Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach | www.JLNVB.org
Our Mission The Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Inc. 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. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.
Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach
Your 2011-2012 Board of Directors Connie McKenzie President
Melissa Steadman President-Elect
Ashley Gentry
Administrative Vice President
Maryann McChesney-Shaw Treasurer
Julie H. Stroh Treasurer-Elect
Ellie Desselle
Vice President of Fund Development
Stacy Long
Membership Vice President
Laura Bangor Community Vice President
Nancy Wilkinson
Communications Vice President
Angie Jones
At-Large Director
Visit our new website at www.JLNVB.org
Letter from the President Fall 2011 Welcome back to the official “League” year. Fall means that general membership meetings begin again and new candidates for membership form our 2011-2012 Provisional Class. Members were certainly busy during summer months planning the League year, recruiting additional League leaders, and developing a new website. I am excited about the year ahead and am proud that the League leadership team has responded to what you
Connie McKenzie
identified as what you want from your JLNVB member-
2011-2012 President
ship – impactful and flexible community hours, greater
Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Inc.
opportunity to brand the League and the opportunity to explore new fundraising ideas. I invite you to explore our website (www.jlnvb.org). Here you will find information on the history and current activities of the JLNVB. You will be inspired by the vibrant women who are part of our League. Thank you for your interest in the JLNVB and for supporting our mission. Best,
Connie McKenzie Connie McKenzie
Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach
What Speaks to Your Heart?
A Story of Inspiration from Former President, Debra Griggs Wednesday, September 21, 2011, our first General Membership Meeting was held at the Norfolk Chop House. We had a very large turn out of actives and sustainers. The highlight of the evening was a talk given by a Past President, Debra Griggs (1992-1993). Not only is Debra a successful Realtor for the past 30 years and has won numerous awards, but she finds time to still continue to give back to our community. In addition to her full time career, she has found time to volunteer for the Animal Welfare Coalition of Hampton Roads, Virginia Federation of Humane Societies, The Ryan White HIV CARE Consortium, Tidewater AIDS Crisis Taskforce, Women’s Multicultural Coalition and the Converse College Alumni Club in Norfolk. And, if that were not enough, in 1999, she founded the Animal Rescue of Tidewater (ART). Debra is truly a role model for all of us to aspire too, not only did she fulfill her obligations as a Junior League member, but she continues to help within the community where ever she is needed whether asked or not. I have included her speech from the meeting. It is truly a moving and detailed account of a woman who has and continues to make a difference. - Nancy Wilkinson, Communications Vice President
My League career began decades ago and included many roles over the years. I was President of the JLNVB, served on the AJLI Nominating Committee and the AJLI Board of Directors and perhaps less notable, but pivotal in my own life was founding the Women’s Multicultural Coalition as Immediate Past President of the League. That body of women and the work we did altered my life forever, and I would dare to say gave most of us a life-long commitment to ending discrimination. From very early on, I knew this was a unique place to serve. My mother mentored me and my sister to serve, to volunteer, but I was disenchanted with serving inside an organization. My experience, until I joined the League was that most service organizations were extremely well-intentioned but not terribly efficient or effective. But then I found the Junior League and a whole new world opened up. In the Junior League, things get done, not incessantly
Visit Junior ourLeague new website of Norfolk-Virginia at www.JLNVB.org Beach
talked about and, if you declare an area of commitment or a cause that resonates with you, someone is there to support you into taking that to the highest level you are willing and able. My view of how the League operated began when, as a Provisional, I called an Active Committee Chair to ask about an article she had written which had appeared in Tide-ings. Ingrid McGowan was that Committee Chair, who later became President but, at the time, was our SPAC or Public Affairs Chair. I told Ingrid I was interested in making a difference in the lives of those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and she helped me understand that the most urgent place to go to work was in the area of policies and laws. That phone call changed my life but more importantly, it changed the world. And, let me be clear about that – one relationship, one person – YOU can change the world. I went on to serve as this League’s Public Affairs Chair, later Chaired the State Public Affairs Committee, became a Board Member of Tidewater AIDS Crisis Taskforce, and then Chair of the Ryan White Care Consortium at EVMS which distributed millions of dollars to local service organizations who provided care and support to folks with HIV/AIDS. And I hope you hear that story not so much as not about what I “DID”; rather it is that this organization gave me the legs to do it. And that is what is available to you, if you grab it. There a mentors every around you. And because of that I would tell you that as you walk your Junior League journey, if you are offered a task or a job and you resist because it looks scary or you feel inadequate, YOU MUST DO IT. You will grow in a way you never expected and you will find a sisterhood of support that is replicated nowhere else. And you will gain skills and experiences that will serve you in every aspect of your life and for the rest of your life. Over 100 years ago, Mary Harriman and her privileged peers saw a need that wasn’t being met in the settlement houses of New York; they weren’t satisfied with the status quo and set about fulfilling unmet needs. Today, because of Junior League training, virtually every major social development in this Country has the League’s hand on it and, in virtually every case; it was because a single League member saw an unmet need in the community and mobilized her League sisters to respond.
Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach
We surely see that locally. Think of Lee’s Friends and Emily Filer, Prevent Child Abuse Hampton Roads and Betty Wade Coyle, Vicki Madison and Excellence Girls’ Club and Alice Mountjoy and Virginians Against Handgun Violence. What speaks to your heart? Where are you called to make a difference? Adelai Stevenson said: “The privilege and penalty of your education and the position you hold in your community is that over the coming decades, as in past decades, you will be pace setters for political and social thought. You may not accept this responsibility, but it makes no difference. It is inescapable for, if you decide to set no pace, to forward no new ideas, to dream no dreams, you still will be pace setters. You will simply have decided there is no pace.” As members of the Junior League, you will get all the tools you need to change the world – IF you avail yourselves of them. You will observe systems and processes that work, that generate real results and which can be replicated in any organization or initiative. And you will find fellow pace setters all around you. In 1999, I founded Animal Rescue of Tidewater based upon Junior League Principles of assessing community need and existing services, and organizing NOT to duplicate those existing services but to address unmet needs. Today we are one of the most respected animal rescue and advocacy organizations in the state, if not the Country and it is no coincidence that two League Sustainers serve on the ART Board. Our achievements in just over 10 short years are a testament to League practices. Early on, ART was more of a rescue group, meaning that we took in homeless dogs and cats, rehabbed them if needed and then re-homed them. Over the years we discovered that doing that did not get to the real systemic issues – over-population and policies that affected animals, so we turned our focus to spay/neuter and improved laws for animals. Just two examples of our changed approach can be seen in Spay HR and the Pit Bull Coalition. SpayHR which with nearly $100K in grant funds offers free spay/neuter to neighborhoods targeted for two factors – low income and high number of calls to Animal Control for Piper, the Pit Bull
Visit our new website at www.JLNVB.org
strays; to date - whether funded by SpayHR Grants or ART’s operating funds - ART has facilitated the spay/ neuter of nearly 1,500 dogs and cats. More importantly, based upon credible estimates of litters prevented by the spay/ neuter of each animal, we can say that ART has prevented the births of thousands of dogs and cats. The Pit Bull Awareness Coalition aims to end breed discrimination. And, in case you missed it – it is not lost on me that this group which I personally started is a natural off-shoot of the Women’s Multicultural Coalition. I stand for the end of judging people based solely upon physical characteristics and I feel just as strongly about this for dogs. Remember the Michael Vick pit bulls? Do you remember that the prevailing cry was to kill them all? One courageous Judge said no, that each would be evaluated individually and only one, ONE, was deemed too aggressive to be rehabilitated. ART was privileged to receive one of the Vick pit bulls and today that dog, Piper, is both a Canine Good Citizen and a Therapy Dog whose specialty is helping children improve their reading skills. In 2006, at ART’s bequest, the Virginia Attorney General issued an opinion that it is ILLEGAL to kill a dog in any publicly funded shelter based solely upon breed and in 2010 ART shepherded legislation in the General Assembly to codify this opinion. Shelters that once summarily killed any dog that “looked” like a bully breed, stopped. It is my personal commitment that in my lifetime, we will end the killing of all adoptable dogs and cats in shelters. Today I serve on the Board of the Virginia Federation of Humane Societies and from that view, I can tell you that in Virginia shelters we killed over 70,000 animals in 2010 or 191 PER DAY. Right here in Hampton Roads shelters, we killed approximately 15,000 which equates to 41 PER DAY. And the majority of these precious dogs and cats are completely healthy and adoptable but too often they are forgotten. I ask you to think of them and to help them by remembering this battle cry - Don’t Breed or Buy While Shelter Animals Die. So… What speaks to your heart? Where are you called to make a difference?
Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach
There is a story about a rushing river in a city. The river rages and in it, one can see all the helpless creatures being washed away to their deaths…these are children, the elderly, the animals, the infirm. Members of the community see this and they rush to the river’s edge and begin pulling these creatures out, one by one. They work so very hard, they are frantically trying to save as many as possible, but the flood is incredible and the numbers being swept away are staggering. Finally, one woman stands and she begins to walk away. The others shout at her. They are angry with her. How DARE she leave them to fight this battle without her! They rant, “How can you leave us here? Where are you going?” As she rushes away, she replies, “I am going to the head of the river to see what is causing this disaster and deal with it there.” I declare to you that women are the true change agents of the world and Junior Leaguers are at the top of that heap. I encourage you to be daring, to say what is on your minds when in your heart you feel it needs saying. By doing that, you help the League be the best it can be. I hope you will always have the courage to step out for what you believe in and do what, in your heart you are called to do. The Junior League, specifically THIS League, offers you a safe and supportive environment to be courageous like you never considered and to take risks that elsewhere you wouldn’t dare, and I hope you will do all of that for the results of YOUR actions can truly change the world.
