JLBR in Action

Boca Helping Hands and Kids in the Kitchen Mix it Up For One “Sweet” Event!

2012-03-05T18:42:00.000-08:00

By Shawn Sherlock

While it was one of the quieter nights I have had the opportunity of volunteering at the Boca Helping Hands facility, the laughter coming from the families inside this past week rang loud and clear!

On Thursday, a handful of us dedicated Kids in the Kitchen committee members headed over to “Family Night” at the BHH. Our mission: to whip up some healthy dessert alternatives for those less fortunate.

Upon our arrival, we whipped up one yummy treat for all to eat! A mini-chocolate- fruit- parfait- dip of sorts. Check out the pic below.

Families rolled in around 4 pm. The moment the kids spotted our table -- dinner wasn't even on their minds! It was priceless. Everyone was so appreciative of the dessert we brought. We truly enjoyed bonding with the families at this event. A night I know our group will never forget!

For more information on the Kids in the Kitchen, visit http://kidsinthekitchen.ajli.org.

For more information on Boca Helping Hands, visit http://www.bocahelpinghands.org.

It's Time for Chocolate Decadence!

2012-02-04T20:36:00.000-08:00

The 2012 Chocolate Decadence Committee

I love chocolate. Really love chocolate. I actually list it among my interests ("volunteering, writing, chocolate") and dietary needs ("anything involving chocolate"). So when I joined the Junior League of Boca Raton and learned that they hold an annual event named Chocolate Decadence that features a whole lot of chocolate, it was just another sign that I was in the right place! Since then, I have attended Chocolate Decadence every year, and this year will be no different.

The 11^th annual Chocolate Decadence (also known as “The Sweetest Party in Town”) will be held at the Shops at Boca Center on February 9 from 6-9 p.m. Tickets are available online at www.jlbr.org. Prices are $35 for General Admission and $75 for VIP. Since tickets for VIP always sell out, order your tickets now to avoid disappointment.

The VIP section will feature a “White Chocolate Lounge.” This concept was created by our awesome Provisional members known as Team Chocolate Decadence. In addition to Atlas Party Rental, we have the décor support of Boca by Design who will be contributing to this all-inclusive section featuring open-bar, swag style goodie bags, and other extras making the VIP experience super-luxe.

Our VIP restaurants include City Fish, Philippe Chow, Potions in Motion Catering, Dapur, Euro Fusion, Morton's Steakhouse, Season's 52, Truluck's, and Hoffman's Chocolates. General area restaurants include Absinthe, Blue Martini (Town Center), Fitz Food Cafe, Ocean's 234, Potions in Motion Catering, How Sweet It Is, Publix's Apron Cooking School, Sinless Cocktails, Tasti D-Lite, Rocco's Taco's, Palm Beach Confections, Melting Pot, and Johnson's Custom Cakes.

The silent auction is full of some new offerings this year. The International Polo Club of Palm Beach is auctioning Brunch and Polo for 4 (valued at $500). Elite Fantasy Events/Elite Wedding Planner has coordinated an event planning and vendor package towards a wedding or other milestone celebration which includes planning, photography services by Alex David Photography, video services by LaFrance Film and Video, and DJ services by DJ LuisLG totaling $4,000 in value.

Honored as Community Sweethearts this year are Dr. Marta Rendon and Dr. and Donna Zoley. We are very grateful to have their support and generosity to help make our projects and programs possible.

A raffle of fabulous prizes and live entertainment will provide the “icing on the cake.” For more information, visit http://www.bocachocolate.com or email bocachocolate2012@gmail.com.

Will I see you there?

Five Networking Mistakes Women Make

2012-01-18T20:42:00.000-08:00

Photo credit: http://moyna16.wordpress.com/

Did you know that part of the Junior League of Boca Raton's Mission is to develop the potential of women?

At our January General Membership Meeting, we got the opportunity to listen to guest speaker Liz Radzick from Manifest Consulting. Liz's topic was "Passionate Pitching: Promoting Yourself With Clarity and Confidence." As part of her talk, Liz discussed five mistakes that women often make in their pitching. I jotted them down and thought about how I do make these mistakes -- and how I can improve on them.

