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Back in Action: Community Placements during Covid
Back in Action: Community Placements 2021
The League Gets Back to Serving In-Person With our Community Partners
By: Nancy Funkhouser McTyre
While we may not have completely turned the page on COVID-19, we have turned the page on the lockdowns and more restrictive measures that will forever be ingrained in our memories when we recall the year 2020. Moving forward is excellent news for The Junior League of Austin (JLA), our members and our community partners as we return to in-person placements. We have the opportunity to work alongside one another and interact with the members of our community who are the ultimate motivating force behind all we do as JLA membership. Below, we highlight three community partners to see how they pivoted during 2020 and how they are moving forward safely with in-person interactions at the current stage of the pandemic. First, we spoke with Jill Gonzalez, the Executive Director of Women’s Storybook Project of Texas (WSP). WSP is a women’s prison program that connects children with their incarcerated mothers through the joy of literature, with the goal of reducing the rate of re-incarceration by strengthening the mother-child connection. The WSP literature project has volunteers travel to female prisons in Texas to record incarcerated mothers reading stories to their children. These recordings provide a chance for children to hear their mother’s voice while they are away. Ms. Gonzalez described the challenges of 2020, especially how, at the time of the sudden lockdown, WSP was serving approximately 250 women through 10 classes. The organization was able to find a way to continue its mission by having volunteers handwrite letters to each woman, asking the mothers if WSP could send a book to their child on their behalf. Once a woman granted permission, WSP would—with the help of masked volunteers—pack a book along with a handwritten note and ship it to the child. Despite mail system delays, WSP was able to fulfill its mission by helping make a personal connection between mother and their child. In a reflection of the good that many of us found in the midst of 2020, Ms. Gonzalez noted how WSP was able to send each mother and child the same book, “The Invisible Strings,” so that the child was able to follow along with the book as their mom read to them when she had phone or video call privileges. The message of “The Invisible break the invisible Strings” was especially fitting during
Jill Gonzalez, Executive Director of WSP
It’s good to be back at the Community Impact Center (CIC)! In Fall 2021, members have started to meet again safely, while adhering to City of Austin city guidelines.
Generation Serve had in-person activities since summer of 2020, which is representative of their programming through the pandemic. these times: nothing can break the invisible strings of love between mother and child, families, or friends even when physically and geographically separated. As we enter the next stage of the pandemic, Ms. Gonzalez is excited about returning to in-person service this October. Of course, WSP modified its in-person service: the group size at each facility is smaller (10-12 moms instead of the usual 22) and only three masked volunteers will be in-person. Only essential recording is done in-person with volunteers handling transcribing and other administrative tasks at WSP’s main offices. Reflecting on this past year, Ms. Gonzalez noted, “It’s been such a challenge, but also allowed us to be very creative, to pivot to figure out how to continue being of service to our moms, our clients, without being [physically] there.”
Another community partner we met with is Generation SERVE, an organization whose mission is to engage children in volunteerism and empower them to make a difference in their communities. We connected with Charli Krause, the Deputy Director of Generation SERVE. She described how, though they did cancel almost everything at first and transitioned to virtual for most projects, Generation SERVE never fully stopped doing in-person activities. They were able to continue other work, including sending families to deliver food (in a safe, socially-distanced manner) and helping with outdoor events like educating park visitors on water safety at McKinney Falls. By late 2020 and early 2021, Generation SERVE began sending small teams of families to volunteer at events with its service partners. Ms. Krause eagerly reported that, “As it turns out, kids are great at wearing masks, following safety protocol, and are more eager than ever to be of service to the community!” T needs. Ms. Krause noted how grateful she is to the League and how “in this challenging time, [JLA] has stepped up and helped us further our mission.”
The third community partner we highlight is the Central Texas Food Bank, the largest hunger-relief charity in Central Texas. The Central Texas Food Bank works with food donors across the country, financial supporters, and volunteers to fill unmet needs in Central Texas. The 13 League members with placements at the Central Texas Food Bank this year prepare food donations for distribution and distribute food at mobile food pantries, a necessity for many in our community who rely on these provisions for their families, especially during the pandemic. League members now distribute food while masked and deliver them to cars—sometimes hundreds—that form lines on distribution days at the Central Texas Food Bank.
So, members of The Junior League of Austin, while times may not yet feel completely back to normal, we are at least now able to serve in-person safely at many of our community partners’ placements. As our community partners have adapted, so have we. We have created a new normal (at least for now) that enables us to once again gather, volunteer, and support the League’s community partners. Now, let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work, ladies!
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