The Junior League of Saint Paul

Junior League of Saint Paul member Rachelle McCord Receives 3M Community Volunteer Award!

2011-10-11T18:39:00.000-07:00

For 25 years, 3M has honored employees who help shape their communities through service. On September 12th, fifteen 3M volunteers, including Junior League of Saint Paul (JLSP) member Rachelle McCord, were recognized at the 3M Volunteer Rally for their outstanding efforts.

Rachelle was nominated for the prestigious 3M Community Volunteer award for coordinating a mentoring program with 3M employees and students at the Johnson and Harding Saint Paul Senior High Schools. She is also very active in the community, both as a six-year member of JLSP and with her sorority Delta Sigma Theta’s Alumnae chapter, which provides annual scholarships for college, an enrichment program for junior and senior high school girls, and social action for underrepresented communities.

Rachelle shared that she is motivated to give back because “volunteering is in my blood. My parents were community workers when I grew up and always taught me the importance of helping others with no expectation or desire of return.”

Along with recognition as an outstanding community volunteer, the 3M Foundation donated $1,000 to a non-profit of each award recipient’s choice. Rachelle has chosen JLSP as the recipient of this donation.

Congratulations Rachelle, for the recognition of your exceptional work in serving the community!

Junior League of Saint Paul Holds Annual Next To New Sale, Saturday, October 1st, 2011

2011-09-22T07:08:00.000-07:00

The Junior League of Saint Paul will hold its annual Next To New sale on Saturday, October 1, 2011 at the Dairy Building on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. The sale begins at 8:00 am and ends at 4:00 pm. Shoppers looking for bargains will find hundreds of new and gently used items at this one-day event. Prices will be reduced by ½ starting at 12:30 pm, and the bag sale will begin at 2:30 pm, when shoppers can fill a bag with merchandise for one low price. For additional information, visit JLSP.org.

The sale provides an opportunity for the community to purchase high-quality merchandise at affordable garage sale prices. The selection includes men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing as well as toys, sporting goods, books, furniture, household goods, antiques and collectibles.

What: JLSPs 62nd annual Next To New Sale
Where: The Dairy Building at the Minnesota Fairgrounds Directions
When: Saturday, October 1st, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Proceeds from this years Next To New Sale will support JLSPs’ costs as well as its community initiative “Healthy Bodies, Healthy Brains.” Lack of nutrition and other factors associated with poverty are shown to retard brain development and function. The longer a child's nutritional, and in turn, educational needs go unmet, the greater the likelihood of future struggles to learn. JLSP helps to make a difference by providing meals over the weekends through our Backpack Buddies initiative, as well as hosting family nutrition nights during which kids learn to cook and families can learn inexpensive yet healthy recipes. The Next to New Sale plays an important role in ensuring the continuation of these programs and developing further new and exciting efforts.

Hunger-Free Minnesota

2011-09-11T12:52:00.000-07:00

The JLSP has joined the movement - The movement to end hunger in Minnesota!

Hunger-Free Minnesota is a movement formed by a growing coalition of organizations across the state, including corporations, communities, nonprofits and emergency food resources, to close the missing meals gap in Minnesota.

The JLSP has joined the movement as a nonprofit to support Hunger-Free Minnesota’s goal of closing the missing meals gap for Minnesotans, especially for children. You will receive updates from your Advocacy Committee about our ongoing collaboration with Hunger-Free Minnesota.

To succeed, Hunger-Free Minnesota needs all Minnesotans to join the fight – nonprofits and individuals - JLSP has joined as a champion of this cause and you can too. Join the movement at www.hungerfreemn.org.

Click here to ask others to join Hunger-Free Minnesota by posting this update to your Facebook status.

For more information, please contact the Advocacy Committee at advocacy@jlsp.org.

AJLI Organizational Development Institute Recap

2011-06-21T08:20:00.000-07:00

Contributed by Amy L., Jordana K-V, Sarah F. and Jill S.

Every year the Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI), hosts the Organizational Development Institute, or “ODI”. These incredible trainings provide an opportunity for incoming Junior League leaders to meet fellow League members from around the United States, Canada, Mexico, and England, while sharing ideas about how to build on the existing success of each of our Leagues. Sarah F, Jordana K-V, Amy L and Jill S traveled to Tampa in mid-March to grow their expertise and bring new ideas back to the League. Each attended a different training track, and are excited to share what they learned. What follows are their favorite takeaways from the conference.

Sarah F., Membership Track
My track was facilitated by Naomi Chavez Peters, Past President of the Junior League of Palo Alto-Mid Peninsula. The focus of her presentation was on membership engagement and retention. It was enlightening to discuss the various types of League members and the different ways to energize and engage members at various points in their League careers. Engagement can come in many forms and will mean something very different for every member. The great news is that engagement is the responsibility of all members. Through every placement we have the opportunity to make sure our fellow members are engaged and in turn continue to be committed to JLSP for a lifetime!

ODI was an amazing experience. It was invaluable to network with hundreds of League members from around the world, and to also get to know my fellow JLSP members better. I truly appreciated the opportunity to attend and would encourage other members to take the opportunity in the future. It was a great way to get re-energized to start a new League year.

Jordana K-V, Fundraising Track
ODI was for me a great learning experience in many aspects. I learned a great deal about the women with whom I will share my board experience next year. I discovered how bright,independent and wonderful these women are, which made me even more excited to share my next placement with them. In addition, I met Junior League members from all over the U.S., and discovered that no matter the state, we all share an amazing dedication to Junior League, the mission, and the many community projects. I also discovered that no matter the size and location of the League, we are all experiencing similar challenges in the realm of fundraising and resource development. Even though such news was unsettling, I was not discouraged,but rather comforted because I was in a room full of resourceful women who never give up on a challenge, but rise to it and find a way to succeed. I could not get enough of the experiences that my speaker shared with us on fundraising, resource development and all their elements. Her experiences were like little pearls of wisdom that I tried to collect in my notebook, and hope to use them in my term as the Director of Development next year. I am very grateful to this year’s board for giving me the opportunity to be part of this year’s ODI, and I am looking forward to sharing all of my learning experiences with the amazing women on next year’s board.

Amy L., Nominating Track
My track was facilitated by Anne Dalton, AJLI’s Chief Offi cer for Strategic Initiatives. Anne provided some great ideas for nominating and placing members, but another primary focus of the track this year was to encourage participants to think about and discuss how their League is governed and managed. It was fascinating to listen to the experiences of other Leagues from around the country, and their experiences with designing their leadership structures.

These conversations allowed for further reflection on how Leagues are structured from a leadership perspective, and how to be most efficient and useful of members’ talents while also considering how best to provide leadership opportunities to members. Attending this track really reinforced how much work JLSP has put into strategic planning and the encouragement we give our members to seek leadership roles within the League. Additionally, I left these sessions feeling energized and excited about the fact that JLSP has been selected by AJLI to participate in the Action Learning Team (ALT) program, which will allow our League to review and learn more about our structure, governance and leadership development in the coming years!

On the second morning of ODI, Vicki Clark from AJLI facilitated a session on promoting diversity and inclusiveness in our individual Leagues. While it was evident that there is much work to be done, I was incredibly thankful to participate in the session, and also very proud of the League for making diversifying Leagues a key priority. Vicki provided some helpful takeaways and tools for implementing some of the ideas she shared, which I look forward to discussing with next year’s board. Saint Paul is a richly diverse community, and it is my hope that we as a League will continue to develop plans which will assist in enriching and diversifying our membership, making it an even stronger reflection of the community in which we live and serve.

Jill S., Community Track
My experience at ODI confirmed that the research we have been doing through the Project Research Committee is in line with where AJLI is currently. It was very interesting to talk with other Leagues to learn about their projects. It was also interesting to hear firsthand how best to provide a diversity of projects or tactics that engage members and grow membership. Additionally, my track helped remind me of the importance of collaboration. For so many non-profit organizations, it seems there are so many big issues to tackle and JLSP cannot do it all alone. However, if we partner with another community organization, hopefully we can pair our expertise with theirs, and together make a profound impact in the community. I’m really excited for having gone to ODI, and for this being a new issue year for us at JLSP. I’m hopeful that the incoming leadership team can put together new tactics which result in a successful year!

Junior League of Saint Paul Selects New Book to Distribute to Pre- Kindergarteners as Part of Early Childhood Screening

2011-05-31T06:53:00.000-07:00

Contributed by Ginger C. Director of Community

Early Childhood Screening (ECS) is a Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) program that helps to identify health and developmental needs of young children before they enter Kindergarten. The screening includes vision, hearing, height, weight, development, speech, social/emotional, and review of health and immunization information. The screening is required by law for entrance into Kindergarten in Minnesota Public Schools.

Saint Paul Public Schools provides the screening without charge to children ages 3, 4, and 5 years old. It is important to have children screened at an early age so there is adequate time to obtain help for any identified concerns before the child enters school.

Since the beginning of JLSP's Building Bonds through Reading and Play initiative, JLSP has delivered over 3,000 books to SPPS to be distributed to children as they attend the Early Childhood Screening. The nurse of the program stated that for many kids the JLSP book is the first and potentially only book that they will own. The Eensy Weensy Spider book was the first book to be distributed and was very well received by the children.

When the supply of Eensy Weensy Spider books was completely distributed, the Community Projects committee was tasked with finding an alternative to offer. The criteria that they had to meet made the selection process very challenging. They searched for a book that was sensitive to race, gender and religion. It also had to be at the correct level for reading as well as understanding. It had to be cost effective and a quality book that a child will be proud to own. The committee set out to find local publishers who sent them numerous book options that were then reviewed thoroughly. In May, 650 copies of the selected book were ordered and distribution will begin in the next few weeks!

The Community Projects Committee is Pleased to Announce the New Book Selection:

It is Penguin Dreams by J. Otto Seibold! Penguin Dreams gives young children a delightful look into the imaginative dreams of Chongo Chingi, the sleeping penguin. After he drifts off to sleep, he finds himself soaring above his home in the zoo, flying with geese and airplanes, and finally drifting past funny looking planets and stars in outer space. From the fun rhyming text to the colorful and vivid illustrations, the book provides children with an entertaining and enriching story that they will want to talk about after the book is finished. Children will constantly find new characters and pictures in the book to point out to parents, and enjoy seeing a penguin dream about things he can not do during his waking hours! Parents will be provided with tips to build pre-reading skills while sharing this exciting book with their child.

Congratulations to our 2011 Standing Ovation Award Honorees!

2011-05-16T14:18:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who attended and participated in the 93rd Annual Meeting of the Junior League of Saint Paul last Tuesday. It was wonderful to celebrate everything you accomplished over the past year. Congratulations to the recipients of the Standing Ovation Awards ! You are all remarkable women. Thank you for your exceptional service to JLSP and the community!

From left: Erica Giorgi, Priscilla Brewsteri, Angela Urbanek, Jill Skogheim, and Britney Thew

Rising Star Award: Britney Thew
The Rising Star is awarded to an individual new member who has been an inspiration and mentor to the rest of the new member class. She is an outstanding example of voluntarism for fellow New Members.

From the very beginning Britney has been a JLSP Rising Star. She was the first one to join the 2010 Fall New Member class. She has been very involved in all the New Member events throughout the year, as well as with JLSP community projects. She attended the September General Membership Meeting and got involved right away in the Next-to-New Sale. She took charge of the technology aspects of Blue Jeans and Bling, reaching out to learn Digital Cheetah, and coordinating the training of the Blue Jeans and Bling Committee prior to the event. Her attention to detail was a great asset to the Committee and brought a professional presence to the event materials, including the printed auction program. She has shown herself to be reliable and a go-getter. She exudes the JLSP spirit and truly has the passion to make a difference in our rganization and community. Since the Holiday party she has said how she was willing (and excited) to be a part of the 2011-2012 Leadership Team, and we know she will be an utstanding leader this next year as Vice Chair for Blue Jeans and Bling. We are fortunate to have her as a member of JLSP.

Unsung Hero Award: Jill Skogheim
The Unsung Hero Award is presented to an individual whose participation has a great incremental impact on JLSP, to an individual who stepped up to the plate on short notice or goes beyond the norm to get things done on a project or fundraiser.

Jill’s leadership and diligence this year has resulted in an incremental impact for JLSP, as the organization now has the tools, resources, and framework to make an impact in our community service work. She went far beyond her job description and the Committee charge. Taking the time and initiative to learn, understand, and teach the membership about the AJLI Impact Based Community Project model was not required of her, but she knew the Committee and JLSP would benefit from the following the model. She spent countless hours studying and becoming an expert on the issue-based community impact model and how it applies to JLSP. She provided strategic leadership in determining the specific groups to turn to for knowledge, guidance, input, and education for her Committee.

Her hours of research with potential community partners and of gathering input from JLSP members were invaluable. She was mindful of the needs of the League and mixed that well with the needs of the community. Her dedication to ensuring that our new issue will be something both JLSP members and community partners are able and willing to tackle is inspiring! As a leader, she mentored, and allowed herself to be mentored - resulting in a rewarding experience for the entire Committee. She truly embodies the spirit of JLSP and has been and will continue to be integral in moving our organization forward. We are set to start a new League year with a clear focus on our new issue, and this is all possible because of her, her diligence and her hard work. She did all this while going to school and having a more than full-time job. And as always with a smile on her face.

Elizabeth Ames Jackson Founder Award: Angela Urbanek
The Elizabeth Ames Jackson Founder Award is presented to an individualwho is a good role model in all aspects of JLSP (projects, fundraising,administration, etc.), shows consistent outstanding achievement in projects and fundraisers, and represents the embodiment of what JLSP isabout.

Angela certainly embodies the spirit of JLSP. Throughout her years as an Active member she has served in many roles and has brought critical thinking to all of them. Administratively she has served on the Bylaws Committee, Cross Functional Committee, Investment Committee, Budget Committee and as Treasurer-Elect and Treasurer. She served on the Next-to-New Committee and continued her role with that fundraiser as well as Blue Jeans and Bling and all the other small fundraisers through her work in the Finance office. She is consistently thinking outside the box on how to grow the success of JLSP fundraisers so that we can give more back to the community. She has been a consistent participant in JLSP community projects, volunteering at Women’s Advocates, the Saint Paul Recreation Centers, and working on Kids in the Kitchen. She takes her JLSP responsibilities seriously and is a reliable leader and supporter of all JLSP events. She has also committed to working with AJLI on the Action Learning Team, the goal of which is to improve governance and management practices to ensure greater community impact.

Sustainer of the Year Award: Priscilla Brewster
The JLSP Sustainer of the Year Award honors a Sustainer who has gone on to fulfi ll the mission of JLSP by serving the needs of the community at large, in either a volunteer or professional capacity. This year’s recipient is an outstanding leader for JLSP, Saint Paul and other organizations to which she is devoted.

After serving as an Active member for nearly twenty years, Priscilla has continued her support of JLSP through her involvement in Sustainer events and generous support of our projects. Outside of JLSP her leadership and support of organizations she loves is no different. She has quietly served as President of the St. Paul Garden Club and has created and displayed beautiful floral arrangements for the Minneapolis Institute of Art’s annual Art in Bloom. She is currently president of the Minnesota Colonial Dames. She as served ten years on the Board of Regents Gunston Hall in Fairfax County, Virginia. She ended her tenure by serving as the First Regent, the equivalent of President of the Board of Regents. During her term, major renovations were completed to Gunston Hall, the colonial mansion estate of George Mason, in preparation for the 250th anniversary. With her leadership, the Friends of Gunston achieved a record breaking year in both the numbers of donors and dollars raised. In addition, docent and volunteer satisfaction was at an all-time high. In 2008, she was asked to serve as the inaugural president of the Board of Directors of the Saint Paul Parks Conservancy. Under her leadership and with the invaluable support of community partners, in only a few short months the Conservancy raised over half of its first project goal of $559,000.

We are proud of her legacy of service to JLSP and these many other organizations. She is a model of service and leadership to each of us, and we are honored to recognize her with this award.

Sustainer League Service Award: Erica Giorgi
The JLSP League Service Award honors a Sustainer who continues to fulfill the mission of JLSP with exceptional service to the League itself, either by serving in an active role on a committee, as an advisor or mentor, or has shown a multi-year commitment of time and effort to the JLSP.

Erica is thoughtful, strategic, practical, and trustworthy. You can count on her to do her work and then some. She was amazing support to the Chair and other members of the Committee she worked with this year.

