Issued February 27, 2014
Community Programs Spotlight Written by Deirdre Cox
Despite the snow, bitter cold and freezing rain, the JLR Community Council has been busy serving our city! Take a look at what these ladies have been up to: Kids in the Kitchen: This committee kicked off its inaugur al year at Anna Julia Cooper Episcopal School, a new JLR community partner. To date they've had three programs. The students and our ladies are having a blast discussing healthy eating habits and choices. Mentoring: The students at Mar tin Luther King, J r . Middle School moved into their new facility after winter break on January 6. Each mentor meets with their mentee once per week on average and in some cases, mentors are at the school more frequently to support their mentees in their after school activities (cheerleading, basketball, volleyball, etc.) DIAD: Hospital Hospitality House remains a hit with new members and actives. The committee has been instrumental in providing volunteers with Richmond Promise Neighborhood's monthly Info Feasts that are held at Peter Paul Development Center. In the fall, we are excited to partner with Bon Secour's by adding their Reinhart Guest House to the DIAD rotation. Good Sports: Recently, Richar d Bland men’s basketball team came out to play with the kids. The kids were super excited! And even more excited when the team gave them all team t-shirts and two tickets to one of their games. The team also autographed the backs of their shirts. Each program the committee focuses one of the six pillars of character, Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship. The pillar they focused on in January was Citizenship. Families First Early Childhood: This committee continues to engage the pre-school children and their parents with an interactive range of programs. Each year the committee serves a holiday dinner and Santa makes a guest appearance. As with previous years, the December program was a home run and the children enjoyed seeing Santa. For the January program the committee decided to switch up a bit in lieu of the regularly scheduled routine, the committee provided two hours of child care to allow parents to run errands or do something else at their leisure
Active Member Spotlight: Lara D’Antonio
Interviewed By Deirdre Cox
The Junior League of Richmond attracts many exceptional women as members each year. One such woman this year is Lara D’Antonio. A native of the San Francisco Bay area, Lara moved to Virginia to attend Sweet Briar College. After college, she and her husband, Steven, decided to make their home in the Richmond area. She is currently employed with the Virginia Community Healthcare Association as the Coordinator of Network Operations. Lara decided to join the league for many reasons. Volunteering has always been an integral part of her life. Growing up, she was a member of the National Charity League, a philanthropic organization in which mothers and daughters volunteer together. She values the idea of women from a variety of backgrounds coming together as one in volunteer service to improve their community. Also, she feels empowered by the strong and committed female leaders that the league has to offer. Establishing herself as a leader in our community and making a difference were her main reasons for joining. However, an added bonus is the friendships that she’s already made, especially with the other women in her new member group! We are thrilled to have Lara and all our new members as part of the Junior League of Richmond and are excited to see the difference that they’ll make in the Richmond area.
Sustainer Spotlight: Kathy Knollmann
Interviewed By Sara Shelton
It has been one of the greatest joys and privileges of my JLR experience to meet and work with Kathy Knollmann. Her enthusiasm for the League and her passion for the Richmond community have always inspired me. So it was great to take some time to speak with Kathy and share a little bit about her with all of you. Kathy joined the Junior League of Richmond as a transfer in 1985. Although she officially joined in Charlottesville with a group of friends, she transferred to JLR before even starting her new member year. One of the reasons Kathy was interested in Junior League was because her mom had been a member. This legacy is important to Kathy and she hopes that we all remember the history of the league as we work to shape its future. “We sometimes lose sight of our history. When we were founded, these women were doing something that no others were. They were setting themselves apart. They were wearing their gloves and pearls and socializing of course, but they were also trendsetters for community involvement and the power of women to change the community. This is a proud legacy and one we should keep in mind as we do our work today.” For Kathy, there have been too many favorite JLR memories to choose just one. Instead she shared with me that her most rewarding placement was serving as secretary to the Board. Kathy would take minutes at each meeting and while doing so she got to learn how the League works and get to know many Board members. She got to be a part of the process and learn without the responsibility! Additionally, this placement was truly rewarding because it leveraged her strengths of organization and detailed focus. Having so much exposure to what JLR does and how it operates, set her on a path to choose where she wanted to focus her league career and activities. Kathy had the joy of serving in this role a few times. Although a Sustainer, Kathy is very ACTIVE. She loves the Clothes Rack a and volunteers there twice a month in addition to being a Sustainer Doer (one of the few if not only active Sustainer committees in AJLI). One of her favorite community placements when she was an Active, was to work in the MCV Special Care nursery. Placements at that time were generally 1-2 people. At MCV, she provided warmth and interaction to babies who weren’t sick enough to be in critical care but they weren’t quite healthy either. She also supported after school programs that dealt with topics like drugs and bullying.