Mistake #5 - Monologuing vs Dialoguing: I was out with a friend about a month ago and somewhere in the conversation the Junior League came up. She asked me about it and I went off on a tangent. When I paused (to breathe, most likely) she cut in to ask me to bring her along next time I volunteer somewhere. It ended well in this case, but imagine how the conversation could have gone if I had just given her a brief synopsis, then asked her if she likes volunteering, about her involvement in her community, etc.

Mistake #4 - Alienating your audience with jargon: So far in this blog post, I could have referred to a "GMM" in the first sentence and a "DIAD" in the last paragraph. Members and Sustainers (more jargon) would have understood. But anyone outside of the Junior League would have no idea what I was talking about. I tend to be pretty good about this one -- I am able to catch myself as the jargon is coming out of my mouth and reword my statements.

Mistake #3 - Not providing enough detail: The Junior League of Boca Raton is an amazing organization. We accomplish a lot and help a lot of people in the community. Even now, I know I am not providing enough detail about what we do because I am ready to move on to the next item. The key here is providing enough detail to get across what we do, while being sure to keep in mind #5. A work in progress for me, I think.

Mistake #2 - Using minimizers: Liz notes the words "just," "sort of," and "kind of." At least in that last point I did not say, "The Junior League is kind of an amazing organization. We accomplish sort of a lot and help a lot of people in the community." No -- the Junior League of Boca Raton IS an amazing organization.

...and the #1 Networking Mistake Women Make....

Mistake #1 - Using "we" and forgetting "I": This is especially important on a blog, where people want to hear personal experiences and not just see the same information stated the same way it is in other mediums. That is why Christine Hanna told us about her experience volunteering with the Boca Raton Community Garden. That is why Sara Ritzler talked about her experience at the Association of Junior Leagues Organizational Development Institute. That is why Shawn Sherlock shared her experience as a Provisional, which is a woman who is learning about the Junior League in anticipation of becoming a full Member.

So now that I've shared my experiences, I am going to toss the ball. Can you relate to any of these five mistakes? Are there any you do? Don't do? Continue to do, but are trying to quit? Let us know in the comments.

The Boca Raton Community Garden Box Build

2011-11-07T16:46:00.000-08:00

By Christina Hanna

Teenagers and power tools? It seems like a chaotic combination to me! In fact, the partnering of Boca Raton High School students, the Police Athletic League, and Junior League volunteers proved to be a cooperative success that led to the construction of over 50 wooden planting boxes for our Community Garden!

Not being a power tool pro myself, I knew I would need to recruit some help from my handy fiancé. Armed with two drills (his contribution), and an cooler full of Gatorade (my way of participating), we surveyed our surroundings: a seemingly insurmountable pile of plywood planks and a scattering of neon-clad high schoolers sauntering around listening to their iPods.

Within minutes, thanks to the organizational mastermind known as Megan Dangerfield Rask, we transformed into drill-wielding powerhouse teams of three (or in my fiance’s case, a team of one that could out-drill us all). The iPod headphones came out, the manicures got chipped, and we who had no construction experience began to feel like master craftsmen, building one another up with words of advice and encouragement.

In two hours, our band of builders stood before what appeared to be a wooden work of modern art—in reality, 50 boxes stacked criss-cross—the fruit of our labor, which would house the future fruit of our garden!

For more information on the Boca Raton Community Garden, visit bocaratoncommunitygarden.com.

Issue Based Community Impact: Domestic Violence and Disabilities

2011-10-31T15:23:00.000-07:00

As you know, the Junior League of Boca Raton is an organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Our purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.

In order to provide the best level of help to our community, we must be knowledgeable about the issues. As such, we are always educating ourselves on issues that are affecting our community. This month, we took a closer look at domestic violence and disabilities.

Did you know...

One in every three women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.
An estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year.
People with disabilities constitute the nation's largest minority group, and the only group any of us can become a member of at any time.
Of the 69.6 million families in the United States, more than 20 million have at least one family member with a disability.