JLSP knowledge, and truly knows how to connect with others so that they feel like a valued part of the League. When her committee needed additional help researching this year, she dug in and took on an equal role as an active Committee member, helped organize focus groups, and offered support at General Membership Meetings where the Committee was on the agenda. She has been a sustainer advisor to other Committees, including ad hoc committees. She has previously served as a Sustainer Representative to the Board of Directors, bringing new ideas for the Sustainers and keeping them engaged. She is one of those sustainers who continues to volunteer for activities and events. She works at Next to New, comes to General Membership Meetings, and participates in focus groups. She continues to provide service to JLSP and for that we are all extremely grateful. She is definitely the type of woman who makes JLSP great!

New Members Bring Kids in the Kitchen to Dayton’s Bluff

2011-03-27T09:45:00.001-07:00

by Tara B., New Member Chair

Kids in the Kitchen is an initiative by the Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. to empower youth to make healthy lifestyle choices; reversing the occurrence of childhood obesity and associated health issues.

The Fall New Member class took on this initiative and hosted Kids in the Kitchen at Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Center on January 27th to educate approximately 30 youth about the importance of healthy diet, exercise, and safety. The goal of this event was to share with the children fun and simple strategies in food selection and preparation along with the benefits of

exercise in order to motivate them to take care of their bodies’ every day. The children were

divided into three groups with each group participating in various healthy living stations including: educational activities, physical activities, and hands on cooking using the colors of the rainbow.

It was an honor to partner with Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Center in building a foundation of healthy eating habits that will guide the children into their teenage years and beyond.

Thank you to the Fall New Member class (Jeanine C., Julian M., Diane L., Beth L., Kimberly M., Ashley R., Andrea S., Dawn S., Britney T., Jenny Z.) for making this an event to remember.

Making an Impact in our Community: What Lies Ahead for JLSP?

2011-03-07T17:03:00.000-08:00

Contributed by Jill S. and Christine S.

Excitement is building amongst JLSP members as we work to develop the future of JLSP’s community outreach program. At a recent Leadership meeting, Actives, New Members, and leaders, all indicated that they are excited about JLSP’s “projects.”

Based on Association of Junior Leagues International trainings, the project research committee is using Issue-Based Community Impact, a roadmap from which to develop a system of choices to effectively engage the community around us. Issue-Based Community Impact is more effective than our traditional “projects” approach because the model helps us to determine where JLSP members’ interests and community needs overlap while defining what specific results in our community we seek to impact. The model works to establish the League as a community resource and offer leadership opportunities for our members.

The Issue-Based Community Impact structure makes it possible to reach a point in the model where members are able to identify both with the broad issue JLSP will concentrate on, as well as the specific impact or results JLSP seeks to accomplish. These results are accomplished through very specific and detailed strategies and tactics.

These strategies and tactics are much like our previous “community projects,” but are generally multi-layered in order to address the chosen issue from different avenues.

JLSP’s current topic, previously voted on by the JLSP Membership is Improving the lives of women and children. With much participation and input from New Members, Actives, and Sustainers, Project Research is actively working to narrow down the Issue Areas and develop impact areas. At the January General Membership Meeting Jill S, chair of the Project Research Committee presented the three issue areas for membership
consideration. They were:

1. Academic Success: Successful students must be able to balance the social and academic aspects of school, expect to succeed, and have reached proficiency levels in basic skills.
2. Food Insecurity: The limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods.
3. Emotional Security: Self-image which builds self-esteem is crucial for girls in their pre-teen years. Self-esteem refers to how you feel about yourself while self-image is about how you see yourself and how you believe others see you.

Based on the input received from the comment forms distributed after the presentation and continued research, the Project Research Committee is pursuing the issue areas of Academic Success and Food Insecurity . The committee will present a training for members on these issues and possible impact areas at the March General Membership meeting and the membership will vote on strategies at the April General Membership Meeting.

JLSP Hosts Kids in the Kitchen Event at Dayton's Bluff Rec Center

2011-02-13T20:11:00.000-08:00

Contributed by Tara L, New Member Chair

Kids in the Kitchen is an initiative by the Association of Junior Leagues International Inc. to empower youth to make healthy lifestyle choices; reversing the occurrence of childhood obesity and associated health issues.

The JLSP New Member class took on this initiative and hosted Kids in the Kitchen at Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Center on January 27 to educate approximately 30 youth about the importance of healthy diet, exercise, and safety. The goal of the event was to share with the children fun and simple strategies in food selection and preparation along with the benefits of exercise in order to motivate them to take care of their bodies everyday. The children were divided into three groups with each group participating in various healthy living stations including: educational activities, physical activities, and hands on cooking using the colors of the rainbow.

It was an honor to partner with Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Center in building a foundation of healthy eating habits that will guide the children into their teenage years and beyond.

Thank you to the New Members: Jeanine C., Julian M., Diane L., Beth L., Kimberly M., Ashley R., Andrea S. Dawn S., Britney T., Hong Juan “Jenny” Z. for making this an event to remember.

Got Bling?

2011-02-04T09:38:00.000-08:00

Contributed by Dianna Peterson, JLSP President

Put on your blue jeans, add something that sparkles and join us for the bash of the year!

We are excited to present the 4th Annual Blue Jeans and Bling, to be held on Friday, February 25th at the University Club of Saint Paul. The location may be new, but the fun will be the same—games, dancing and a fantastic auction where you can bid for items and experiences, all for a good cause.

What’s new this year? Arrive on the red carpet, and have your picture taken in style. Our paced auction end times will allow you to get those last minute bids in on your favorite items. Come check out the new games we have in store for you, along with some of the games you already know in a quest for a $500 gift card to R.F Moeller. And of course, come take your chance at the wine wall. There are some great wines available for you to win and add to your collection!

This event is not only JLSP’s largest fundraiser, but it is an opportunity to socialize with your friends and get to know spouses, friends and significant others. It is also an opportunity for the Sustainers to spend time with the life-long friends that they’ve met through JLSP, all while supporting a cause near and dear to all of us—the mission of JLSP to promote voluntarism, develop the potential of women and improve communities.

So dig out those rhinestones, pin down that tiara, slip on some shoes that sparkle and come celebrate in the comfort of your favorite jeans. What could be better?
Did we mention fabulous appetizers and Bling*tinis? We’ll see you there!

Buy Tickets Today!
Tickets are now available and include admission, food and a beverage for $50.

Placement Committee to hold Placement Fair at the February General Membership Meeting

2011-02-02T13:31:00.000-08:00

By Jannae Lowe, Placement Committee Chair

The Placement Committee is looking forward to hosting the Placement Fair at the February General Membership Meeting on February 8th at DeGidio’s. This new and engaging approach is designed to help members learn about their volunteer placement opportunities for next year.

The fair will consist of round table discussions. Committee chairs will rotate from table to table and speak about their committee(s). Each rotation will last about 10 minutes, 6-7 minutes for each chairperson to speak and 2-3 minutes for members to ask questions. The committees will be paired as follows:

• Blue Jeans and Bling / Next-to-New Sale
• Resource Development (Includes Grants & Sponsorship roles) / Headquarters
• Community Projects / Project Research / Advocacy
• Arrangements / Training
• Marketing (Includes Journal and Webmaster roles)
• New Member / Placement / Nominating

Advisors will be available following the round table discussions to discuss placement opportunities with their advisees. No sign up will be required, as this is an optional activity for members.

Junior League members will need to submit their placement preferences on Digital Cheetah by February 18th, the form will be available to Members on February 8th.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn more about JLSP and indicate your preferences for next years volunteer placement: join us for February General Membership Meeting.

Get Involved! AJLI Strategic Roadmap Update

2011-01-31T17:21:00.000-08:00

Contributed by Dianna Petereson, President

AJLI’s Strategic Roadmap process is taking a in-depth look at who we (Junior Leagues) are, what we do, and further, how we might improve our value proposition to women by offering them an environment, that works for their lives, in which they can thrive as community and civic leaders.

The next phase of the Strategic Roadmap process is the implementation of Action Learning Teams (ALTs). The ALTs are a best practices-based research and development model designed to help put theory into practice, exploring new ideas for Junior Leagues across the country.

Sound interesting? Well, here is your chance to get involved! The Junior League of Saint Paul will be participating on one of the Action Learning Teams, making the commitment to focus on governance and management with 5 other Leagues over the next 3 years.

We will be looking specifically at the following:

• Systems that create a separation between governance and management, designing ways to build a more stable pool of women ready to move from management to roles more focused on effective governance.
• Redesigning League nominating systems to ensure excellence in governance as well as appropriate management expertise; working on competency based systems; and, removing placement tasks from nominating such as leadership placement.
• Developing methods that support longer terms for the Board and/or Management group in order to enable Leagues to more effectively achieve strategic, longer-term community impact with less loss of time due to transition.

JLSP is currently looking for New, Active and Sustaining members to serve on JLSP’s League Work Team that will implement for JLSP the innovations brought forth from the ALT. Committee members would remain on this committee from now until the end of the 2012-2013 League year. This would be in addition to a member’s regular placement.

The committee will consist of members with a variety of League experience. If you are interested in being a part of JLSP’s League Work Team, please contact Dianna Peterson at president@jlsp.org by February 15.

Committee members should be comfortable working collaboratively with others, have strong listening skills, be comfortable asking questions, open to all perspectives and comfortable with change.

Congratulations to the Nominated 2011-2012 Board of Directors

2010-12-28T09:25:00.000-08:00

As an annual tradition the nominated Board of Directors was announced at the holiday party (the slate will be voted on at the February Membership meeting). Please help us in congratulating them!

President Katie Misukanis*  

President-Elect Beth Nault-Schatz 

Secretary Caldwell Camero  

Treasurer Sonya Smith-Sustacek* 

Treasurer-Elect Heather Johnson 

Director of Community Jill Skogheim

Director of Development Jordana Koja-Volk  

Director fo Fundraising Tara Broker 

Director of Communications Amy Luitjens 

Director of Membership Sarah Fastner

*Voted in by Membership in 2010

Thank you to all of our Supporters on Give to the Max Day 2011!

2010-11-18T11:55:00.000-08:00

For the second year in a row, The Junior League of Saint Paul participated in Give to the Max day, a day that encourages giving to charitable organizations over a 24 hour period. As a result of our League members and supporters, we raised $4,435 in one day! Overall, Minnesota donated more than $8 million to advance the work of non-profits in our state.

With the generous donations from Give to the Max Day, we have now raised over $14,000 toward the Annual Campaign goal of $17,000 - we are almost there! Thank you! If you have not yet had the opportunity to give, please consider doing so as part of your year-end giving plans.

As has been discussed various times this year, the money from the Annual Campaign goes directly to support this year's operating expenses including community projects, our wonderful headquarters building and training opportunities for all of our Members. In other words, it allows us to continue to invest in all of you and impact those in our community. To give to the annual fund, go to www.jlsp.org/supportjlsp.

Thank you again for your generosity.

JLSP Responds with Concerns Regarding Saint Paul's Parks and Recreation Center Overhall Plan

2010-11-15T07:10:00.000-08:00

Contributed by Susie Schatz, Advocacy Committee

The City of Saint Paul is in the process of creating a Parks and Recreation Center Overhaul Plan. This plan includes reducing the number of buildings in the Parks and Recreation Centers and switching the focus of the remaining centers. The plan is online and can be read at http://www.stpaul.gov/.

There are two buildings at risk that the Junior League of Saint Paul have been working with through our plays program. They are Hayden Heights and McDonough. The Junior League of Saint Paul Advocacy Committee in partnership with the Community Council has crafted a statement to be read at a public hearing to discuss the plan on November 15, 2010 at the Oxford Community Center. The focus of the statement is to remind the city council members to consider low-income children and families that use these centers. The final plan will be released in December and the City Council will vote on the plan in January.

JLSP Statement to the Saint Paul City Council:

The Junior League of Saint Paul (JLSP) 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. For over 90 years, the JLSP has improved the Saint Paul community by identifying unmet needs, forging effective coalitions and working for change, all on a volunteer basis.

In collaboration with the City of Saint Paul Mayor's office and the Parks and Recreation Department, the JLSP launched Saint Paul Plays! in 2008, an area of our current initiative, Building Bonds through Reading and Play, which brings the developmental value and connection-making power of play to Saint Paul families through play events at area Recreation Centers. This initiative seeks to promote connections between children and adults, with the ultimate aim of reducing child abuse.

The JLSP offered city-wide play nights at area recreation centers, serving hundreds of Saint Paul children in lower income areas where there existed the highest needs. Several of these locations, specifically Hayden Heights and McDonough Recreation centers, are slated for significant changes in the newly announced plan from the City of Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Department.

There are several concerns and recommendations that the JLSP would like to bring forward as this planning process continues.

Concerns:

1) After school alternatives. For many families, after school programs at recreation centers are lifesavers. Children have a safe, fun place to stay after school where they can receive help with homework, and have positive interactions with adults. Centers like McDonough are open Monday through Friday, 3-6 pm. This allows parents to work without the stress and sometimes the expense of childcare. Losing these vital, easily accessible recreation centers that meet this need can be devastating to families and would have long term impacts on communities.

2) Transportation. While fewer, more high quality parks sounds good, transportation is a significant barrier to many families. McDonough Recreation Center is located in a highly populated area and serves children from the public housing facilities surrounding it and most can walk to the center. Transportation is a major barrier to low income families in any community and if operations at this facility and those similar to it are lost, children and families will likely suffer tremendous hardship in accessing services due to lack of transportation. Families may be forced to choose alternative, less desirable means of childcare without these facilities, missing opportunities for the positive interactions and interventions currently provided.

3) Serving children from low-income families. More ball parks, dog parks, and skating rinks. These amenities do bring value to communities. However, they should not come at the expense of serving children from lower income families and the long term impact these interventions can have on children’s lives and our communities. JLSP volunteers play with hundreds of Saint Paul children each year at these recreation centers. Research shows that play helps children develop crucial social, language, vocabulary, creativity, reasoning, problem solving, memory and cognitive skills. On MPR, Mayor Coleman stated, "If you don't make sure that the children you're raising in the community have the education skills they need to take jobs in those new companies you're hoping to attract to your community, then you're simply not going to be able to sustain any bricks and mortar efforts” (St. Paul mayor works 'second shift', MPR, 2008).

Recommendations:

1) Turning over of operations. We ask that consideration of low income children and families be of the highest priority in this parks plan. Articles have sited that there are plans to turn over the operations of several recreation centers to nonprofits. We ask that these nonprofits guarantee to continue serving low income children with high quality after school opportunities like Rec Check and the Police Activities League that are currently in place at McDonough. As these programs cut off at grade 6, we ask that these nonprofits provide programming to kids beyond the 6th grade to provide positive after school options. These types of agreements with nonprofits serving children will keep these centers conveniently located for families for easy access when transportation is a barrier.

2) Community centers. Facilities designed to serve all community members, like the one proposed to replace Hayden Heights, are a benefit to any city. We ask that these community centers include extensive programming for children to access opportunities to build positive relationships with adults and other children, including after school opportunities for homework help, mentorship, and play time. Community centers will be a draw to any neighborhood, and we ask that they be located in areas where children and families with the most significant needs and barriers to transportation have the easiest access to them.

Saint Paul has often been called a city of parks. This feature and the accessibility to parks for everyone, regardless of income, is one reason we boast of our high quality of life. While in these difficult economic times, we recognize the need for cities to make difficult financial decisions, we must not lose sight of who is most significantly impacted by these changes. If we neglect to serve the children and families who rely on these recreation centers, we are neglecting not only them, but the future of our community.

JLSP Hosts Third Thursday Family Nights with the Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Center

2010-11-15T07:04:00.000-08:00

Contributed by Ginger Carroll, Director of Community Outreach

Every third Thursday of the month, the Junior League of Saint Paul hosts a family night at Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Center. These nights focus on building bonds between children and caregivers by reading and playing together. JLSP volunteers serve food and then play games or read with the children and caregivers.

The Junior League of Saint Paul is dedicated to providing experiences for children to develop skills for success through their Building Bonds Through Reading and Play initiative. Children who are read to regularly learn to read more quickly and easily. Reading to children encourages language development, listening skills and a longer attention span.

Play is also critical to raising successful children and building happy families. Play stimulates brain growth, lays the foundation for learning, and provides a key opportunity for positive social interaction. Furthermore, researchers have found that parents who felt their child was difficult or perceived a lack of bonding between parent and child may be more likely to abuse their children. Play provides the positive bonding experience required to help prevent this abuse.

Through play, children develop crucial social, language and vocabulary, creativity, reasoning, problem solving, memory and cognitive skills. Play also leads to improved self-confidence, trust and communication skills. Ultimately, play builds strong children, and it also builds strong families. By playing and reading together, parents and children have fun, get to know one another, build connections and create memories.

