utilize AJLI as a resource to cultivate your leadership skills, attend trainings offered by our League and speak up. It's never too early to think about being a fit for this position!
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NEED TO PROMOTE SOMETHING?
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