The Junior League of Boca Raton has a long history of helping organizations that address needs of domestic violence and disabilities in our community, such Horses for the Handicapped, Twin Palms Rehabilitation Center, AVDA, and more. For more information on how to get involved with the Junior League of Boca Raton, visit our website at www.jlbr.org.

Tip Your Hat to the Woman Volunteer of the Year Luncheon!

2011-09-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

The JLBR Woman Volunteer of the Year of the Year Committee in some hats in Saks!
(Click picture to enlarge.)

I have a confession.

Ever since April 29th, when I got up even earlier than usual on a workday to watch the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, I've been slightly obsessed with funky hats. The problem being, where and when would I wear one?! Somehow my office or even the beach just doesn't seem to be the place.

But wait -- once again, the Junior League of Boca Raton (JLBR) is responding to a community need...the need to wear fun hats! AND pay tribute to some amazing women while doing so.

How, you ask??

During the 24th Annual Woman Volunteer of the Year (WVOY) Luncheon, which will take place on Thursday, October 6th at the Boca Raton Resort and Club. This event celebrates women from various non-profits throughout Palm Beach County who have been nominated for making significant and noteworthy contributions to children, families, individuals and seniors. Last year, the JLBR raised more than $162,000 to support our mission of improving the community. The luncheon is phenomenal every year, but this year there will be a few extra special touches.

"This year, with the the Junior League of Boca Raton celebrating it's 40 year anniversary, it's a little different," explains JLBR member and WVOY committee member Jennifer Barner. "We want everyone to wear hats and tip their hats to the nominees."

"As the Junior League of Boca Raton celebrates 40 years of service to our community this year, it's women such as these nominees who inspire us to continue our mission of women building better communities," adds JLBR president Nancy Dockerty.

Hat or no hat, we'd love to see you there. For more information -- or just to see some more great hats -- visit the Facebook page: facebook.com/WomanVolunteerOfTheYear.

The JLBR Addresses Diaper Need in the Community

2011-08-22T22:16:00.000-07:00

Marjorie Hollman, Harlee Samuels, Dee Lewis, Sarah Flynn

The Junior League of Boca Raton Diaper Bank is a new initiative this year that will address the issue of "diaper need" in this community. Once a month the Diaper Bank Committee will hold a Diaper Distribution Day, as well as various diaper drives in order to restock our inventory so that families in need can continue to receive this important service.

This past week has been very busy for the Junior League of Boca Raton's Diaper Bank Committee. On Tuesday, August 16th the Committee held its monthly meeting at Cabana El Ray on Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach. Led by Chair Gina Griffin, the Committee enjoyed dinner and planned for our first Diaper Distribution Day on Saturday, August 20th.

When Saturday arrived, several Committee members assisted by Done in a Day (DIAD) volunteers met at the storage facility to transport diapers to Florence Fuller's east campus. There representatives from the selected organizations who will receive diapers this year -- Caridad Center, Family Promise, Florence Fuller Child Development Center and Milagro Center -- picked up 2,800 diapers that they will then pass on to the families they serve.

Make sure you Like us on Facebook in order to see what we are up to and to learn how you can be involved!

Looking ahead with 2011-2012 JLBR President Nancy Dockerty

2011-05-04T19:14:00.000-07:00

I recently attended the AJLI Conference for President-Elects and President-Elect-Elects with Jackie Reeves in New Orleans. True to our mission statement of “ ..improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers,” this conference had some amazing sessions on leadership. One in particular that stood out to me was on Servant Leadership, facilitated by Vicki Clark. Robert Greenleaf coined the term servant leadership in his 1970 essay, titled “The Servant as Leader,” where he describes the servant leader as one who leads by serving others. I thought, “YES that’s it, that’s exactly what a Junior League President does and it’s exactly why I’m thrilled to be the incoming President. I can do that; I can serve our membership by empowering them to use their talents to accomplish the League’s goals.” People often ask why I want to be a League President and it always seems hard to explain. I’m not a coach, or a cheerleader, or a motivator, but when I learned more about servant leadership, I realized, yep that’s my personality, encouraging others to bring out their best, and when we do that together as volunteers in the League it has a tremendous impact on our community.