The Junior League of Saint Paul recognizes that today’s families are very busy and may not have enough opportunity to read and play regularly with each other. Anyone who would like to have that time provided for them is invited to join the Junior League of Saint Paul and the Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Center staff for a Third Thursday Family Night from 6pm – 8pm. For more information about JLSP, please go to http://www.jlsp.org/.

JLSP Members Meet with Saint Paul Mayor’s Staff on Community Service Opportunities

2010-11-09T07:05:00.000-08:00

Contributed by Christine Sand, Project Research Committee

As part of the on-going efforts of the Project Research Committee to develop options for JLSP community service, JLSP members met with two of the Mayor’s staff on Thursday. Jill Skogheim, Christine Sand, and Katie Misukanis met with Erica Schumacher, Director of Neighborhood Initiatives and Nancy Homans, Policy Director.

The purpose of the meeting was to hear about the Mayor’s initiatives to improve the neighborhoods in Saint Paul, and to ask for advice and input from the Mayor’s staff on how best JLSP can contribute to improving the Saint Paul community.

The information was endless; so much to learn and absorb about the diverse city of Saint Paul. One topic was the Promise Neighborhood grant Saint Paul received from the federal government, based on the Harlem Children’s Zone, one of the topics Mayor Coleman addressed at the April 2010 JLSP General Membership Meeting. The planning and implementation of the Promise Neighborhood in Frogtown will provide integrated services, focusing on the needs of the community. This model, by 2012, will be part of every neighborhood in Saint Paul.

One suggestion from the Mayor’s Office was to think about how we can broaden our current role. Today, JLSP provides food to families at Dayton Bluff’s, plays with children, reads to the children, and improves their environment. How can we take it a step further? Can we create homework “makeover” rooms at more recreation centers? Can we create reading corners at recreation centers? Can we educate parents about the need to do pre-K screening earlier than age 5?

At the end of the meeting this was clear: 1) The Mayor and his staff understand JLSP and what we are currently doing in the community and what our potential is; 2) The Mayor’s staff understands the challenges of finding rewarding community service for an on-going volunteer membership, like JLSP, and wants to work with us to find impactful opportunities; 3) JLSP has many opportunities to find our “niche” and be a part of improving our community.

Stay tuned for more on the Promise Neighborhood and the research done by the JLSP Project Research Committee.

Support JLSP on November 16th! Give to the Max Day 2010: Minnesota’s Largest Give Together!

2010-11-03T19:35:00.000-07:00

Nonprofit organizations throughout the state will once again ask Minnesotans to display their record-breaking generosity during the second annual “Give to the Max Day” on November 16.

This is a day for us to come together as Minnesotans and show our support for the nonprofit organizations that work tirelessly to improve our communities.

During last year’s Give to the Max Day, more than 53 donors logged on to GiveMN.org to donate to the Junior League of Saint Paul. The result: $7,980! “Last year the Junior League of Saint Paul was a beneficiary of an incredible amount of giving, which we are very grateful for in helping to support JLSP, allowing us to continue to fulfill our mission and improve the lives of women and children in the Saint Paul Community,” said Dianna Peterson, President of the Junior League of Saint Paul.

This year we ask our members and supporters to consider giving generously again on November 16th to help us exceed the level of giving from last year. Your donations will help our organization continue to fulfill our mission. Additional funds may help JLSP to:

Support training activities to help develop our members as community and civic leaders
Purchase food for the JLSP Backpack Buddies Program that provides access to nutritional meals for children who might not have access outside of school hours.
Purchase books to donate to children who complete the Saint Paul Public Schools Early Childhood Program
Support the general operations of JLSP, allowing us to continue fulfilling our mission.

As added incentives this year, GiveMN.org will also offer the following incentives for donors:

Throughout the event, an individual donor will be randomly chosen every hour to have an additional $1,000 given to the charity that received the donor’s original donation.
A $20,000 and $10,000 prize grant will be awarded to the top two nonprofits in the Twin Cities and the top two nonprofits in greater Minnesota that attract the largest number of individual donors on Give to the Max Day.

So mark your calendar for November 16th and help us spread word to friends and supporters of JLSP! Here's how you can:

Become a fan of JLSP on GiveMN.org.
On November 16th go to GiveMN.org and make a donation.
Tell your friends, family and colleagues about how they can support JLSP on November 16th.

Thanks for your continued support!

JLSP Plays Games, Serves Dinner at Dayton's Bluff Rec Center

2010-10-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

On Thursday September 16, JLSP Members kicked off the school year with some food and fun! Children and their parents were served their choice of sandwiches, while engaging in the game of their choice. Junior League Members had some tough competition in games of Sorry, Connect Four, Life and others from the children at Dayton's Bluff Recreation Center - as well as one another! It was a fun time for JLSP Members as we played games, ate and talked with the students, ranging in age from six to sixteen.

Conversations varied dramatically - from game rule discussions ("How much money does each player start with in the game of Life?") to favorite school subjects, plans beyond high school, that night's homework and how everyone feels about a new teacher and a new school year. It was a meaningful time for both the kids and JLSP Members. What a great way to connect with these kids - by simply being present and spending time. We're building some great bonds through play! Please join us this month on October 14 as we spend time reading with the children at Dayton's Bluff Recreation Center.

Throughout 2010-11, JLSP will continue to help build bonds with the children and families that attend the Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Center through monthly game and reading nights at the center. To learn more about Building Bonds through Reading and Play, please visit us at www.jlsp.org.

Mark Your Calendar for JLSP's Next-to-New sale, Saturday, October 2nd, 2010

2010-09-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

The Junior League of Saint Paul Next-to-New sale has been popular in the Twin Cities since its
introduction over sixty years ago. With thousands of items available ranging from antiques to clothing to children's toys, it has drawn crowds of curious first-time shoppers and devoted bargain hunters alike. This year's Next-to-New committee has been working since June to ensure that this year's sale, which will take place on Saturday, October 2nd, meets the high-quality standard that it has come to be known for.

-------------------------------------------------
What : JLSPs 61st annual Next-to-New Sale
Where : The Dairy Building at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds Directions
When : Saturday, October 2nd, 8:00 a.m. - 4 p.m.
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This year's sale will be held at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in the Dairy Building. The sale will be held from 8am to 4pm, with a half off sale beginning at 1 pm and a $5 bag sale beginning at 3 pm. For a map and additional information about our Next-to-New sale, please visit
JLSP.org/NexttoNew.

Merchandise for Next-to-New is donated by local merchants, Junior League of Saint Paul members, and our collective friends, family, and neighbors. Throughout the month of September, we will be collecting items from these various donors, and we are excited to share them with you on our sale date!

If you have never been to our Next-to-New sale and are wondering what to expect, browse through our photos from our previous sales. See you there!

Created with flickr slideshow.

Jeremiah Program Receives Building Bonds Bundles

2010-08-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

By Ginger Carroll, Director of Community Outreach

As part of the Junior League of Saint Paul's Building Bonds Through Reading and Play Project the Jeremiah Program graduates of 2009/2010 were thrilled to be given a personalized travel bag filled with developmentally appropriate toys, games, puzzles and books to present to their children, thanks to the generous contributions of JLSP Sustainers and Active Members. The Jeremiah Program provides transitional housing and support services to single mothers and their children in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Beth Garland, Director of Program and Strategic Partnerships at the Jeremiah Program, was quoted in their Buzz newsletter, "The Building

Bonds Bundles project will continue to bless our families as they begin the next phase of their transformational journey."

JLSP Member, Monique Stevenson, was instrumental in making this project come to life. She spent many hours compiling the right items to go into each bundle and making a customized label with each child’s name that she attached to the front of the bag. The women and children of the Jeremiah Program have been given an excellent start toward building bonds through reading and playing together!

JLSP Members to Participate in the Association of Junior Leagues International Task Forces

2010-08-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

Over the summer, AJLI (Association of Junior Leagues International) began looking for Junior League Members from Leagues throughout the country to participate in one of four Task Forces that will work over the next one to two years on issues that affect all Junior Leagues. 50 women from 44 Leagues were selected, and JLSP is proud to have 2 members among them!

Congratulations to:

Judy Kishel, Sustainer - AJLI Governance Task Force

This task force will address excellence in governance and best practices for nonprofit Boards, as well as examine the roles of Leagues, the AJLI Board and Nominating Committee.

Karen Snedeker, Sustainer - Collaborative League Engagement Task Force
This task force will identify ways in which AJLI can support Leagues joining together to address community impact issues, and will research best practices in external policies processes.

The JLSP Board of Directors looks forward to hearing more from these two women as they work together with other Junior Leagues to guide the future of our organization.

JLSP Joins with Macy’s Shop for a Cause!

2010-08-21T18:54:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, October 16, 2010, Macy's will host the 5th annual Shop for a Cause benefit charities nationwide. Since 2006, Shop for a Cause has raised more than $34 million for regional and local charities across the country. JLSP is excited to be a part of this nationwide event!

How does JLSP benefit?

We have been given discount shopping passes to sell for $5 each. JLSP keeps 100% of the proceeds.

How do I benefit?

The passes entitle you to exclusive 20% or 10% savings in most departments all day long plus an additional 25% off a single purchase. Shop for a Cause is special because you can save on most items throughout the store and online. If you buy one item for $20, you've already made your money back. Imagine your savings if you spent $200!

How do I buy the passes?

There are several ways you can get passes. And, anyone can buy them, so promote them to your friends, neighbors and co-workers!

Buy them online at www.jlsp.org, Buy Today!
Buy them at the September or October General Membership Meetings
Buy them on Saturday, October 2nd at the Next-to-New Sale
Send a check to JLSP Headquarters and the passes will be mailed to you.

Member Reflection: JLSP is a safe place to try new things and develop new skills

2010-08-17T14:56:00.000-07:00

Contributed by Sara Ridder, JLSP Member

I’d like to say that the main reason I joined JLSP was to help my community. But, I have to admit that I joined for a selfish reason -- to help myself. Sure didn’t hurt that it was for a worthwhile cause but there are many places you can give your time if you’re looking to volunteer in the community. I was looking for somewhere I could widen my circle and broaden my experience.

The great thing about this organization is that it allows you to develop yourself and your skills while helping others.

Each year I’ve been part of JLSP has been a unique experience – whether it’s been putting on a fundraiser, working with the membership or playing in the rec centers with kids. It is fun and interesting to try on a different hat each year in a different role and as part of a different committee. For example, you can learn how a non-profit organization works, how to plan, organize and execute a project, how to be a better public speaker, how to effectively advocate for a cause… the list goes on…and on…

Besides developing new skills – JLSP gives women the opportunity to identify and hone the skills they already possess and, as a result, gain confidence. Because JLSP is focused on the positives, it is the strengths that are celebrated. For example, the feedback, encouragement and experience I’ve received from JLSP has enabled me to understand my strengths, my leadership skills and my priorities – knowledge I have taken beyond JLSP into the rest of my life.

There is also so much to learn from the other women in the organization. This diverse group comes from a wide range of backgrounds, career fields and experiences. They share their expertise with the organization and with those of us there to soak up their knowledge.

JLSP members build and develop the organization – and the organization gives members an opportunity to build and develop themselves.

I’d encourage you to come learn more about JLSP at one of our upcoming Prospective Member Receptions. For details, visit http://www.jlsp.org/?nd=p_join_us.

The Junior League of Saint Paul has been chosen as the recipient of food donations during The ESOP Association’s Minnesota/Dakotas’ Annual Food Drive!

2010-08-16T15:40:00.000-07:00

Contributed by Ginger Carroll, Director of Community Outreach

Sarah Niklaus is not only the Secretary on the JLSP Board of Directors, she also serves as a Vice President for the Minnesota/Dakotas chapter of The ESOP (employee stock ownership plan) Association. The Minnesota/Dakotas’ ESOP Association Chapter is comprised of companies throughout Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota that are employee owned companies. For more information, please refer to: http://www.mndak-esop.org

Every year the Minnesota/Dakotas’ chapter conducts a food drive to benefit an organization of the participating company’s choice or a local food shelf. This year, Sarah generously proposed offering JLSP’s Backpack Buddies program as an option for donations and 15 companies have chosen JLSP! The food drive is a competition to see how many items each company can collect. Hopefully one of the 15 who donates to JLSP is the winner!

When the Food Drive is over on August 23, JLSP Members will have the opportunity to thank the metro area companies for donating when they pick up the food on August 24 & 25th. Members will pick up the food, take it to JLSP headquarters and organize it on the Backpack Buddies shelves for future distribution at the Dayton’s Bluff Rec Center. There are both 2 hour and 4 hour shift options available on the JLSP member calendar. JLSP members – log on to www.jlsp.org to sign up for this exciting opportunity!

Thanks for helping to get JLSP’s Backpack Buddies Program set up for the new school year!!

Backpack Buddies is a Hit!

2010-08-15T20:39:00.000-07:00

By Ginger Carroll, Director of Community Outreach

The first eight weeks of the Backpack Buddies project was greatly appreciated by the families and staff at Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Center. The staff shared their observations and comments made by parents and children.

One child who clearly was proud to help provide food for herself and her five siblings asked every week, “Did you get my backpack? Do I get it again on Friday?” Another child put his backpack on in the Rec. Check room and beamed with pride as he walked around the room. One mother brought her child’s backpack in on Mondays herself to make sure that it would be filled to go home again the next weekend.

By providing weekend nourishment to the children at Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Center through backpacks filled with food, JLSP helped alleviate one of the challenges in the lives of the families who we encourage to build bonds by reading and playing together. Research shows that children who are well-nourished have a significantly greater capacity to learn, interact well with others, and pay attention in school.

Over the eight weeks, the Junior League of Saint Paul provided food for 12 families, which consisted of 35 children. Food in those 12 backpacks added up to 175 pounds per week – 1,260 pounds of food over 8 weeks! That is an incredible start to a very important project thanks to the Community Project committee’s great efforts and JLSP volunteers who helped by shopping for food, packing the backpacks and delivering the food to the Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Center. Watch the JLSP web blast and calendar in the coming months for opportunities to be involved in improving the lives of women and children through the Backpack Buddies program!

REMINDER: TODAY is the Primary Election

2010-08-10T08:11:00.000-07:00

Submitted by Susan Schatz, Advocacy Committee Member

Polls are open until 8pm this evening!

Why vote in the Primary Election?

Voting shapes the future of Minnesota. Those who are elected make decisions that impact all Minnesotans, including the lives of the women and children served by JLSP. The Primary Election on August 10, 2010 is an opportunity to participate in shaping the future of Minnesota and realizing the JLSP vision of a stronger community. The Primary Election impacts the outcome of the November 2010 election and thus the decisions made in the 2011-2012 Legislative Session.

What’s the deal with voting in a Primary?

The Primary Election allows you to choose the best candidate in your chosen political party for the ballot in the General Election on November 2nd. You will receive a ballot with all parties represented and, in the privacy of the voting booth, choose which party's primary to participate in and select only candidates from that party.

Where is my polling place? How do I register to vote?

To find your polling place, details about the candidates running for office in your district, and details about what types of identification can be used to register to vote please visit http://www.blogger.com/www.sos.state.mn.us. You can register at your polling place on the day of the Primary Election.

Please contact the JLSP Advocacy committee at advocacy@jlsp.org with questions or for fun, easy and effective ways to participate in the 2010 Elections!

Sustainers Support US Troops in Afghanistan

2010-08-09T19:24:00.000-07:00

By Nancy McNee, JLSP Sustainer

We know Sustainers are involved in the community, serve on JLSP committees and belong to different Sustainer groups. However this year, the Sustainer Evening Book Club and the InSecurities Investment Club joined together for a special project. Sustainer Karen Johnson’s son-in-law, Major Eddy Hansen, was serving in Afghanistan. Learning from Karen’s daughter, Lynne, there was a need for some extras for the ground troops, both groups decided to help. Lynne sent a list of needed winter articles such as hand and foot warmers, coffee and socks. Then the sustainers raised money, purchased and shipped those items to the 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (1st ANGLICO) in Afghanistan for Eddy to distribute to the forces.

In February, Mary Gallivan, Diane Erdman, Sue Metzger, Elizabeth Streeper and Nancy McNee met at Costco prepared to shop. The five women blocked an entire aisle while discussing the merits of different socks. Were they too thick? Or too thin? Would they wear well? Would they wick? Finally a choice was made! Six boxes were crammed full of socks and other various items and sent off to the soldiers and sailors.