Visit our new website at www.JLNVB.org
Recent Events Operation: School Supplies
We Stuffed the Bus with Over 25,000 School Supplies Portsmouth, VA – September 9, 2011 - The Operation School Supplies initiative was a huge success this year as the Hampton Roads community helped WAVY-TV 10 and its Partners On Your Side collect more than 25, 000 supplies for students that need them most this year! That’s nearly 10,000 more supplies collected during last year’s initiative. WAVY-TV 10 and Partners On Your side Langley Federal Credit Union and Priority Automotive are delighted to be part of this outstanding campaign. Operation School Supplies began August 1 and continued through August 22. Supplies were donated by the community to area Office Depot stores, Langley Federal Credit Union branches and Priority Automotive locations. Each Friday, volunteers from the Girl Scouts of Colonial Coast, the Navy Maritime Expeditionary Security Group 2, Professional Printing and the Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach joined WAVY-TV 10 anchors Kerri Furey and Don Roberts for live broadcasts to “Stuff the Bus” full of supplies. At the end of the campaign, the supplies were distributed to school districts in the Hampton Roads and Northeastern, North Carolina communities. Students that are on FREE/REDUCED LUNCH are eligible to receive the supplies.
Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach
More Recent Events 2011 United Way Day of Caring On Friday, September 9th JLNVB members participated in the annual United Way Day of Caring. This year we were assigned to assist at the Primeplus Norfolk Senior Center. We assisted them with data entry of resident information, created a photo wall of the residents, and took inventory of donated equipment and supplies. JLNVB members said that it was a wonderful experience and that they really felt like we made a difference for the organization and the residents. They truly enjoyed the day. In addition to doing volunteer work, our members were treated by the staff to a light breakfast and lunch and were each given a gift of appreciation. We are so happy for the opportunity to work with the Primeplus Norfolk Senior Center and appreciate your efforts to make our member’s volunteer experience so fulfilling! THANK YOU to everyone who went out serve our Hampton Roads community as a apart of the 2011 United Way Day of Caring!
Members of the Month September
Jamie Stump
Provisional Recruiting Chair
October
Carla Howard,
Co-Chair: Kids in the Kitchen Visit our new website at www.JLNVB.org
Photos from Recent Events
Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach
Upcoming Events ODU Tailgates
October 29 | Tailgate begins at 12:30PM, game at 3:30PM November 5 | Tailgate begins at 12:30PM, game at 3:30PM Come on out, bring your husband, bring a friend, enjoy some time with the JLNVB and cheer on the home team! Go BIG BLUE! We will be in the BLUE LOT before each game. Check the JLNVB Facebook Page on the day of the game for exact times and location within the BLUE LOT. Free parking is available in the parking garage next to the Ted Constant Center (approx. 3 blocks from the BLUE LOT). Please bring a drink and a small appetizer to share.
Webinar Wednesdays
First & third Wednesday of the month, from October 2011 - May 2012 | 1:00PM AJLI has launched a free, web-based training program to help Junior League women develop as community and civic leaders. These sessions typically one-hour in duration, are designed to appeal to every Junior League member, regardless of age or current engagement in her community, as an easy way to increase her knowledge of and interest in community and civic leadership. To register for this Webinar, log into ajli.org (which you can do through your JLNVB member profile page) and search ”Webinar Wednesdays”. To receive training credit for the Webinar sessions, please email your name, the Webinar title, and the date to your placement advisor.
Children’s
Party
Bring out your witches, ghosts, and ghouls…and your fairies, knights, princesses, superheroes, pirates and all…to join us for our Halloween Party! Festivities: Hayride, Pumpkin Painting, Games and lots of SPooKY FuN! When: Sunday, October 30, 2011 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Where: Norfolk Farm Market 1620 E. Little Creek Road, Norfolk (Behind McDonalds) Contact: Stacy Long at Stacy.Long@live.com Feel free to bring a healthy snack to share!
Visit our new website at www.JLNVB.org
Featured Recipe of the Month From Toast to Tidewater
Coastal Crab & Brie Bites
A great traveling recipe - heading to a football game? Yields 18 Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients: • 8 ounces Brie Cheese, rind removed • (freeze Brie Cheese slightly to make removal of rind easier) • 1/4 cup heavy cream • 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning • 2 teaspoons dry sherry • 1 cup fresh backfin crabmeat • 18 mini phyllo cups • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives To Make Appetizer: • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. • Cut Brie cheese into small pieces and place in a saucepan. • Pour heavy cream over Brie cheese over low heat. • Let Brie cheese melt completely, stirring occasionally. • Stir Old Bay seasoning and dry sherry into Brie mixture; mix thoroughly. • Stir crabmeat gently into Brie mixture, until crabmeat is thoroughly covered. • Place 1 tablespoon of crab and Brie mixture into each phyllo cup. • Place in oven when all cups are full. • Bake for five minutes. • Remove from oven. • Sprinkle with chives (for added color, dash tops with Old Bay seasoning)
Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach
Norfolk Farm Market October 1st ~ October 31st Opens Daily at 10:00am
* Variety of Pumpkins & Gourds * Cornstalks & Hay Bales * Seasonal Flowers * Carving Kits * FREE HAYRIDES every Sat. & Sun.
We welcome field trips to our pumpkin patch. Please contact us in advance to reserve your visit to the Norfolk Farm Market.
Located Behind McDonalds 1620 E. Little Creek Rd., Norfolk, VA 23518 (757) 440-4404 ph.