The leadership team for the League next year was recently slated and announced at our February Cottage Meetings, and when I looked at the list of names, I was so impressed and inspired. I think so many of these women have that same skill set; to motivate, encourage and foster a sense of community spirit. As Oprah would say, I had that “aha” moment; that moment when I realized our mission statement isn’t just something pretty hanging on the wall, it’s an attitude that our members embrace fully and the results are in fact that we are “women building a better community.” And we’re doing it by serving the members of our community. I recently read a quote by Gandhi, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” I love it, and I think it simplifies what we do as League members, thru volunteerism: “building a better community,” we’re building a better self, and that seems like a win-win to me.

Nancy

Read "Looking back with 2010-2011 JLBR President Samantha Vasallo"

Looking back with 2010-2011 JLBR President Samantha Vasallo

2011-05-04T19:01:00.000-07:00

Wow! It’s so hard to believe that we are almost through the League year! I continue to be amazed by the passion and dedication of our members, both to our League and our Community. I have seen such enthusiasm at our General Membership Meetings, commitment and hard work from each of our councils and fundraisers, amazing creativity and eagerness in committee activities, and countless other examples of positive energy among our membership.

Every member has a role to play in the continued success of the JLBR. The League is sustained by the collective efforts of each member. Edith Wharton once said there are two ways of spreading light – to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. I love the idea that each person can have a role to play in the great works that we as a League all accomplish together. There are simply different roles to play, and all are important as we work to achieve our mission and live our legacy.

Based on our League’s achievements over the past several months, you have all clearly demonstrated that you do believe that tomorrow can be better than today. You actions, and not merely your words, have consistently show optimism that not only can tomorrow be better, but that we can be a part of making it better.

As a result of our efforts and collaborations more than 4,000 children were reached through the Spirit of Giving Network with the annual Back to School Bash and Holiday Gift Drive. We also:

Collected over 2,000 diapers and began the research and development phase of starting a local diaper bank.
In the first half of the year we worked with Boca Helping Hands in distributing 400 SHARE bags.
The Community Garden made tremendous strides in planning the design of the garden, creating a garden handbook, and beginning the implementation stage with a groundbreaking ceremony on Earth Day.
Kids in the Kitchen reached over 100 children through their healthy eating and exercise programs and have additional events planned before the end of the year.
Both Florence Fuller and In the Pines have continued their work in improving literacy and fighting childhood obesity.
Community Support Fund has provided grants to more than 20 organizations.
Done in a Day has coordinated thousands of hours of volunteer time in the community, and has continuously found ways to add new and interesting volunteer shifts.
Our Public Affairs Committee has focused on three very important issues: booster seats, cyber crimes and foster care.

We have continued our non- profit programming and incorporated Leadership University into our Governance trainings. We are a unique organization: one that is important to both our community and our members. There is no other organization that can build member’s training and skills while making a significant community impact.

To be successful, these programs really do require our collective efforts. We all know that we certainly can make a greater impact when we act together as a unified, cohesive group as we forge ahead and implement our plans.

We have also made a better tomorrow for ourselves along the way. There are many benefits to volunteering – we actually learn a little too – about others as well as ourselves.

We have greatly improved our communication through social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and our newly launched blog. We are continuing to make technological advances by beginning timely communication through the use of text messaging, and had our first ever virtual cottage meeting.
We ensured our future success through the nominating process, and the selection of next year’s leadership.

We recruited and welcomed new active members to carry on in our place.

We continue to provide much needed financial resources. JLBR members planned successful fundraisers, despite our challenging economy. Our WVOY, Cookbook, Small Fundraisers, Chocolate Decadence, Golf and Community Partner’s committees worked harder than ever to exceed their goals. This funding provides critical resources to our projects, training and community support fund grants.

I am saddened as my term comes to an end, but excited about our future. Although we have accomplished so much, I am so excited to think of the achievements that I know are still to come. The current Provisional Class will move on to active placements and before we know it, we will be able to begin planting in the Community Garden. As we look ahead to the remainder of the League year, I just want to say thank you so much to each and every member for your contributions to the League and the Community. It is you involvement and dedication that makes the JLBR the great organization that it is today. I look forward to the next 40 years!