April in Afghanistan is hot! So our list changed from toe warmers to suntan lotion. The shopping list from Lynne included suntan lotion, wet wipes, water flavoring, power bars and treats. Hitting Costco again were Sue Metzger, Andrea McCue, Kathy Oftelie and Nancy McNee. Another six boxes were shipped. The people in line at the Post Office were quite accommodating once they learned that the boxes were going to the service people in Afghanistan. It helps if you say very loudly, “How long will these take to get to the troops in Afghanistan?” In all,12 boxes were sent and a donation made to the Family Readiness Program to provide gift bags for returning soldiers and sailors.

In addition to participating in the Book Club/InSecurities Club project, Kathy Oftelie and Susan Griffith sent boxes to relatives serving in Afghanistan.

Eddy and the 1st ANGLICO were due home the beginning of June, and thankfully they are all back now. Eddy was greeted with a big hug from his daughter Ashley.

Both the Book and the InSecurities Clubs were honored to each receive a certificate and flag that flew over Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan, along with a very moving thank you note from Major Eddy Hansen. Those items were presented to the JLSP Board of Directors in July. The flag, certificate and note are framed and on display at Headquarters.

Empowered to become Civic and Community Leaders:

2010-08-04T21:15:00.000-07:00

Contributed by Tara Broker, New Member Committee Chair

The Junior League of Saint Paul empowers its members to become civic and community leaders. They see a need in the community, and they have the courage and conviction to act. Their hands-on experience gives them the credibility to increase awareness, guide decisions, and create impact.

Over the past 93 years, the Junior League of Saint Paul has addressed important issues including healthcare, literacy, shaken baby syndrome, and domestic violence. Members have actively engaged in improving Saint Paul and making life better for everyone in it. Junior League women have worked for the common good and are a leadership resource for the entire community.

Working and learning together, members of the Junior League of Saint Paul become civic and community leaders. Meet some of our current JLSP members and learn more about how they are developing skills and becoming stronger leaders in through their League experience.

The Junior League of Saint Paul also belongs to a larger group of 294 Junior Leagues worldwide. Learn more about women across the country that have built their leadership skills through membership in the Junior League, such as:

• U.S. Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, introduced bill H.R. 1700 which establishes a National Women's History Museum.

• Betty Simms, U.S. Senate, Missouri, has made significant contributions to improving the health, economic, and social well-being of women and children.

• Kay Hagan, U.S. Senate, North Carolina, credits her experience with The Junior League.

Other famous Junior League members include Eleanor Roosevelt, Sandra Day O’Connor, Laura Bush, Nancy Reagan, and Katherine Hepburn.

Interested in joining the Junior League of Saint Paul and developing your skills as a civic and community leader?

 Join us for upcoming Prospective Member Receptions Aug. 14, Sept 9, and Sept 18, 2010. For event details visit our website.

JLSP Hosts Summer BBQ’s at Saint Paul Rec Centers

2010-06-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

Contributed by Sarah Fastner, Projects Committee Chairperson

JLSP hosted our first summer BBQ on Wednesday, June 16th at Arlington Rec Center. It was a fun-filled evening as local families had the opportunity to spend time at the Community Fair which showcased many local organizations including Saint Paul Public Libraries, Merrick Community Services, St. Paul Fire Department, and the St. Paul Police Department. Families also enjoyed dinner, hosted by JLSP, and stayed late for the movie at dusk. JLSP Members Christine Sand, Katie Misukanis, Katie Frank, Monique Stevenson, Sonya Smith and Sarah
Fastner served dinner to over 240 people that evening!

________________________________________________

Please join us for the next summer BBQ at Hancock Rec Center on Friday, July 30th from 6-8pm.
________________________________________________

The Summer BBQ’s are part of the Junior League of Saint Paul’s Building Bonds Through Reading and Play Initiative that helps parents and caregivers connect with children in ways that will create a long-term positive impact. JLSP’s research finds that a bond between a caregiver and a child improves the relationship and offers developmental growth leading to academic success for the child. That bond can be established in numerous ways, including by reading and playing with a child.

Maximize Your Giving Power with Employer Matching Gift Programs, Here’s How:

2010-06-21T15:20:00.000-07:00

Submitted by Katie Holzem, JLSP Resource Development Chairperson

Did you know? One of the smartest ways to give is through a matching gift program, where a company - or individual - will match donations to charitable organizations. These matches are often dollar for dollar, which doubles your charitable-donation power.

I recently discovered that in addition to allowing employees 40 hours of volunteer paid time off, that my company will also write a check for up to $500 to the charity that I volunteer for. Talk about a simple way to help support the Junior League of Saint Paul! As Resource Development Chairperson, I thought, “this is too exciting of a find to not share with the JLSP Membership!”

Matching Gifts: A Growing Trend

The company that I work for is not alone in offering matching gifts as a benefit for employees. In fact, more and more companies are implementing giving programs each year. Matching-gift programs are a true win-win-win. They boost the power of individual donations to help non-profit organizations; they have been linked to employee satisfaction and retention, and they also help the company with tax benefits and image enhancement. Each giving program is different, but many companies will contribute a dollar-for-dollar match with what an employee donates, and even pay non-profits for employee volunteer time.

Some of the noteworthy larger companies in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul area with matching gift programs include:

Best Buy
3M
Thomson Reuters
ING
The Toro Company
Ecolab
The Travelers Companies

Does Your Employer Offer Matching Contributions? Here’s How to Learn More:

The time and effort needed are minimal to determine if your company offers a matching gift program - in many cases it is as simple as getting in touch with your Human Resources department to find out if your company will match or donate contribution to a non-profit that you support. Here are some simple steps:

Contact your company’s Human Resources or payroll department to see whether it offers a matching gift program.

Ask for donation guidelines and a list of eligible charities if your company does offer a matching gift program.

Watch for matching opportunities through community or Internet fundraising efforts if your company doesn't offer a matching gift program.

Donate through the matching gift program, filling out the appropriate forms to ensure that the match is donated.

You can also check www.matchinggifts.com for information on your company’s giving policies.

We encourage you to check with your company regarding this simple way to support JLSP’s work to improve the lives of the women and children in Saint Paul.

Celebrating our Members: Congratulations to the 2010 JLSP Standing Ovation Award Recipients

2010-05-23T18:30:00.000-07:00

Rising Star: Jenal Hrdlicka

Jenal arrived at JLSP as a New Member with a smile, a ton of energy and a great attitude. She jumped right into the New Member activities and took on the responsibility of co-chairing Kids in the Kitchen. In this role she was incredibly organized and motivated, which was one of the keys to the project’s success. She was not afraid to dive in and encourage others to do the same.

She went beyond the call of duty in many ways. This included organizing social get-togethers with the other new members. She also spent a Saturday in February driving around looking for parking and helping recruit New Members at JLSP’s booth at the Volunteer Fair at the Mall of America. In addition, she helped out with the Spring New Member project, although she had already completed this requirement through her work on Kids in the Kitchen.

This individual has been a good sport throughout the year. She kept the ball rolling without the help of a large New Member Committee on hand to guide her.

JLSP is thrilled that Jenal will be playing an important role in JLSP next year as the Vice Chair of the New Member Committee. The JLSP is thrilled honor Jenal Hrdlicka as a Rising Star.

Rising Star: Amanda Rothstein

Amanda jumped right onto a committee and helped JLSP put on a successful fundraiser. She was a valuable addition to the Blue Jeans and Bling Committee where she applied her event planning experience to make a tremendous contribution to the event. This gal saw what needed to be done and jumped in to help. For example, she helped locate an auctioneer for the event, which is often a key to maximizing the amount raised at events. In addition, her event planning experience was invaluable on the day of the event. She took charge and provided great instruction – quickly jumping into tasks and recognizing what needed to get done. She is a pro at setting up silent auctions and used this experience to put the tables together and provide great instruction to others.

Her work on Blue Jeans and Bling was in addition to the great contribution she made to Kids in the Kitchen. Heading up a sub-group she organized the important food portion of the effort.

We are extremely fortunate that Amanda Rothstein will be bringing her expertise to chair Blue Jeans and Bling next year and honored to recognize her as a Rising Star.

Unsung Hero Award: Ginger Carroll

This year’s Unsung Hero, Ginger Carroll goes beyond the norm to get things done. As a result she has made a significant impact on the role JLSP plays in the community.

Ginger dove quickly into her role, starting last summer when she helped organize a series of events at the Rec Centers. Throughout the rest of the year she continued to work closely with the Rec Centers to make sure their needs were met and improve our relationship with them.

Then, when other committees were winding down the year, our Unsung Hero and her committee were still revving up. Full of energy and enthusiasm, she launched new pilot programs that are in line with the League’s mission and values. These include the “Backpack Buddies” program and the "Extreme Makeover Homework Room Edition".

She’s spent countless hours researching, planning and executing these programs, not to mention marketing them to fellow members. She has a knack of knowing people’s strengths and tapping into our broad talent base get things done. And, she’s a great cheerleader – her enthusiasm, and passion for her work, and continued positive attitude motivates those around her.

Not only did she lead her committee and the League in the homework room makeover, but she also served as an incredible mentor to the New Members who worked on this project.

She is not afraid to make hard decisions, or have difficult conversations. Given her extremely personable nature, she can do this and make friends, not enemies. For example, she worked with the St. Paul Rec Center staffs to explain how our new strategy of focusing on few instead of many would actually benefit them and JLSP.

She is not only a great role model for JLSP members, but also for her two daughters, to whom she is teaching the importance of volunteering. Good thing too, as her husband and adorable kids were all on hand to help makeover the homework room.

She also stepped up to the plate on short notice when the chairperson of another committee had to step down from her leadership position. Instead of asking Nominating to select a replacement, she offered to lead both committees, and did so with amazing grace and competence. This is in character for this individual who also stepped in last year to co-lead the project committee when the previous leader stepped down.

The Junior League of Saint Paul is honored to recognize Ginger Carroll as this year’s Unsung Hero.

Elizabeth Ames Jackson Founder Award: Tricia Knigge

The Elizabeth Ames Jackson Founder Award is presented to an individual who is a good role model in all aspects of JLSP, shows consistent outstanding achievement in projects and fundraisers, and represents the embodiment of what JLSP is about.

Tricia, this year’s recipient of this honor exemplifies what JLSP is all about in terms of our core values – these include:

Commitment to our Mission

Teamwork and Friendship

Excellence and Integrity

Accountability and innovation

Commitment to our Mission:

Tricia believes in our goals and is willing to put in countless extra hours to help us achieve them. In addition to the duties that are in her job description, she has been at the forefront of our migration to a new web-based system that will allow us to manage our organization more efficiently and easily. The end result of all her work: we will be able to free up our resources from administrative tasks so that we can focus on achieving our goals. This enormous project was an added responsibility to her position, but she took it on enthusiastically and professionally – dedicating an unbelievable amount of work to make it happen.

Teamwork and Friendship:

Tricia has proven that she is a strong team member as she has worked seamlessly across all committees and councils. In addition to leading her own team, she has led efforts on behalf of all of our major events and activities to make sure that the membership and the community are aware and educated. Motivating others can be a difficult thing to do – especially when you are not part of the actual committee. However, her friendly approach and personable nature make her someone who others seek out on both business and social levels.

Integrity and Excellence:

Tricia turns out work of incredible quality, thoughtfulness and attention to detail. And, when doing so, she is a calm in the storm. With a positive attitude and even-keel personality she executes her responsibilities with, what seems like, but surely cannot be, effortless ease. Or, if it is that easy – then maybe we should give her more to do.

However, it is hard to give her more to do when she keeps volunteering to do more. For example, this year she added another responsibility to her plate and served on the Cross Functional Committee. In this role she shared her knowledge and experience of the League and, in particular, her previous experience as the New Member Chair.

Accountability and Innovation:

While it is important to honor JLSP’s past, it is also important to keep the organization relevant for the future. Tricia has innovated the way we communicate with ourselves and with others. Thanks to her we can Twitter about our JLSP activities, keep in touch with our JLSP friends through Facebook, and read blogs to hear about JLSP activities. We are one of the first Leagues to actively use these technologies – and she put us there. Because she is not afraid to try new things and push JLSP into the future we have strengthened our community and been able to touch countless others outside of our organization.

Tricia has shown us all the reach that the Junior League of Saint Paul can have – and has enabled us spread our message far and wide. Throughout, she does this with hard work, commitment and grace. The Junior League of Saint Paul is honored to present the Elizabeth Ames Jackson Award to Tricia Knigge.

Sustainer Service Award: Sheelagh Frost Russell

Sheelagh, the recipient of the Sustainer Service Award has been called a “Sustainer Extraordinaire”. But, before that she was a “member extraordinaire.” She has a well-rounded JLSP resume having worked on a wide range of committees – some Community focused such as Silent Witness and Adopt-a-Shelter; some development focused – including co-chairing a gala and serving as the Director of Development; as well as Membership focused, when she worked on the Placement/Nominating committee.

Her JLSP resume as a Sustainer is also impressive. In 2006-2007 she was a Sustainer Representative. For the past couple of years she has been a very active member of the Centennial Committee and this year added the Investment Committee to the list. Yes, she is a double-placed Sustainer.

On these committees this woman was instrumental in crafting the Projects Endowment Policies and Procedures. She also revised the JLSP Investment Policy. This was not a simple job as these documents required significant research and analysis.

Sheelagh generously shares her professional knowledge with the League. For example, given her work experience and her deep understanding of JLSP, she was able to educate the committees on their financial options and explain the pros and cons of each. She also kept the committee focused on what was the ethical thing to do and how best to protect our funds. As a committee member, she always does her “homework,” is always prepared and always brings a wealth of information to the table. Her incredible intelligence, dedication, positive attitude and lovely, gentle nature make her a valuable addition to any group. We are so fortunate that she is a part of our organization and has devoted so much time and energy to JLSP projects.

JLSP is honored to bestow The Sustainer Service Award to Sheelagh Frost Russell.

Sustainer of the Year: Liz Boyd

Our Sustainer of the Year, Liz, started her JLSP tenure as the Chair of Arrangements. She also chaired ASID and Co-Chaired Celebrity Waiters. She served on the Board of Directors as the Director of Community Outreach and Planning and later as the President-Elect and President.

Today, she continues JLSP’s mission of promoting volunteerism, improving communities and developing the potential of women beyond the League. She is dedicated to the cause of preventing abuse and puts this to action at Women’s Advocates where she serves on the Board of Directors and Chairs the Development Committee.

She has even translated her commitment to the community into her professional life, where she works with the Friends of the Saint Paul Library promoting volunteers in the community to get involved with the Saint Paul Library.

She doesn’t rest on the weekends either. Although she may spend her Saturdays rooting on the Hawkeyes, she spends her Sundays at church teaching Sunday school.

Although she went Sustaining a few years ago, she has continued to be incredibly active. She is one of the driving forces behind the Projects Endowment (formerly known as Operating Endowment). And, thanks to her hard work and inspiring leadership, the League is well on its way to building a significant fund.

The Junior League of Saint Paul is extremely lucky to have someone with her expertise and dedication on our side. She shares her vast legal knowledge with us at both the committee level, and for example, last year, when she trained our members on estate planning.

She has been called “the perfect co-chair”, who has the special ability to see the big picture as well as the details of a project. She is never afraid to dig in and do her fair share of the work – and usually more. She and her son even worked a shift at Blue Jeans and Bling!

Anyone who has ever been in a committee meeting with her knows that a lot of work will get done – but there will be a lot of laughs along the way. Her sharp intellect, commitment and great sense of humor make her an extremely effective leader and a really wonderful person. Congratulations to our Sustainer of the Year, Liz Boyd.

Reveal Day: Dayton’s Bluff Extreme Makeover: Homework Room Edition

2010-05-23T18:11:00.000-07:00

Contributed by Sarah Fastner, JLSP Member

Monday, May 3rd marked the big unveiling of the new and improved Dayton’s Bluff Homework Room. JLSP Members, Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Officials, and Rec Center staff all gathered and waited in anticipation for the Rec Check kids to arrive. Once all were rounded up and excited, the kids formed a cluster in front of their homework room door. At the count of three, the adults enthusiastically yelled, “move that school bus” and in an instant we saw shocked little faces followed by screams of joy!

The kids ran into the room and immediately inspected every detail with enthusiasm. Some headed into the new “book nook” featuring comfy bean bag chairs and started reading. Some began inspecting all of their newly organized drawers and storage room with all supplies stocked and now labeled. Others simply stared in awe at the new flat screen TV displaying footage of the renovation process. Many kids proudly commented on their art projects now creatively displayed as a key part of the reveal. League members were touched by the endless appreciation shown by the kids smiles and thank you’s.