Donor Spotlight: Julie Weissend
Interviewed By Brooke Tudeen
The Junior League of Richmond means something different to every active member, sustainer and donor. But the experiences and relationships gained from the League have helped shape each of us. Julie Weissend has been a member of JLR for over 20 years. The opportunities given to her by the League, and the opportunities she has opened up for other members of the League, are too many to count. To Julie, the League is a group of women who collectively identify the needs of the community, and then work together to solve those needs. From working weekly at The Clothes Rack, to filling various leadership positions on different committees, to leading the League as our President, Julie has been an integral part of the League. She hails from Florida, and joined the JLR to help integrate herself into her new Richmond community. One of the main things that attracted Julie to the League is the breadth of experiences that are offered to members. Each year, members have the opportunity to serve on a different committee and expand their skillset. This is still one of the core competencies of the League and one of the reasons Julie felt strongly about becoming a Donor. Julie continues to offer her strong strategic thinking skills to keep the League relevant in the lives of our members. If you ever have the chance to speak with her about her passion for the Richmond community and the Junior League of Richmond, you will certainly enjoy it. From all of us, thank you Julie!
Alissa and Alex Take On Manhattan! As we all know, the annual Book & Author dinner is one of the largest and most established events held by the Junior League of Richmond. However, did you know that it’s also a huge deal in the literary world? Alissa Prather and Alexandra Bernardi, the chair and assistant chair of the Book & Author committee, learned this when they traveled up to New York City for a whirlwind two-day adventure, packed with meetings with a variety of publishers. Instead of having to convince the publishers to participate in our annual event, the publishers were trying to sell themselves and their books to Alissa and Alex! They were already familiar with the event—our Book & Author dinner is seen as the “it” event for the literary world! As a result of the publishers’ excitement to be part of this event, Alissa and Alex were sent back to Richmond with numerous books to read. These included “galley” copies—not-yet published books that are still going through the editing process. In addition, UPS has been making almost daily stops at Alissa and Alex’s doors, filling their homes with many great books. Of course, since only six or seven books will be featured at the 69th annual dinner on April 30, not every book can make the cut. The Book & Author committee has the overwhelming job of deciding which books to feature. They want to make sure to include books from a variety of genres so that there is something for everyone. We’re grateful for their hard work and dedication to the Junior League of Richmond, and can’t wait for Richmond Times-Dispatch to announce this year’s featured authors on Sunday, March 2nd! If you’d like to learn more about this year’s authors or to purchase tickets, please visit www.bookandauthordinner.org or call 643.4886 ext 11.
2014-2015 Leadership Slate Announced Dear Members of the Junior League of Richmond, On behalf of the entire Nominating Committee, I am proud to announce the 2014-2015 slate of elected leaders. Below you will find their names, slated positions and brief bios. Please plan to attend the General Membership Meeting on January 15, 2014, where the slate will be presented for a vote of the active membership. Thank you so much to everyone who self-nominated and congratulations to the remarkable women of the slate! Jennifer White Chair, Nominating Committee Junior League of Richmond Slate, 2014-2015 President Elect: Susan Barney Community VPE: Lara Todd Membership VP: Kathryn Kline will fill this role for Susan Barney Membership VPE: Katie Weaks Fund Development VPE: Mary Cabell Sulc Communications DE: Christy Counts Finance DE: Lauren Morano TILI Director: Sue Patow TILI DE: Christine “Chris” Coffey Board Member: Joanne Frye
Why Pay It Forward? You already make a difference with your time and talents. You can also make a difference with your gift, and every little bit helps! Why are you going to “pay it forward”?
Because the Junior League of Richmond has given you friendship and networking opportunities.
Because the Junior League of Richmond has given you training and community experience.
Because you want to see the Junior League of Richmond grow.
Because you want to honor or remember someone.
Because you want to say thank you to a fellow Junior League of Richmond member.
Because you have enough wine glasses or gift certificates, and want to give a different kind of gift for a special occasion!