Yours truly,
Samantha
Read "Looking ahead with 2011-2012 JLBR President Nancy Dockerty"

One JLBR Member's ODI Experience

2011-04-05T20:52:00.000-07:00

by Sara Ritzler

In March, the Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI) held their first Organizational Development Institute (ODI) conference of 2011 in Tampa. Junior League of Boca Raton members Marya Gill, Jackie Schatz, Allison Lane, Shannon Moriarity, and I were honored to represent our League at the 3 day event which brings together representatives from Leagues all over the United States, Canada, Mexico and even London. ODI is a powerful experience designed to help develop our potential as League members through workshops, discussions on thought provoking topics and networking opportunities. The goal is to then bring those skills and ideas back to our own Leagues.

The opportunity to interact with other League members is both inspiring and enlightening. It was a fantastic and humbling experience to witness the power of nearly 160,000 women from 292 Leagues making a crucial difference in their communities. Over the course of the conference I was fascinated to learn about the various projects and issues other Leagues have undertaken.

The Junior League of Atlanta is working on a Pilot Project to combat the commercial sexual exploitation of children.
The Junior League of Alexandria, La. partnered with Pregnancy Care Closet to help teenage mothers shop in the closet if they completed parenting classes.
The Junior League Long Beach teamed up with their local metal health department to raise awareness for perinatal depression.
Several leagues including those in Memphis, Baton Rouge and Kalamazoo have a “Cinderella Project” where gently used dressed are donated to junior and senior girls in need of a prom dresses.
The Junior League of London is working on a project to foster an interest in reading and a love of books to young children from low-income families. The League is working with Dolly Parton’s Dollywood Foundation’s Imagination Library and Penguin UK to mail one book per month to each enrolled child.

The list goes on and on but I think you get the point. ODI is an incredible League conference that every Leaguer should participate in at some point during their League experience. It reaffirmed my love of the League and a desire to make a important difference in our community.

FORE!

2011-03-21T19:23:00.000-07:00

Golf is in the air! Have you all seen the movie The Wedding Date? If you have, remember the scene where they are at the joint bachelor/bachelorette party all decked out in crazy golf attire? Well, last month two of my friends who were getting married did the same thing! We all put on our randomest combination of golf wear and and had a good time. Check out these crazy socks!

Needless to say, we had a blast! Not two weeks after that, another friend decided to go mini golfing for his birthday. Can you remember the last time you went mini golfing?! Well, for me it was awhile -- but I still managed to win a bet at the 17th hole by sinking my ball in first.

At the rate this year is flying by, it will be April 15th before we know it! Besides being the last work day before taxes are due, April 15th is also the day of the Junior League of Boca Raton's 3rd Annual Golf Classic at Royal Palm Country Club. The event will bring local businesses and community partners together with the goal of raising essential funds for our community projects.

So, I suggest you gather up a group of friends and meet us on the green!

Stay tuned to JLBR in Action for more information as the event gets closer. If you'd like to know more about it sooner than later, visit the Junior League of Boca Raton's website, or call us at 561-620-2553.

Booster Seats and Baby Bottoms

2011-02-22T19:13:00.000-08:00

Wanna hear about two quick and easy ways you can help the Junior League of Boca Raton help our community?

"Quick...easy...help....?" Yeah, I thought you would.

Booster Seats

Did you know that Florida's law requiring child car restraints only up to age 3 is the most lenient in the country, according to the National Transportation Safety Board? The Junior League of Boca Raton, together with other Junior Leagues in Florida, have made booster seat legislation a priority issue for which we advocate. Click here to learn more about our take on the issue and what we are doing.

How can I help?
For $25, you can donate a booster seat. All you have to do is visit our website, jlbr.org, to donate, and we'll take care of the rest. All money collected will go to purchasing booster seats and donating them to local organizations whose clients have a need for them. These organizations will be identified through the Spirit of Giving Network.

Baby Bottoms

Did you know that 1 in 3 moms are struggling to provide diapers for their babies? The Junior League of Boca Raton is partnering with the Huggies® Every Little Bottom program to raise awareness about diaper need and to help address the need in our community and across the U.S.