Day 2: Dayton's Bluff Extreme Makeover: Homework Room Edition

2010-05-02T18:04:00.000-07:00

Contributed by Ginger Carroll, Building Bonds Committee Chairperson

Today was an incredible day for the Junior League of Saint Paul and the Dayton’s Bluff Red Center! The transformation of the homework room at Dayton’s

Bluff was completed with the help of so many wonderful JLSP volunteers, too many mention here. I’d like to extend a huge THANK YOU to all who were there! I am so amazed at the willingness and motivation of everyone who jumped in wherever needed – the entire project moved along like a well-oiled machine. I’d also like to thanks the New Member who did an amazing job organizing the storage closet and cupboards. They also created an art display with the kids that is prominently displayed in the room.

At a family game event this past week at Dayton’s Bluff, some children were voicing their skepticism that we were really going to makeover their homework room. They are going to be floored when they “move that school bus” tomorrow. Please join us, along with officials from Saint Paul Parks and Rec and other members of the community, for the big unveiling of the room tomorrow, May 3rd at 3:30pm!

To get a preview of all of the work this weekend and the New Homework room at Dayton's Bluff Rec Center, visit JLSP on Facebook!

DAY 1: Dayton's Bluff Extreme Makeover: Homework Room Edition

2010-05-01T17:46:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a fun, productive day for the Junior League of Saint Paul. The homework room at Dayton's Bluff is well on its way to being transformed to a colorful, inspiring place for the rec check kids to do their homework, read books, and learn! JLSP Volunteers - Heidi Peterson, Jodie Philhower-Hirner, Jordana Koja-Volk, Jaclyn Mendes, Shelley Kreibich, Brianna Goad, Jenal Hrdlicka, Carrie Brondyke, Amy Luitjens, Amanda Zarko, Heather Troutt, Natasha Freimark and Toni Leeth - worked tirelessly, many for much longer than their scheduled shifts! The walls were cleaned, chairs were scrubbed, ceiling tiles were painted, tape was applied, and 2 1/2 gallons of paint were rolled onto the walls. Jordana was trained for her foray into painting by Andrea Cournoyer who also captured much of the action on video for JLSP members to enjoy.

The fun will continue tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. If you haven't signed up, but would like to join us, please come on over!

Executive Director of the Association of Junior Leagues International comes to visit Saint Paul.

2010-04-26T21:43:00.000-07:00

Contributed by Christine M Sands, JLSP President 2009-10

Susan Danish, the Executive Director of the AJLI, came to Saint Paul last week to discuss with our leaders the five key questions for Junior Leagues to address to ensure that we are viable organizations in the future. The AJLI Board decided rather than give all Leagues a formula or directive on how

to proceed into the future, they would create a “Roadmap” so that Leagues could decide which components work best for them, and take it one step at a time. Here are the questions which produce so many options for Leagues.

1. What is the focus of the Junior League’s 3-part mission? In other words, what should be in the business of do

ing?

2. How does the Association’s new Vision Statement of “women around the world” connect to the organization’s mission?

3. Is the concept of “lifelong membership” realistic and meaningful as currently practiced?

4. What should the League’s governance and management models look like?

5. What should the relationship between AJLI and the Leagues look like?

What unfolded was a productive dialogue with current and future leaders of JLSP and the Executive Director of AJLI. To learn more about the progress on how Leagues are implementing these pieces, go to the AJLI website. After you check it out – comment to JLSP and let us know what you like, want to see, what you want to be a part of!!

Saint Paul VIP Program: Step Up and Help Out

2010-04-21T15:10:00.000-07:00

During the April General Membership the guest speaker, Chris Coleman, the Mayor of Saint Paul, thanked the membership for all of our efforts at the St Paul Recreation Centers. Mayor Coleman commended the Junior League for caring about the children in Saint Paul, and helping the city provide services in our community, reminding us that the work of JLSP does matter in the City of Saint Paul . He also discussed the Saint Paul VIP: Volunteer – Inspire – Prosper program. Saint Paul VIP taps into that collective energy and links opportunities in Saint Paul to those who want to step up and help out. Learn more about this program and how you can help build a better community on their website.

Giving Back during Volunteer Week

2010-04-20T09:19:00.000-07:00

April is considered Volunteer Month and the week of April 18 – 24 has been designated National Volunteer Week. Volunteering is a way of giving back to our local community and it makes us feel good. Individuals may choose to volunteer full or part time - no matter how much time you have, there are always a place to volunteer. No matter what your area of interest, there's always a place where you can volunteer your energy and time to helping others.

There are numerous opportunities in our communities to volunteer, such as: the local pet shelter, Red Cross, American Cancer Society, homeless shelters, food shelves, domestic violence shelter, and of course the Junior League of Saint Paul. The opportunities are endless and as Junior League of Saint Paul members we are women building better communities.

Please share how you are building better communities through your volunteering by posting a comment below.

April General Membership Meeting Recap

2010-04-18T19:03:00.000-07:00

The Junior League of Saint Paul gathered at the Lexington on April 13 for our General Membership Meeting. The guest speaker, Chris Coleman, the Mayor of Saint Paul, thanked the membership for all of our efforts at the St Paul Recreation Centers, specifically given the city’s recent budget cuts. Mayor Coleman discussed some of the problems currently facing the children in Saint Paul., including hunger. Mayor Coleman commended the Junior League for caring about the children in Saint Paul, and helping the city provide services in our community, reminding us that the work of JLSP does matter in the City of Saint Paul.

During the business portion of the meeting the membership voted and approved nine motions, including the 2010-2011 Leadership Slate. Congratulations to the incoming Leadership Team:

Community Outreach Council

Community Projects Chairperson: Katie Frank

Community Projects Vice Chairperson: Sarah Fastner

Project Research Chairperson: Jill Skogheim

Communications Council

Journal Editor: Open

Webmaster/Technology Administrator: Tricia Knigge

Marketing Chairperson: Sara Ridder

Advocacy Chairperson: Beth Schatz

Membership Council

New Member Chairperson: Tara Broker

New Member Vice Chairperson: Jenal Hrdlicka

Nominating Chairperson: Nancy Sauer

Nominating Committee Member: Loralee DiLorenzo

Nominating Committee Member: Ann Jones

Placement Chairperson: Jannae Lowe

Placement Committee Member: Caldwell Camero

Placement Committee Member: Shannon McMahon

Placement Committee Member: Carrie Lindgren

Placement Committee Member: Alison Turnquist

Placement Committee Member: Open

Arrangements Chairperson: Shelley Kreibach

Training Chairperson: Andrea Cournoyer

Development Council

Resource Development Chairperson: Heidi Peterson

Centennial Chairperson: OPEN

Stewardship Coordinator: Tracey Tipler

HQ Chairperson: Heather Johnson

Fundraising Council

Next to New Chairperson: Colleen Sullivan

Blue Jeans and Bling Chairperson: Amanda Rothstein

JLSP brings the Kids in the Kitchen Program to a Saint Paul Recreation Center for National Nutrition Month

2010-03-21T19:24:00.000-07:00

Contributed by Sonya M. Smith, Journal Editor

Did you know that March is National Nutrition Month? Though it is only one month of the year, AJLI is in its fifth year of helping to instill healthful eating habits in kids in more than 200 communities around the United States, Canada, the U.K., and Mexico with Kids in the Kitchen (KITK). The Junior League of Saint Paul (JLSP) has hosted an event since the inception of the program. This year, JLSP will be taking KITK to a Saint Paul Recreation Center. By having KITK at a Recreation Center, JLSP hopes not only to promote health, nutrition, and exercise with the children, but also to have fun while learning these valuable lessons.

The KITK event will be held on March 25th from 5:30 pm to 8 pm at the Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Center at 800 Conway Street. The kids will play Food Bingo to learn about the food pyramid, learn proper hygiene at hand washing stations where kids use special soap to show them the spots they missed, visit mini nutrition information stations, and cook a healthy recipe to make their own dinner!

For more details about the event, please contact newmembers@jlsp.org.

And for a month’s worth of healthy menus that you can make with your kids, check out the Want Some Green Goblin Veggies With That Pita Pocket Paradise article on the AJLI website.

March General Membership Meeting

2010-03-14T19:16:00.000-07:00

More than forty women gathered at the Commodore to learn how to make the most out of providing your first impression.

The evening started with a reception in the historic bar at the Commodore, a perfect setting to feel like a gangster in Saint Paul. The reception was a great opportunity to meet the twelve New Members who attended the meeting.

The training, referred to as an “elevator speech,” was conducted by Yvonne Hundshamer, a public relations expert and JLSP Sustainer. Yvonne reminded us of the importance of that first impression, whether you are talking to a prospective member, future donor, or future employer – anyone who may cross your path. Yvonne pointed out that people donate time and money based on values, not just how much money they have, so it is important to express our values in our first impression.

The group brainstormed on items that we would want to make sure that those around us know about JLSP, as well as myths that we want to dispel. That exercise set the stage to creating our own elevator speech. A big take away for the group was when Yvonne stated that an elevator speech is a reflection of yourself; that is why many just skip it, or keep it simple, such as “JLSP improves the community.” If you keep your first impression simple, you miss the opportunity.

The business portion of the meeting included a presentation of the motions for Membership vote in April. The Community Outreach Council had an amazing presentation, introducing the membership to a few new pilot projects, including Backpack Buddies (which delivers food to families in need) and Extreme Makeover: Homework Room Edition (redecorating and stocking a homework room at Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Center).

Announcements included that Blue Jeans and Bling raised over $24,000 to benefit the activities and programs of JLSP!!! Lucky Members received the leftover swag bags.

The Leadership Team will not meet in March. The next General Membership Meeting is April 13. If you are not a member and are interested in attending a meeting please contact office@jlsp.org.

February General Membership Recap

2010-02-15T18:51:00.000-08:00

Over fifty JLSP Members met at The Lexington on Grand Avenue for JLSP’s February General Membership Meeting. After some time socializing with friends, the group sat down for dinner and got down to business. There were updates and information from the Councils. The Membership Council welcomed five prospective Members to the meeting; The Communications Council cannot wait for you to read the Winter Journal; The Community Outreach Council has some new projects in the works, especially for those of you who are looking for ways to fulfill your community service; and the Development Council wants to see us all at Blue Jeans and Bling on Saturday, February 27.

There was an overwhelming response from our Membership signing onto Digital Cheetah this month and creating our profiles. To celebrate, Dianna and Tricia gave everyone their own cheetah! Thank you for the cute gift!

The Membership voted on and passed five motions. We have a new focus area Improving the lives of women and children. The Membership also adopted a new process for late payment of dues, when a fundraiser requires a Membership vote, and who has the responsibility for overseeing the Headquarters Committee. The membership also approved the Board of Directors slate.

Congratulations to the 2010-2011 Board of Directors – it is now official!

After the business was completed, life coach, Kjersti Moline, shared her insights on how to find balance and fulfillment in life. She advised us that the best living comes from the best questions. So, ask yourself, what are you looking for? What gets in your way? What is happening when we feel out of balance? Kjersti provided tips for us, including being aware of the way we are living and what we need to discard to live our best life. She gave us much to think about.

Members left the meeting inspired to improve their lives, excited by all of JLSPs great work and upcoming events (think Bling!) and enriched by the relationships they have built through JLSP.

Special thanks to Rachel Berger, former JLSP member and owner of Daub and Bauble, as we also left with a gift bag filled with yummy smelling soaps. (Thank you, Rachel!)

The March General Membership Meeting is Tuesday, March 9. Come and develop an “Elevator Speech” for JLSP and learn how to create other elevator speeches.

More than A Volunteer: An Interview with Dinah Swain Schuster

2010-02-14T09:43:00.000-08:00

Contributed By Sonya M. Smith, Journal Editor

The first time I met Dinah Swain Schuster was at a JLSP informational meeting. At the time she was President-Elect. Her warm and welcoming nature was one of the deciding factors that lead me to join the Junior League of Saint Paul. Dinah talks about her League experiences, life, and how her training and leadership activities led her to a paying position.   

Sonya: How did you learn about the Junior League, and why did you join?

Dinah: I first learned about the League when I was working on the East coast. I almost joined in Westchester County, New York, but moved to Saint Paul. Once here, I found it hard to “break in” as a newcomer, so I joined to make friends, and to give back.

S: For Members who may not know you, please tell us a bit about the types of things you have done in the League.

D: I was President in 2006-2007. Other Board positions included President Elect (of course!), Director of Communications, and Director of Planning. In addition, I tried a lot of other roles within the League, including helping with a couple of major fundraisers.   Looking back, I have many wonderful memories, from leading fundraisers with Liz Boyd and Sheelagh Frost, to working with JLSP at Women’s Advocates. But there are two things I am most proud of: one is leading the League through its 90th anniversary year, which included bringing the President of AJLI here (for the first time ever!), and creating, with the excellent assistance of Karin Roof, and voicing the 90th Anniversary video. It was such a fun thing to make, and I felt very privileged to interview all the great women of JLSP and community members. I met many wonderful people, and was happy to use my TV news reporting skills!   The other accomplishment I am very proud of is our winning the Nonprofit Award of Excellence from the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. I worked with Barb Westgard and many of you for two years to win this award, and it was very meaningful to me.   

S: Tell us about your present job, and how you leveraged your Junior League experience to get it? What volunteer experiences did you highlight on your resume?

D: I am currently the Director of Board Engagement at Greater Twin Cities United Way. I report to our CEO, and work to engage and support the Board of Directors, a diverse group of over fifty leaders in the Twin Cities region, representing a cross-section of companies, nonprofits, government and

thought leaders. I also work on governance, nominating, organizational strategy and other cross-functional projects.   As I have told many of you, I use my JLSP skills every single day in my job. For example, I drove our strategic plan for my large nonprofit this year; it was only a few years ago I was learning how to write a strategic plan with Sheetal Vedi and several others of you – all sitting at the table at JLSP headquarters. I am the staff person in charge of bylaws; again, only a few short years ago did I sit and absorb and learn the JLSP bylaws one night with Debbie Lee.   The nice thing is – whether you are an organization with a budget of $100K or $100M – the basic rules of nonprofit management are the same, from bylaws to good board meetings. When applying for this job, I highlighted what I had learned in volunteer experiences, and emphasized accomplishments and leadership positions. That said, I did not rely solely on my Junior League volunteer work to catapult me into a nonprofit sector job. I networked. I became a serious student of the industry, and made sure I got as much training and experience as my calendar and wallet would allow. For example, I served on committees at other nonprofits, earned a Fundraising Certificate from the University of St. Thomas, and have attended every day of every Minnesota Council of Nonprofits Annual Conference for the last 8 years! I’m a bit of a nerd, too, it turns out!   My prior work experience, in finance at Morgan Stanley and as a former TV news anchor and producer, were also key elements. Skills from the private sector are also highly valued in nonprofits.

S: Any advice to others who would like to parlay their volunteer experience into a paid position?

D: Take leadership positions with JLSP if you have the opportunity. Start taking classes in your field. Look through the job boards frequently to see what skills and experiences are needed for jobs you want. Then go get them.

S: You have two young children, a full-time job, and you volunteer when you can. I think women feel like they have to do it all. What are your feelings on this? How do you keep balance in your life with everything you have going on? Basically, how do you get it all done?

D: I am not the one to talk about balance! It is a miracle some days that I am upright. But, this is also due to many personal circumstances, as my daughters suffer chronic health issues, among other things.

But, I would still say that JLSP sustains me in this effort, as well. JLSP has given me wonderful friends, and a network of women and families who support me, applaud me, and share a shoulder to cry on, if needed. Without these women, I probably would not make it. I am so thankful for my friends in the League. Although I have a large extended family, none of them live here. As a result, I have worked hard to build up a network of care. I would say it has worked out well for us.

Also, I learned how to juggle work and play when I was with the League as well, and it gave me the ability to prioritize, as necessary.

S: Any advice for women in your similar situation—working full-time outside the house and rearing two children? We would love to hear what you have learned from your experiences.

D: I have learned that you cannot do it all, but if you are paying attention, you will do what matters most. I have learned to shut off my cell phone and power down my computer, and watch – really watch – my girls, before they grow up. I have learned that it is helpful to pick an outfit out the night before and set two clocks, but have hair long enough to pull in a ponytail when your early wake-up plan fails. I have learned that it is good to hire a few things out, like snow shoveling, and cleaning, because you cannot do it all. I have learned that no matter how late I stay up, it helps to wake up early enough for a few quiet moments alone with a cup of coffee. I have learned that it is essential to have friends. And... I have learned that my League training was great preparation for anything life throws my way. Bring it on!