How can I help?
Donate diapers! You can bring them to the our office at 261 NW 13th Street in Boca. Or you can donate money on our website and we'll buy the diapers for you.

A Provisional Point of View

2011-02-01T20:00:00.000-08:00

The Junior League is a complex and active group of women working in various capacities to support both itself and lend support to the community at large. Because the Junior League is such a dynamic organization, members first engage in a Provisional period of training and volunteer activities to prepare them for effective community involvement and active membership.

Shawn Sherlock, a current Provisional Member of the Junior League of Boca Raton, shares her experience:

The list is endless in the reasons why ANY one woman should or would join the Junior League of Boca Raton. But, topping the list of why “I” specifically joined: to be part of a group of strong and passionate women who want to truly want to make a difference in their community. I soon learned one way I could make a difference was by learning from our fantastic leaders. From the get go, I have taken the time to meet with JL chairs and committee members to learn the ropes so to speak. Thus far, it’s been a fantastic way for me to learn how by being a member can go a long way in working with vendors in your area. It’s especially been fantastic in aiding my role as Co-Chair for this March’s “Sex in the City” themed General Membership Meeting. I look forward in further engaging myself with my leaders as I delve into the new role of Incoming Chair Elect for The Bridge, the Junior League of Boca Raton's magazine. I would also like to say that anyone who joins the League would also agree the bonds within this group are so strong. The relationships that start here last for a lifetime. I am truly honored to be part of such a force. I look forward to a fantastic 2011 and many years to come!

Click here for more information about joining the Junior League of Boca Raton.

Chocolate Decadence Online

2011-01-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Sweetest Party is town is taking place next Thursday, February 3rd at The Shops at Boca Center. It's sure to be -- well -- a pretty sweet time. ;-) Chocolate Decadence has quite a footprint on the internet. Here are a few sites you can visit for more information:

The Chocolate Decadence website has the most information in one place and is also where you can buy your tickets.
The Chocolate Decadence Facebook page currently shows more than 175 people attending, and that number is sure to increase as the date gets closer! Check this page out to see if any of your friends are going, or to invite your friends to join you. You can also visit the JLBR's Chocolate Decadence Facebook page here.
Do you tweet? The Chocolate Decadence Twitter page created by LivingFLA.com has been all a-buzz lately! This is a good way to get immediate information about the latest updates to the event.
The Sun-Sentinel also recently wrote a piece about The Sweetest Party in Town.

If you still have questions, feel free to call the Junior League office at 561-620-2553. I've attended Chocolate Decadence every year since I've been involved in the JLBR (this is my 4th year). It's delicious and fun! Hope to see you there!

Whole Food's "5% Day" to Support the Boca Raton Community Garden

2011-01-13T20:58:00.000-08:00

The Boca Raton Community Garden is a partnership between The Junior League of Boca Raton (JLBR) and The City of Boca Raton. Boca Raton city officials have entrusted JLBR to design and construct a Community Garden by Boca's downtown library. The garden will foster environmental sustainability and stewardship, advance horticultural and nutritional education, provide a beautiful and natural retreat, and produce a healthy supplemental food source for its gardeners and the hungry.

Next Tuesday, January 18th, Whole Foods Market on Glades Road will donate 5% of all sales to the Boca Raton Community Garden. And that's not all: kids can participate in free mini-garden classes from 3 - 4:30 where they will get the opportunity to decorate clay pots. Adults can have their fun later that evening: from 6 - 8:30 p.m. is a Helping Happy Hour. For a $10 donation, you can sample locally-produced beer, wine made from sustainably grown grapes, and garden inspired hors d’ouevres made with fresh and locally grown ingredients. Proceeds will also benefit the Community Garden. More information on 5% Day can be found on the Whole Foods blog.

We hope to see you there!

Click here to learn more about the Boca Raton Community Garden.

2011 Blog Resolutions

2011-01-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! It's official -- we're done with 2010, on with 2011, and you know what that means....New Years Resolutions!

As you know, JLBR in Action was born just this last year. In her first full year of life, I have these resolutions for the blog:

1. More guest contributors - I know you enjoy hearing from me, but the beauty of the League is that it is an organization of hundreds of amazing women. I'd like to hear their voices more.

2. Penetration outside of Junior League members - JLBR in Action is, of course, a great way for us in the League to see what's going on Leaguewide. But I'd also like other members of the community to come here to see what we're doing.

3. Internation with other blogs and readers in general - One of the great things about blogging is that it provides a forum for conversation. I'd like to see these posts because conversation starters in addition to being nice reads.

That's all for now. I feel if you put forth too many resolutions, you can run the risk of them being unattainable because of feasibility of number. But let me ask you -- what would YOU like to see on JLBR in Action in 2011?

JLBR in Action in 2010

2010-12-30T17:01:00.000-08:00

2010 is almost over!! (I know I'm not the only one in shock & denial.) What a great year it's been for the Junior League of Boca Raton! In the past year, we have...

Helped the Spirit of Giving Network give 3,500 children gifts through its Holiday Ornament Drive
Hosted numerous non-profit leadership trainings at the Vegso Community Resource Center
Granted the Dare to Dream Foundation $750 to help with their television cooking program called Young Chefs Cooking with Chef Bart
Celebrated the 10th Anniversary of our James Beard Award-winning "Savor the Moment" cookbook
Collected 89 Thanksgiving Dinners for our local families in need
Granted $500 to Women in Distress of Broward County to help to underwrite their free domestic violence services in South Palm Beach County and North Broward County
Awarded $500 to Boca Raton Elementary School’s Safety Patrol to support their trip to Washington, DC
Assembled 150 plus SHARE the Season Thanksgiving meals for members of our community, and then delivered 100 meals to families in need
Granted $1000 to the Women’s Circle, an organization that helps women learn English and helps them find meaningful employment so they can become productive residents of this country
Laid over 100 bags of mulch adjacent to the trains where they host the “Ticket to Ride” educational sessions at the Boca Raton Historical Society

And this is just a small, small part of what we've accomplished this year. I'm honored to be part of such a friendly, open and giving group of women.

Happy New Year, and here's to 2011!

Happy holidays from the JLBR!

2010-12-20T16:47:00.000-08:00

We have had some great holidays celebrations this month, such as our Champagne Holiday Tea & Shopping Spree and Provisional Holiday Party. (The links will take you to more pictures.)

From our JLBR family to yours, we wish you and your loved ones safe and happy holidays!

The TRUE Spirit of Giving

2010-12-14T16:40:00.000-08:00

The Junior League of Boca Raton again partnered with the Spirit of Giving Network for their annual Holiday Gift Drive. More than 3,500 local at-risk children made ornaments that listed their holiday gift wishes. These ornaments were then shared with members of the community to help fulfill. (Click here for more.)

Last year, I picked an ornament that said "gift card." You can never go wrong with a gift card, I'd thought. I went to the store, picked up the card, and that was that.

This year, I was feeling a little more...ambitious. (Let me pause here to say that I do not have any children, and my nieces & nephews are still toddlers. So, my knowledge of the latest, hottest toys is pretty much at zero.) I rifled through a handful of ornaments at our JLBR General Membership Meeting last month until I saw one from a six-year-old girl who wanted a Disney Princess 5-in-1 Princess Playset. Now that sounds like fun! I enthusiastically grabbed it.


The ornaments. Information about the child & their gift wish is at the bottom.

A few weeks later, I found myself in walking distance of a major toy store. Perfect. I walked in, shunned the store assistant's offer for help, and marched straight to what looked like an aisle dedicated to the Disney Princesses. I scanned the shelves.....and found nothing. Fine. I'll ask.

A few minutes later I was met with the first, "Sorry, ma'am, we don't have it." Odd. If it's not at the toy store, where can I find it?!

As luck would have it, I was in walking distance of another major retail store. I wasn't able to find anyone who worked there to assist me, but I walked up and down and up and down the toy aisles looking for a Disney Princess 5-in-1 Princess Playset. Nada.

The following week I tried another store with no luck. By this point, I realized it was time to go online. The first result from a Google search for "Diswney Princess 5-in-1 Princess Playset" was... disneystore.com. Of course! And---and---they had one!....wait....what does that say on the side? "Sold out."