Wearing Blue Jeans and Bling for a Good Cause

2010-02-10T12:18:00.000-08:00

Contributed by Sonya M. Smith, Journal Editor

Are you ready for Blue Jeans and Bling? According to my interview with Danielle Faribault, Blue Jeans and Bling Chairperson, it will be a “fabulous evening of fun.” Let us find out what Blue Jeans and Bling Committee has in store for us that will make this event memorable, fun, and successful.

Sonya: What is planned for the event?
Danielle: Blue Jeans and Bling is going to be a fabulous evening of fun. The event includes a live and silent auction featuring items donated from local businesses. The most exciting item is two tickets to attend a taping of The Oprah Show. There will also be fun activities such as the Moeller Jewelry Fishing, a wine wall, “Building Bonds through Play” games, and “Heads and Tails.” With each game, guests will have the opportunity to walk away with wonderful prizes. In addition, Joseph’s Catering will be providing delicious food, and there will be a tasty complimentary Bling’tini cocktail for all guests. And of course, the evening will conclude with dancing!

As you sparkle and shine with jewelry and sequins paired with your favorite denim, you can be confident that the funds raised will go to support the Junior League of Saint Paul’s efforts to improve the community.

S: What is new? Is there anything different from last year?
D: New for this year is the Moeller Jewelry Fishing game. Guests will have the opportunity to fish for the chance to walk away with a $1000 gift card to Moeller Jewelry. $25 will provide you with one chance to fish for gift bags each containing gift cards. Every fisher walks away a winner!
Another new activity is “Building Bonds through Play.” This is a free activity. Guests will play the games we play with children at Saint Paul Recreation Centers and have the chance to win beads to participate in “Heads and Tails” later in the evening. Additionally, components of the Children’s Museum will be available for guests to play. When the kids are away the adults will play!

S: What are the special prizes?
D: Yes, the Junior League of Saint Paul is so fortunate to have the support from the Saint Paul community. So many local business and partners have been more than willing to lend their support to the event with generous donations.

S: Other than purchasing tickets, how can Members help?
Purchasing your tickets is a great way that everyone can support the event. More importantly, encourage your friends and family to attend with you. Blue Jeans and Bling is a great social event to introduce non-league Members to our organization, and all the good we do in the community. This year efforts have been made to try to incorporate JLSP programming and community programming information at the event.

Members can also support the event by donating a bottle of wine that will be used for the Wine Wall. The bottle should be valued at $15 or more. If you have any silent auction suggestions or contacts for possible donations please email bling@jlsp.org . Any and all ideas are welcomed and greatly appreciated.

S: What are the goals that you would like to meet from this event? Is it monetary? Number of people participating?
D: Blue Jeans and Bling is a fundraising event for JLSP, but more importantly it is a chance to have fun and be social with other League Members, friends and community members. The event is a wonderful opportunity for League Members to share information about our programs within the community and all the other remarkable work we do to our friends and family.

There are specific attendance and fundraising goals, but in this economy it is understandable that things are a little tighter for people. I am confident that the committee’s hard work and dedication towards this event will pay off and be successful.

S: How will the funds raised from the event be used by the Junior League of Saint Paul?
D: The funds raised from Blue Jeans and Bling will directly go to our community programs and outreach as well as support JLSP operational needs.

Please join us for a Bling*tastic evening on February 27, 2010 at the Minnesota Children's Museum in support of the Junior League of Saint Paul. Purchase your tickets for $50 online at www.jlsp.org/bling.

January General Membership Meeting Recap

2010-01-17T18:47:00.001-08:00

Contributed by Sara Ridder, Director of Membership

JLSP Members got together last Tuesday night, January 12, 2010 at the Minnesota Humanities Center for the January General Membership Meeting.

The highlight of the evening was speaker David Wagner, founder of Juut Salons, who shared his life story with the group and discussed his book: Life as a Daymaker: How to Change the World by Simply Making Someone's Day. Wagner highlighted how simple acts of kindness can make a tremendous difference in peoples’ lives. Wagner also shared his personal experiences and struggles in his fascinating and emotional presentation.

The topic of business for the evening was Placement for the 2010-2011 League year. League members met with their Placement Advisors throughout the evening to discuss their goals for next year. Director of Membership, Sara Ridder, discussed changes that the Board of Directors had made to the committee structure for the upcoming year. Placement Committee Member, Cory Dallas, introduced the new Placement Form – a longer, more-detailed version than in past years with the goal of helping League Members develop a long-term JLSP career path.

The crowd was wowed by Dianna Peterson and Tricia Knigge’s presentation on the new website and Digital Cheetah update that will launch later this week.

Finally, motions to be voted on at next month’s General Membership meeting were reviewed. These include the Board Slate for next year and a revised Focus Statement for the League.

David Wagner, "Daymaker" to Speak at January Meeting

2010-01-07T07:21:00.000-08:00

The Junior League of Saint Paul is honored to have David Wagner, founder/owner of JUUT Salon Spas, as our trainer for the January General Membership Meeting on Tuesday January 12, 2010. Wagner is a world-renowned hair stylist, artist, entrepreneur, educator, author and “Daymaker." Wagner's philosophy of living a life that changes the world, one person at a time, through simple acts of kindness has captured the hearts of thousands around the world.

David Wagner’s best selling book, Life as a Daymaker: How to Change the World by Simply Making Someone's Day, will be on sale at the meeting for $10, with all proceeds donated to JLSP. To learn more at http://www.daymakermovement.com/.

In addition to hearing from David Wagner, JLSP Members will also participate in the Placement Fair to learn more about opportunities for the upcoming 2010-2011 League Year.

To attend the meeting, Members should RSVP by Thursday, January 7th in Companio or to the office at office@jlsp.org.

The Four Kinds of Play

2010-01-03T18:32:00.000-08:00

Contributed by Sonya M. Smith, Journal Editor

Most people think of play as a luxury and a waste of time, but for children, play is one way in which they learn. Dr. David Elkind (Child Psychologist and Professor Emeritus at Tufts University) believes that young children create learning experiences through four major types of play:

Mastery Play: Makes it possible for children to construct concepts and skills.

Game: Your infant is banging on her high-chair with everything she can get her hands on.

Through this repetitive activity, she learns that different objects make different sounds. During infancy and early childhood such play seems boring to adults, but it's fascinating to the child who is responding to all facets of the new experience she has created. A few months later, the child will no longer bang the object she grasps but rather will examine it closely, discovering previously unexplored features of the item.

Innovative Play: Occurs when the child has repetitively mastered concepts and skills, and introduces variations.

Game: Your child climbs up to the top of a slide and goes down. Initially, the child will repeat the process over and over again.

Once mastered, the child innovates and extends the limits of what he has learned. The child may try climbing up the slide rather than going up the stairs, or try sliding down the slide on his stomach. A younger child will introduce variations just as an older child will learn to ride a bike and then start to experiment with riding one-handed or on only one wheel.

Kinship Play: Initiates the child into the world of peer relations.

Game: Children of about the same age and size are naturally drawn to one another. Children who don't know each other communicate through self-initiated games.

These games are fun since the children are at the same skill level and because it is a relationship of mutual authority (rather than unilateral authority, as with adults). Kinship play is an initiation into social learning and cooperation activities. In kinship play, children discover a sense of mutuality that they will elaborate on in all future peer relationships.

Therapeutic Play: Gives children strategies for dealing with stressful life events.

Game: When a young child's mother goes out of sight, the child fears she may not return.

Playing “Peek-A-Boo” helps children deal with this concern. For instance, the child may pull a bib over his face, and then pull it off with cries of delight. By repeating the disappearance and return under conditions he can control, the child is helping himself overcome separation anxiety.

As you can see, play is a fundamental component of a child’s healthy development. To learn more about how the Junior League of Saint Paul is promoting the power of play, visit www.jlsp.org.

Information in this blog article was adapted from Dr. David Elkind’s “The Power of Play” which was originally printed at www.CampParents.org, and reprinted by permission of the American Camp Association © 2009 American Camping Association, Inc.

JLSP Goes Extreme, Again! Watch the episode on Sunday, January 3rd at 7:00 p.m.

2010-01-03T11:23:00.000-08:00

For the second time in 3 years, the Junior League of Saint Paul is honored to support a local episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (EMHE), which will be televised this Sunday, January 3rd at 7:00 p.m.. JLSP assisted the EMHE designers and the builder with hundreds of volunteer hours, largely focusing on the new daycare facility in the Morris Family home. JLSP donated hundreds of books, games and other educational materials to help create a welcome space for the children, and to continue the work of Building Bonds Through Reading & Play in the Saint Paul community. Our best wishes extend to the Morris Family – Welcome home!

Thank you for Giving to the Max in Support of the Junior League of Saint Paul!

2009-11-27T10:47:00.000-08:00

The amazing results are in and generous donors gave more than $13 million to the 3,111 non-profits across Minnesota, including the Junior League of Saint Paul (JLSP) on Give to the Max Day, Tuesday November 17th. This week during Thanksgiving, we have much to be thankful for and we are especially honored by the 49 donors who generously gave $6,900 to our organization. These donations will be matched at an estimated $.04-to-the-$1 for an additional $276.00 in contributions thanks to the challenge grant issued by partners of GiveMN.org. 

The response that we received from this opportunity was truly overwhelming. Thank you for answering this call to action and showing your support of our organization. You make us stronger. We hope you will continue to visit our page at http://givemn.razoo.com/story/jlsp and to continue to use GiveMN.org to support all your Minnesota non-profits.

Thank you again for your continuing support for JLSP and the work that we do in the Saint Paul community.

A Door County Century

2009-11-13T10:57:00.000-08:00

Contributed by Jill G. Thompson, Sustainer and Pedal Pusher

A year ago I wrote a story of how four of the Pedal Pushers (‘PPs”) traveled to New York City to do a century (100 miles in one day) bike ride. We had such a good time that we wanted to do it again! Sue Sorenson spotted the Door County Century – celebrating 30 years in 2009.

A bunch of the PPs started talking early this spring about taking a girls only trip to Door County, Wisconsin. Wow, did we have fun! Mary Ann Betts, Carol Broback, Mary Lynn Gillin, Louise Jones, Dixie Nelson, Paula Soholt, Sue Sorenson and Jill (Greene) Thompson drove to Door County on Friday, September 11th. We had a caravan of three vehicles, and it was fun to stop at Emma Krumbee’s for lunch. You would love our accommodations – a three level townhouse at Little Sweden resort (Mary Lynn found it!), complete with kitchen, deck, three big bathrooms and a rec center with swimming pool and hot tub next door – just south of Fish Creek. As soon as we got there, we pooled all the appetizers that we brought, and headed right out to the deck. There we toasted Happy Birthday to Dixie. She was styling with a Lolita’s wine glass and a special birthday cocktail. Thanks to Louise for securing a reservation; we headed out to the White Gull Inn in Fish Creek for a traditional (and delicious!) fish boil.

Saturday was a day of eating, shopping and registering for the bike ride. We started at Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant and Butik, where we had delectable Swedish pancakes with lingonberries, like none you’ve ever tasted before. Al Johnson’s claim to fame is the amazing pancakes and the sod roof, where goats roam freely and love to have their pictures taken! No trip to Door County is complete without a trip to one or more stores that sell fresh Montmorency cherries. We all had a good time at Seaquist’s. Paula is our expert when it comes to wine tasting. She recommended Lautenbach’s Orchard Country Winery and Market, where we could taste six wines for a dollar. Mary Ann recommended a great spot for our Saturday night dinner – Mission Grille. This restaurant is in a beautiful turn of the century church, and the food is fabulous!

Sunday morning, September 13th dawned sunny and cool – perfect for our rides! Carol, Mary Lynn, Louise, Sue and I opted to ride 100 miles, and Mary Ann, Dixie and Paula opted for 30. We were awe-inspired by the beauty of Door County, and blessed to be there for the best weather in the 30 year history of the ride. The scenery was breath-taking, as we headed up the peninsula along Green Bay, peaked above Sister Bay, and then headed south toward Johannesport, and the little town of Institute, where the ride began. The spaghetti dinner and cherry pie at Sevastopol School were scrumptious for hungry riders. From there, we headed back to Little Sweden where we donned our swimming suits, gin & tonic and snacks for a relaxing couple of hours at the hot tub and pool. What more could we need?

It was tough for us to leave Door County on Monday, so we shopped and ate a bit more. The Door County Century Ride is well-organized, provides options for riders of varying abilities, and takes place in a great spot for a long weekend getaway. We recommend it to the JLSP and your family and friends!

Mark Your Calendars for 11/17/09 to Give to the Max - JLSP will Receive Matching Gift for all Donations

2009-11-12T21:04:00.000-08:00

Celebrate the first ever Give to the Max Day with JLSP! The Saint Paul Foundation, Minneapolis Foundation, and Bush Foundation have committed $500,000 in matching contributions. Every donation you make to JLSP on the GiveMN.org website between 8 a.m. on November 17th and 8 a.m. on November 18th will receive a portion of the $500,000 match. The goal is to raise as much money as possible for Minnesota non-profits (including JLSP) within 24 hours. If you have yet to contribute to the annual campaign this year or you wish to further the impact of your donation, please help support JLSP by making a donation on Tuesday November 17th.

How does it work?

You make a gift to the Junior League of Saint Paul through the GiveMN.org website, and your gift will be matched in part by the $500,000 available in matching funds. Additionally, the transaction costs are covered in full so 100% of your gift goes to JLSP. We will be competing against other Minnesota non-profits, so the more support we receive the greater the portion of the match with be donated to JLSP.

We Need Your Support

1. Mark your calendars for Tuesday, November 17th.

2. Donate by clicking on the link below to make a gift to JLSP through GiveMN.org after 8:00 a.m. on November 17th.

3. Share the news with your friends and family – a half million dollars is on the table.

There’s more! In addition to gifts and matching dollars, the three non-profits with the most donors are eligible for thousands of dollars in cash prizes from GiveMN.org! 

Contact Katie Misukanis at development@jlsp.org with questions.

Remember to Exercise Your Right to Vote on November 3rd!

2009-11-01T16:53:00.000-08:00

Contributed by Tara Broker, Advocacy Chairperson.

Here is an exercise routine for Tuesday, November 3: As citizens of this country we have certain rights and privileges. We also have certain responsibilities to be active in our communities for positive change. Local officials make decisions on a wide range of issues, from education to health insurance regulations. The lawmakers who make these decisions are put in office by people like us, who exercise our right to vote. This makes voting not only a privilege, but a responsibility, it is our civic duty. It is also our chance to weigh in on who will make the decisions that affect our life and the lives of our family members. So get registered, get educated, and exercise your right to vote at the polls on November 3!

For more information, visit the Secretary of State website.

Find your local candidates, here.

Find your local polling place, here.

Promote Literacy on National Literacy Day!

2009-11-01T16:25:00.000-08:00

Contributed by Tara Broker, Advocacy Chairperson

Did you know if students are not proficient at reading by the beginning of third grade they have only a 25 percent chance of catching up over their entire public school experience? Most people do not. We can change that and make a difference in the lives of these children and our communities.

How we can make this difference? Celebrate National Family Literacy Day!

National Family Literacy Day, celebrated across the U.S., focuses on special activities and events that showcase the importance of family literacy programs. First held in 1994, the annual event is officially celebrated on November 1, however we can celebrate throughout the month of November.

Ideas on how to celebrate:

• Have a young child tell you a favorite story (or make one up).

• Write a story together with a child about an important event in their life.

• Send a postcard to a child telling them things you love about them.

• Cut a comic strip into individual panels and see if you a child can arrange them in correct order.

• Visit your neighborhood library.

• Tell a friend about the Junior League of Saint Paul’s advocacy focus this year and ask them to become an advocate for child literacy.

Several JLSP Members will be participating in Building Bonds Events at the Hancock Rec. Center (11/11/09) and the West Minnehaha Rec. Center (11/19/09). Join your fellow League Members by signing up NOW to volunteer for Building Bonds Rec. Center events and try out the skills that you learned from Tim and Julie at the General Membership Meeting! Go to Companio and select events that fit into your schedule. Please contact office@jlsp.org if you need assistance signing up in Companio.

We’d like to know how you will help promote literacy during the month of November. Share with us your plans on our blog or Facebook page.

Learning to Play! October General Membership Meeting Recap

2009-10-19T06:12:00.000-07:00

by Alyson Turnquist, Saint Paul Plays! Committee

League Members enjoyed a fun and informational training at the General Membership Meeting on October 13th at the Summit Brewery. We were joined by Dr. Tim Elchert, Child Psychologist at Saint Paul Academy and Summit School and Dr. Julie McGlincey, Associate Admissions Director for St. Paul Academy and Summit School. Tim and Julie shared with us reasons why playing and reading with kids is so important as well as showing us how to interact with the children at our events. Better yet, games were set-up at individual tables so League Members could reconnect with the kid inside!

This month’s training was focused on making Members feel more comfortable at our Building Bonds Through Reading and Play events throughout the year. If you’re not used to playing or interacting with kids on a regular basis, it can be a little intimidating to walk into an event and have to jump right into activities with children.

• What do you do if a child is trying to cheat during game play?
• What happens if a new child approaches during a game that’s already in progress?
• How do you keep a child’s attention while reading a book or playing a game with them?
• How important is it to play by the ‘rules’ of the game?
• Is it important to engage parents as well as the children?

Tim and Julie role played and offered suggestions on several of these situations for us to show us how we can best handle them if we encounter these at our volunteer events. The opportunity to discuss these scenarios under the helpful guidance of Tim and Julie will help us tremendously in upcoming events.

From this training, we realized that play helps children build their interpersonal skills along with becoming self-aware and developing a high “EQ” (Emotional Quotient). EQ describes the ability to identify, access and manage emotions of one’s self, others, and groups.

Thanks to Tim and Julie, we are all better prepared for what may come our way during these events now! Members, please sign up in Companio to volunteer today! All events take place from 5pm – 7pm.

•October 22 Dayton’s Bluff Rec Center
•November 11 Hancock Rec Center
•November 19 West Minnehaha Rec Center
•December 3 McDonough Rec Center
•February 4 Arlington Rec Center
•February 11 McDonough Rec Center
•March 10 Hancock Rec Center
•April 8 West Minnehaha Rec Center
•April 22 Dayton’s Bluff Rec Center
•May 12 Jimmy Lee Rec Center
•May 20 Arlington Rec Center

If you are interested in learning more about the Junior League of Saint Paul's project Building Bonds through Reading and Play contact community@jlsp.org or for more details on becoming a Member contact newmembers@jlsp.org .

Junior League of Saint Paul goes Extreme, Again! 2009

2009-10-16T19:30:00.000-07:00

After all is said and done the Junior League of Saint Paul volunteered over 300 hours when Extreme Makeover: Home Edition came to Saint Paul in October 2009. JLSP members donated books, toys and games to the Morris family's new daycare space, and spent many hours putting the room together for the big reveal. Enjoy this behind the scenes look at the EMHE project.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition "Move That Bus!"

2009-10-09T20:55:00.000-07:00

After a long night of assembling toys, unpacking books and decorating a new fantastic day care space, Junior League members enjoyed the moment everyone had been working so hard for. Sandy Morris and her 2 children were blown away when the bus moved and they caught the first glimpse of their new home.

The Junior League of Saint Paul coordinated putting the day care together, happily informing the designer just 30 minutes before the reveal that it was “done” and ready for her final approval. Congratulations to all the women that helped this week to make this family’s dream a reality.

Shortly before the reveal, celebrity designer Paul DiMeo commended JLSP workers who were in the home on all their work and thanked JLSP for their generosity while putting some final touches on the space.

The show will likely air in January. Be sure to watch for the day care, as almost every book, toy and piece of furniture was placed by JLSP members, and much of it was donated by JLSP as well. Each child at Sandy’s daycare will receive a backpack from JLSP, containing books and toys, a natural extension of our project, “Building Bonds through Reading and Play.”

Thank you for all your efforts this week! Now get some rest!

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Day 6

2009-10-07T22:23:00.000-07:00

The house is almost complete! Today was a flurry of action as landscapers worked over 24 hours straight to finish the yard, painters worked hard both inside and out, and appliances and lighting were installed, among many other last minute details. In less than 12 hours, the keys will be turned over to the designers so they can start the mad dash to get the home decorated by Friday morning.

During the afternoon, JLSP members met with Mayor Chris Coleman at the site, took a brief tour of the house, and stopped to take some pictures with the Mayor.

Tomorrow, JLSP Members will be on hand to work as long as it takes to get the day care ready for the big reveal. JLSP will also be donating two car loads full of books, toys and games to the day care.

Special thanks to Target and Wonderment for their generous donations, and to Children’s Plus, Inc. and Lakeshore Learning for providing us with in-store discounts.

Note:

There is a EMHE Volunteer Recognition event being held at Neighborhood House in the Wellstone Center this Thursday from 5-7 p.m. . All volunteers are welcome, and must wear their blue EMHE shirts. ABC will be filming the event for the show.

Move That Bus! The “move that bus” taping is scheduled for Friday morning – they are advising people to be there by 9am. Watch the blog for updates on the time. Park at Signal Hills Shopping Center and take the shuttle down to watch. Volunteers in blue shirts may end up being a part of the filming of the family’s homecoming. If you volunteered this week, please feel free to come in your blue shirt and try to be part of the action!

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Day 5

2009-10-06T22:38:00.001-07:00

Day 5 is moving fast! JLSP volunteers continued to staff the volunteer check-in, feed hungry workers and pitch in wherever needed.

The sheetrock is up, the walls are painted, and the exterior is coming together. Tonight the tile is being laid, landscaping is in progress and cabinets are being installed in the house.

JLSP met with show’s design producers to discuss final needs for the daycare. Next stop – shopping for the Extreme Makeover house!

The “Move That Bus!” moment will be on Friday, currently scheduled between 12-3pm. Stay tuned! Spectators are welcome, and will be shuttled from the Signal Hills Center Parking Lot at 50 Signal Hills Center in West St. Paul.

Walk up volunteers are being accepted on an as needed basis, so feel free to stop by volunteer check-in anytime at 301 Eaton Street.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Day 4

2009-10-05T22:54:00.000-07:00

The foundation is complete, and the morning began with JLSP volunteers serving food to hungry workers, who stayed up throughout the night to get the home ready for the carpenters to move in and begin their work. Behind the scenes, JLSP members worked hard beginning to secure donations and discounts for books, games and toys for the new day care.

By evening, despite the constant rain, all the walls of the home were up, the roof was completed, windows were being installed, and electric, plumbing and heating were all being put into place.

Tomorrow, the landscaping will begin on the outside, while sheetrock, flooring and painting start on the inside. JLSP will meet with the show’s designers to finalize needs before doing some shopping for the Morris family day care.

Volunteer Opportunities: Members, there are still some spots on Thursday night to help with the day care area of the home. Contact presidentelect@jlsp.org to sign up. There are also 2 last minute spots open from 12pm-4pm on Tuesday.

Also, the builder is accepting volunteers to help with neighborhood clean-up and repair of neighbors’ homes (light painting, yard pick up, gardening, etc.), so feel free to come down to the site Tues-Thurs, 9am-dark. Check in at 301 Eaton St. in Saint Paul.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Day 3

2009-10-04T23:57:00.000-07:00

Its Day 3 at the EMHE build site, and the Morris home has been demolished and a new foundation is being poured.

JLSP volunteers have been at the site all day handing out volunteer shirts, checking people in and working down at the home. Some members even participated in some “scene shots” with the Muppets earlier in the morning. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, JLSP is working to procure items for the Morris family's day care facility.

Monday the home will begin to take shape as the walls and roof go up. Sam Champion, the weather anchor from Good Morning America, will be doing live shots for GMA from the build site in the morning. (Pictured here, sitting on the new foundation.)

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Day 2

2009-10-03T17:12:00.000-07:00

Today, the Morris family is off to Mexico, and their belongings have been packed and removed from the home. There have been many “scene shots” in preparation for the home’s demolition on Sunday, including the one pictured below of the Braveheart March.

Designer Tracy Hutson and show host Ty Pennington both shot scenes that will lead into the homes demolition. The Muppets will play a role in the house’s demise, with Gonzo performing a daring stunt despite Ty’s warnings of danger.

On Sunday, the home will be completely demolished and taken away, excavators will dig a new hole, the foundation will be poured and once dry, the construction will begin.

Junior League of Saint Paul volunteers have also been hard at work staffing the volunteer check-in station and directing volunteers on site. Pictured below are Junior League Members Dinah, Angela and friend Julie.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is in Town and JLSP is Pitching in to Help!

2009-10-02T17:09:00.000-07:00

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (EMHE) is in town and the Junior League of Saint Paul is honored to be supporting the effort by providing volunteers and assisting the designers with the new daycare facility in the Morris home. Be sure to check out the JLSP blog daily as we will be providing regular updates on the development of the home as well as what the Junior League of Saint Paul is doing to help.

The Morris Family
Sixteen years ago, Sandy Morris was pregnant with her first child and working as an early childhood education teacher. After the birth of her daughter, Catricia, Sandy examined her daycare options and discovered that none of them met her standards. Sandy decided to quit her job and start her own affordable daycare for the Saint Paul community. She offers a multicultural environment to these children, who affectionately call her "Tia Sandy." Sandy's dedication to her daycare and her community has produced one of the best daycares in the city.

Unfortunately, Sandy runs her daycare out of their 100-year-old home, which is falling apart. The numerous repairs needed to make the home safe threaten to shut down the daycare. The Junior League of Saint Paul is honored to be a part of helping build the Morris family a safe home that is a sanctuary for their family and will enable Sandy's daycare to remain a center of community life and education.

Day 1: Door Knock!
On Friday morning, the Morris family was greeted by Ty Pennington of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, letting them know that they were the recipients of a new home to be built this week. The Junior League of Saint Paul, TJB Homes, and countless volunteers are off- working continuously until the big reveal to the family on October 9th.

Sneak Peek of Fabulous Finds at the Next-to-New Sale!

2009-09-28T10:38:00.000-07:00

The Next-to-New sale is less than one week away and preparations are in full swing! We are so excited about some of the merchandise that has already been donated, we wanted to give you a sneak peek of just some of the great items for sale. Are you redecorating a room and looking for some fresh and bright bedding? We have beautiful linens! Need a new purse or winter dress coat? We have a large variety-some are 100% cashmere! Are you getting ready for the holiday season? Let us help make your home more festive with our large selection of Christmas decorations pictured below. If you are an art aficionado, check out the Salvador Dali prints – signed by an immediate Dali family member!

The 2009 Next-to-New Sale will be held on Saturday, October 3rd at the Dairy Building (formerly the Empire Commons Building) on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds (1694 Judson Avenue View Map) from 8 am to 4 pm. The sale includes household items, clothing, shoes, bags, children's toys, NEW wedding dresses, books and much much more! Contact nexttonew@jlsp.org with questions. Follow us on Facebook for additional preview items this week!

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

The Fair Arrives at the September GMM

2009-09-20T18:02:00.000-07:00

Contributed by Sonya Smith, Journal Editor

The purpose of the September General Membership meeting held September 8th was to learn more about the four JLSP Councils (Community Outreach, Communications, Development, and Membership), how each member can contribute to achieving the goals set forth by each Council, and have a bit of fun while doing it. At the first ever JLSP Educational Fair each member received a commitment card and visited the Council stations. At each station Members would learn about the role of the Council and determine how the member could fulfill a commitment to that particular Council. For example, one commitment to the Membership Council could be to invite friends to a Prospective Member Event.

I asked a member of each Council what was the one thing that they would like each member to know, and here’s what they said:

Aimee Farrell (Community): “Every contact between an adult and child is very important whether it’s through reading or play. Every moment that you interact with a child even if it’s just creating a shopping list or talking to them is important. We would love to mentor not only our Members but also other parents and adults in feeling comfortable in communicating with kids.”

Beth Nault Schatz (Membership): “It is everyone’s responsibility to recruit new Members. You cannot leave it up to the Committee alone. We really need Members to invite friends to Prospective Member Receptions.”

Katie Misukanis (Development): “There are numerous ways to give to the JLSP. If you shop online, you can shop via iGive or come to the Bling event.”

Tricia Knigge (Communications): “To be fully engaged, it is important for our Members to understand what is going on within JLSP and the impact that we are having in our community with our Building Bonds through Reading and Play initiatives as well as connect with other Members to reach our goals this year. We encourage all Members to get the latest information and connect with fellow Members and community supporters through our website (www.jlsp.org), this blog and Facebook.”

As Jennifer Sampson noted, “We need to make sure that everyone knows what our issues and projects are. The Educational Fair came about because we wanted to start the League year off with everyone engaged and aware. We also wanted to make it inclusive to increase communication between the councils. Our goal [with the Fair]: Engage, Educate, and Inspire. We want members to know why we do our projects; why we have fundraisers; and what projects we support.”

Thank you to all who participated and attended the Fair. Please provide us with any feedback from the fair by commenting to this post.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Bargains that Can't be Beat! Stop by the Next-to-New Sale October 3rd, 2009!

2009-09-20T17:15:00.000-07:00

From bridal gowns to business suits, and children’s toys to Christmas decorations, the 60th annual Next-to-New Sale hosted by the Junior League of Saint Paul (JLSP) promises a bargain buy for everyone! The 2009 sale will be held on Saturday, October 3rd at the Dairy Building (formerly the Empire Commons Building) on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds (1694 Judson Avenue View Map) from 8 am to 4 pm.

This year we are incredibly excited to announce the addition of 91 brand-new wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses for sale in our Bridal Bonanza. Do you know anyone getting married? This is the opportunity of a lifetime! With original retail values of up to $1,300, these dresses will be sold for just $50 each. Our selection includes a wide variety of styles, sizes (6-18) and colors (white, antique white, ivory and even a few with accent colors of red, lavender, silver, or blue). Access to the bridal gown area will be limited to a few individuals at a time, so come early and get in line!

As you can imagine, over the past 60 years the Next-to-New Sale has become incredibly popular in the Saint Paul community and each year we receive a very large turn out. Our ‘insider’ tip for you: come early when the doors open at 8 am. To give you a small taste of the great items that you will find this year check out our sneak preview below, and on our JLSP Facebook page this week – we’ll be posting pictures of some of the great items we have for sale.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

JLSP Promotes Child Abuse Prevention at the 2009 PCAMN Walk

2009-09-14T08:32:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, September 12th JLSP participated in The Walk for Children and Family Fun Day coordinated by Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota. This annual event hosted at Midway stadium in Saint Paul has become a welcome and inspiring tradition in our community. Each summer concerned citizens, responsible agencies and businesses, families, and of course children in our community get together for a day of fun and reflection. The Walk is both a festive community gathering and critical fundraiser for Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota to continue to provide education and advocacy for their mission to end child abuse and neglect in Minnesota.

The Junior League of Saint Paul (JLSP) was a participant at the Walk this year to help support of this mission of abuse prevention and to help promote our Building Bonds through Reading and Play initiative, which seeks to help educate caregivers on the importance of play through its power to create a positive bonding experience between adult and child required to prevent abuse. At our booth JLSP volunteers distributed free Frisbees to families that promote our initiative and of course had fun flipping Frisbees and teaching kids new games to play with them. To learn more about Building Bonds Through Reading and Play, visit www.jlsp.org.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Summer Community Events Serve up Fun and Barbeque and Encourage Families to Play Together

2009-08-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

Contributed by Andrea Cournoyer,

Saint Paul Plays! Committee Member

Hacky Sacks. Hot dogs. Hocus-Pocus. Kids and parents had an evening filled with fun and magic at the Saint Paul Plays! summer family event at Hancock Recreation Center Friday, July 31^st. The event, organized by the Junior League and the Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Department, was one of two such events designed to encourage families to spend more time playing together.

Play was served up immediately: as parents and children made their way through the buffet line, Junior League volunteers distributed bright red Frisbees promoting the Building Bonds initiative which doubled as sturdy holders for wobbly paper plates. They also distributed flyers with ideas about games to play with Frisbees and helped children make their own Hacky Sacks from balloons and lentils. The activity encouraged teamwork and got parents directly involved in helping children accomplish a project.

Research shows that play is one of the most important parts of childhood: it builds self-esteem, stimulates brain growth and creates a deep connection between parent and child. JLSP volunteers used the Hacky Sack activity and Frisbees to help encourage parents to connect with their children by having fun together.

Both events – at Hancock and Arlington Recreation Centers – served food generously donated by Sara Lee, Great Harvest and the JLSP to a combined total of about 350 people. Parks and Recreation also provided rock climbing walls, jumpers, magic shows and movies.

The events hopefully encouraged families to attend the family game nights scheduled at recreation centers throughout the school year. Volunteers distributed a list of the dates and times of the upcoming family events. To learn more about our Saint Paul Plays! program visit the Junior League of Saint Paul website.

The Fair’s In Town! Come See What’s New on a Stick!