Deep breaths.

That's okay....maybe they'll have one at an actual physical location. I called the Disney Stores in Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs and Boynton Beach. 0 for 3. Although, I did get some helpful advice from one of the stores. "You should try online!" the cheerful lady suggested. I sighed (inwardly. She was so nice, I couldn't bring myself to unload my massive search saga on her.)

I was losing my mind. I was also kind of losing my holiday spirit. (And I mean more than "kind of.") I had to take a step back. Because, I was also losing the lesson. I was losing the true reason for the season, the true Spirit of Giving. I wanted so badly for this little girl to get exactly what she wanted, that I failed to see the real gift. The real gift will be when this little six-year-old girl *gets* a gift. A specific gift. Her very own. One that her family may not be able to afford to give her. The real gift is that I got the opportunity to take a little time and look outside of myself, and remember that there is more to this season -- more to life -- than getting stressed and getting everything exactly right. There's more to life than me. There's a six-year-old girl who, though circumstances, I am now connected to, in a way.

And she has a wish.

In the end, my little girl got this:

5 pieces + 1 gift = 5-in-1! Yes??

Not exactly the 5-in-1 she asked for, but I hope it makes her happy nonetheless.

And next year? I think I'm going back to gift cards.

International Volunteer Day

2010-12-01T20:57:00.000-08:00

The United Nations has designated December 5th as International Volunteer Day. In the resolution from December 1985, the UN recognized that many volunteers "engage in volunteer service at considerable personal sacrifice." They also note that volunteering "is making an important contribution to socio-economic development activities."

The Junior League of Boca Raton has been offering our service to the City of Boca Raton and surrounding areas since 1971. This year JLBR members will contribute more than 35,000 volunteer hours & donate more than $250,000 to train volunteers, develop the potential of women & improve our community.

If you are planning on participating in any kind of volunteer activities on December 5th, leave a comment and let me know. This link has some ideas for things you can do. For example, you can participate in International Volunteer Day by taking a minute to "share your thoughts on a community website through blogging." So comment away! :) Leave a comment telling me why volunteering is important to you or describing a particular volunteer experience that has really stuck with you.

SHARE the Season Thanksgiving Meals

2010-11-23T11:29:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, November 20th, the Junior League of Boca Raton assembled more than 150 SHARE the Season Thanksgiving meals for members of our community. The meals, which included a turkey, stuffing, vegetables and more, were then delivered to families in need identified through our Spirit of Giving Network.

Participating in this Done In A Day service project was truly such a wonderful and rewarding experience. When I pulled up to the Boca Helping Hands facility in East Boca, things were already in full swing. Dozens of meals were arranged in bags on the floor. Junior League volunteers were pairing off 2 by 2 and loading up their cars with the bags. JLBR President Samantha Vasallo was there with her two children to collect their package.

JLBR President Samantha Vasallo picking up her Thanksgiving SHARE meal.

I was going to deliver packages with Jessica, a provisional member with a big heart who had been there early to pick up and deliver some of the packages for families at the school where she teaches. Loaded up with 8 packages and my trusty GPS, we set off.

The packages included a pie, a turkey, frozen vegetables, and more.

The first person we visited was not at home. Since the individual lived close to the Boca Helping Hands facility, we decided to try him again on the way back. Two stops later we found ourselves at the home of a woman who thanked us, apologized for her messy house, introduced us to her kids, and then thanked us again. We actually ended up delivering two meals to her place. Earlier, when we'd discovered that one of our recipients wasn't at home, we called and she asked if we could drop it off with this woman, who was her friend. I thought it was really touching that they all knew each other and were friends. Their kids were in school & extracurricular activities together.

Here's me with some of the packages.

The recipient at our next stop was so grateful and overwhelmed by the gift that she started crying in front of us. She fanned her face with her hand and wiped away her tears as she showed us where she had made space in her refrigerator for the food. She even kindly gave us back the stuffing, admitting that she wouldn't eat it, and asked if we could give it to someone else who would.

We wrapped up the afternoon with two more deliveries and gratitude in our hearts.

Click here to learn more about SHARE.