2009-08-23T20:19:00.000-07:00

Contributed by Jennifer Sampson

Okay, it is not the Minnesota State Fair, but we promise you will still be amazed. Please kick off your Junior League year by attending the JLSP educational fair at the September’s General Membership Meeting (GMM) on Tuesday September 8th.

Having recently attended one of the Junior League's leadership conferences (ODI), it became clear to me that we can continue to focus efforts on ensuring that all of our members understand and embrace the issues that our League's work is focused on positively impacting.

Ensuring that our membership understands the link between our projects and its impact on our community is one of the most visible and important ways in which we train our membership to serve.

This starts with our ability to be the experts in our issue(s) whether that be literacy, healthy eating or creating bonds between a child and it's caregiver. It continues with our success in raising the money necessary to support our projects and the way in which we engage and sustain our talented membership. All of this is happens through the work of our various committees and councils. But do we all understand what they do, how they carry forward the mission of our League and your role in making it happen?

Make plans now to attend the September GMM where we will be utilizing an educational fair concept. This format will allow members to spend time one on one with each committee,understanding its purpose, objectives and opportunities for membership involvement.

Come prepared to learn who is on each committee, its goals for this Junior League year and sign up on the spot for specific volunteer opportunities and leave with a renewed sense of how the Junior League of Saint Paul works and the important work ahead of us this year.

This GMM is like no other you have been to before. Bring your calendars, your commitment and your willingness to learn! For more details about attending this meeting please visit our website.

Community Advisory Council Provides Advice and Resources for JLSP Programs

2009-07-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

Contributed by Dianna Peterson, JLSP President Elect 2009-10

The Junior League of Saint Paul (JLSP) is fortunate to have dedicated members of the Saint Paul community, who give of their time to serve on our Community Advisory Council (CAC). The CAC serves as a formal group on whom the JLSP can call on for assistance and advice regarding our programs, resource development, recruitment, public relations, organization management and other issues.

On July 1st, the CAC held their first meeting of the 2009-2010 year. Members of the CAC provided their expertise on the Twin Cities non-profit climate, providing ideas on fundraising, sponsorships, and grants. The CAC also shared ideas on furthering the work of our current project statement, Building Bonds Through Reading and Play. Their expertise opened up many avenues for us to explore more research related to our projects, as well as how to bring that information to JLSP members and the community.

The Junior League of Saint Paul appreciates the time and knowledge provided by the members of the Community Advisory Council:

Dr. Julie McGlincey, Associate Admissions Director, St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Cindy Carlson, Vice President of Commercial Banking, Western Bank
Connie Skillingstad, Executive Director, Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota
Bonnie Alton, Owner, Great Harvest Bread Company
Beth Rutter, Resource Development Specialist, Amherst H. Wilder Foundation
Patricia Effenberger, Communications Manager, Pioneer Press
Dr. Marti Erickson, Child Development Expert & Radio Host of “Good Enough Moms”
Rep. Erin Murphy, Assistant Majority Leader, MN House of Representatives
Jennifer Halcrow, Senior Major Gifts Officer, Children’s Hospital Foundation

Community Summer Events Promote the Benefits of Families Playing Together

2009-07-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

The Junior League of Saint Paul aims to build strong communities by encouraging parents to play with children to develop critical skills

The Junior League of Saint Paul is sponsoring two community barbeque events this month to help families understand the importance of playing together. The events – co-sponsored by the City of Saint Paul Parks and Recreation – are open to all community members and will include games, dinner and activities. They are part of the JLSP’s city-wide initiative called Building Bonds through Reading and Play.

“As simple as it sounds, playing with children is one of the most important things that parents can do to help children develop critical life skills,” says Christine M. Sand, President of the Junior League of Saint Paul. “Play builds self esteem, trust and a host of other skills that contribute to a child’s lifelong success. The Junior League of Saint Paul is committed to building a stronger community by helping parents understand the importance of play in the lives of their children.”

The Building Bonds initiative aims to educate parents, caregivers and other adults how small actions – reading a book, completing a puzzle or playing a board game – can have big returns. As part of the initiative, Junior League volunteers organize family game nights throughout the year at area recreation centers. They also coordinate programs at area libraries and introduce young children to the magic of reading by giving an estimated 3,500 preschool children their own books each year.

“We have had a tremendous response to these community-wide events,” says Toni Smith, of Saint Paul Parks and Recreation. “In today’s economy, many parents are working two or three jobs to make ends meet and it’s easy to overlook the importance of playing with children. Together with the Junior League, we hope to make a difference in the lives of Saint Paul families.”

The Junior League began its initiative – with support from the Mayor’s Office and Parks and Recreation – two years ago and serves more and more families each year.

Saint Paul Plays! Summer BBQ Events
July 17, 2009 6pm – 8pm
Arlington Recreation Center
665 Rose Ave. E
Saint Paul, MN 55106

July 31, 2009 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Hancock Recreation Center
1610 Hubbard Ave.
Saint Paul, MN 55104

Off to a Great Start: Improving Saint Paul, Promoting Volunteerism and Developing Trained Volunteers

2009-07-13T06:18:00.000-07:00

Contributed by Christine M. Sand, JLSP President 2009-10

One of the myths of the Junior League is that we take the summer off, but not JLSP! Take a look at how much is currently happening at JLSP!

Improving Saint Paul

• For 60 years now, JLSP provides a service to the community through our Next-to-New Sale by selling quality items and donating our goods to charities. This year’s sale will be held at the State Fair Grounds on Saturday, October 3 from 8 am to 4 pm, with set-up shifts on September 30, and October 1 – 2. As a JLSP member, you have the opportunity to fulfill your fundraising hours required at this event, and be a part of helping families in need. Start cleaning out your closets – we need your donations!

• Saint Paul Plays! is hosting two BBQs - Arlington Recreation Center on July 17 and Hancock Recreation Center on July 31. JLSP will provide food and activities to the neighborhood residents, which include some of the neediest families in St. Paul. Come be a part of these fun events.

• The Treasurer, Treasurer-Elect, and our Office Administrator spent the first part of this summer processing our dues, Annual Fund and Operating Endowment donations. These funds are key to our organization’s existence and provide us the resources necessary to improve our community through our Builidng Bonds projects. Thank you to all who participated in our first fundraiser of the JLSP year by contributing to our Annual Campaign and Operating Endowment. It’s not too late to bundle-up and make a gift to the JLSP!

Promoting Volunteerism

• The New Member Committee hosted their first social of the year. Please tell your friends and neighbors about the wonderful opportunities with JLSP and commit to bring them to the next social on July 22 or August 13 at our Headquarters.

• The Community Advisory Council had their first meeting of the year. This group includes volunteers from our State Legislature, Pioneer Press, Children’s Hospital Foundation, Western Bank, Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota, St. Paul Academy and Summitt School, Wilder Foundation, Great Harvest Bread, and University of Minnesota. These volunteers, which are not JLSP members, donate their time to help JLSP make more of an impact in our community. What an amazing resource we have with these talented volunteers.

Development of Trained Volunteers

• Your Leadership participated in retreats, trainings, and Council meetings this summer to prepare for this year. We created our Annual Plan, set goals, and are planning an effective, productive, and fun League year.

• Our new leaders had an additional training to learn how to run a committee meeting, draft an agenda, and manage the work of the committees. JLSP now has more trained women to help us lead our efforts this year.

• To maximize our resources, the Journal will now be published every other month, starting in September. Additionally, the articles will include more training pieces and stories about how we are impacting our community.

Thank you for your work already this summer and all you will do this year for your community as a member of the Junior League of Saint Paul.

I look forward to seeing all of you on Tuesday, September 8 at our first General Membership Meeting. This is not your usual GMM! It is our first JLSP Fair. Socialize with friends while visiting tables sponsored by fellow JLSP members. Learn about or community service opportunities, membership benefits, and other little known facts about JLSP. This is a great chance for us to rededicate to JLSP. I look forward to seeing you there.

To quote Oprah Winfrey, "When I look to the future, it's so bright, it burns my eyes." Put on your sunglasses, we are going to have a great year!

Junior League Staffs ASID Showcase Home in Edina

2009-05-04T18:56:00.000-07:00

Contributed by Katy Dieperink, ASID Coordinator
Spring is here and you know what that means for the Junior League of Saint Paul; the annual ASID Showcase home fundraiser is quickly approaching. JLSP will once again partner with Minneapolis Saint Paul Magazine by staffing the Showcase Home for one week in May; in return the magazine will be compensating JLSP for all hours volunteered. This is a truly great fundraising opportunity as JLSP profits 100% from our service hours.

This year’s Showcase Home is located in Edina and will be open for viewing May 15 - June 22, 2009, excluding all Mondays and Tuesdays. A fabulous Gala will kick off the tour, on Friday, May 15th and will feature a 50’s theme with the Vic Valore Band performing. Gala tickets can be purchased for $75. Tickets for the tour are $15 and are available for purchase through many outlets, including Hirshfield’s, D’Amico, Bibelot, Patina, Macy’s and Bachman’s. Both Gala and Tour tickets will be available at the May General Membership Meeting.

In addition, the Showcase Home will host culinary evenings on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and designer led tours sponsored by Caribou Coffee and Salut on Tuesdays. Although there is no need for staffing in the evenings, consider attending one of these deliciously fun events that will sell out quickly!

To learn more about the Showcase home visit Minneapolis Saint Paul Magazine

The Junior League of Saint Paul is responsible for staffing the showcase home May 16-23. Please remember that all Active Members have committed to working one shift at the home. New Members will be staffing the house on New Member Day, Sunday, May 17, and the Sustainer Day will be Thursday, May 21. If you have questions regarding the ASID Showcase tour contact, Katy Dieperink at asid@jlsp.org.

JLSP Blue Jeans and Bling Fundraiser Featured in Minnesota Monthly

2009-04-13T15:47:00.000-07:00

Hot off the press! The Junior League of Saint Paul's Blue Jeans and Bling Fundraiser held in February 2009 was featured in the May 2009 edition of Minnesota Monthly. Click on the image below to see our party pics!

Junior League of Saint Paul’s First Annual Blue Jeans & Bling - A Great Success!

2009-03-13T15:12:00.000-07:00

The Junior League of Saint Paul’s First Annual Blue Jeans & Bling: A Grown Up Play Date to Benefit Kids, took place on Saturday, February 28 at the Minnesota Children’s Museum. Guests, dressed in blue jeans and anything and everything that sparkled had an enjoyable evening bidding on items at the silent and live auctions, playing games and socializing! Local celebrities and sponsors, Bob Moeller of R.F. Moeller and Rebekah Wood of Twin Cities Live added an extra spark to the evening as emcees and auctioneers. Bidding was competitive and lively, especially on the Twins batting practice!

Overall, the event was a success both socially and financially! The guests who attended had a great time and the event raised enough funds to exceed the goal that was put before the Blue Jeans & Bling Committee! We hope all who attended had fun, and all who were unable to attend will come next year.

2009-2010 Junior League of Saint Paul Board of Directors Announced

2009-02-11T13:01:00.000-08:00

The Junior League of Saint Paul is proud to announce its Board of Directors for the 2009-10 League year! The Board of Directors is an important part of our organization, as a governing body elected by membership they set the direction for the Junior League of Saint Paul during the upcoming year and work in conjunction with our committee leadership and members to fulfill our mission and organizational objectives.

2009-2010 Board of Directors

President: Christine M. Sand
President-Elect: Dianna Peterson
Treasurer: Ann Jones
Treasurer-Elect: Angela Urbanek
Secretary: Nancy Sauer
Director of Communications: Tricia Knigge
Director of Community Outreach: Jennifer Sampson
Director of Development: Open
Director of Membership: Erin Wall

Thank you to all these women for committing their time and talents to JLSP for 2009-2010!

Library Kids Introduces More Than 100 Kids to the Library With Their First Library Cards!

2009-02-08T20:20:00.000-08:00

More than 100 kids in Saint Paul gathered at the Ramsey County Library to sign-up for their first library cards. To celebrate, kids and their caregivers explored the library on a treasure hunt, listened to storytellers, were entertained by a pirate and received a copy of the Itsy Bitsy Spider book from JLSP! Check out the photos from this Library Kids event!

Play is Serious Work!

2009-02-08T19:57:00.000-08:00

Contributed by Loralee DiLorenzo, 2008-09 JLSP President and past chair of Project Research

With our focus on the prevention of domestic abuse and education of women and children in need, it is our belief that educating the community about playing will both educate and ultimately help prevent abuse.

When I described our Saint Paul Plays! program at the fall AJLI conference, a friend who is president of the JL of Orange County told me that her mother-in-law, Sandra J. Stone, was a child development expert and educator, and had written a book for teachers on the importance of play and how to incorporate it into curriculums. The information below is from her book,

Playing: A Kid’s Curriculum

Experts have defined play as intrinsically motivated, freely chosen, and process-oriented activity. Children are actively involved in play. They internalize their discoveries and that will belong to them for the rest of their lives.

Play has been taken out of curriculum as learning has become more narrowly academic. Bergen has stated, “play has been undervalued as a curricular tool by educators and by parents because society has defined the goals of learning, especially school learning, very narrowly. Play, which allows children to choose their learning focus and which fosters a broad range of development tools should be included as an essential learning element.”

Researchers have found that the values of play are extensive and encompass the whole child - cognitively, socially, emotionally and physically. Games with rules are a high form of play development. According to Piaget, dramatic play evolves toward games with rules. Games with rules offer an important feature to child development as a child orders his or her world for consistency, fairness, stability and predictability - steps toward mature thought.

Games with rules are an important part of a child’s development of thought processes, physical development, moral judgment, social awareness and self-concept. A child must adapt to the moves of other players, make simple choices and develop strategies. Some games lend themselves to problem solving where others focus on putting things into relationships.

Games with rules provide opportunities for children to judge fairness, along with social skills in cooperation, collaboration, leadership, sharing, and turn taking. They help a child consider another’s viewpoint. As a child develops skill in game playing, s/he develops self-confidence.

So, when you are playing Connect Four with that child at the recreation center, we are affecting him or her in many ways beyond bringing a couple of hours of enjoyment, but s/he doesn’t know that!

JLSP likes its projects to bring attention to issues that others are not addressing - in the past we worked on what were new concepts at the time:

• a children’s hospital open to all children who needed care, now Children’s Hospital

• A community-wide resource for Saint Paul to coordinate charity concerns, first Community Chest, now United Way

• A pool of volunteers to match needs to hands, now HandsOn Twin Cities

• Vocational, parenting and life skills training to new Minnesotans and persons with physical challenges, now Lifetrack Resources

• Attention to the issue of child abuse, now Shaken Baby

• Focus on homicide victims of domestic abuse, the Silent Witness Program

We believe Saint Paul Plays! can be a similar program to bring attention to an important issue that others in the community may not be emphasizing. To learn more about the Junior League of Saint Paul’s initiative Saint Paul Plays! visit our website.

Interview with Beth Nault Schatz on the Junior League of Saint Paul Development Council

2009-02-05T06:39:00.000-08:00

What is your current position and how long have you been in the League?
I am currently Director of Development, This is my 4th year in the League.

What is the main goal of your committee this year?

The goal of the Development Council is to educate the membership on how the League makes and spends money. The Council (which is made up of 4 committees and the ASID chair) is tasked with actually raising funds. It's much more fun than it sounds.

What is the main responsibility of your Committee?

Raising coin.

What skills or experiences will JLSP members gain by being a member of this committee?

The Development Council really does have something for anyone. You can learn to write a grant, throw a party, organize a fundraiser, spearhead an annual campaign, manage the business side of the Next to New Sale, there's lots to do and learn. One of the greatest growth experiences that I have had professionally was three years ago when I was actually asking corporations to "partner" with us for our 90th anniversary. It was all about getting out of my comfort zone. I would not have done it anywhere else. I'm still shocked that I said yes. I was not especially successful but everyone was extremely supportive and grateful for the few small victories that I was able to secure. Sometimes the most important lesson we can learn as a member is how to fail and either move on or try again.

What do you like best about being part of The Junior League of Saint Paul?

The women. I know that sounds cliche. But I am constantly being reminded at how amazing and powerful JLSP remains year after year. I've made incredible friends here that I would not have met doing my every day activities. My husband has even made a few friends because of JLSP.

What skills have you gained from being part of JLSP that you bring to your daily work?
I am actually a textbook example of what the training that the Junior League offers can do for one's life. When I joined, my daughter was 2 1/2 and my son was 6 months old. I was on "sabbatical" from the restaurant business. The League opened up a whole new area for me raising money for non profits. After doing a few different development jobs, I now have my own business doing development work. I work part-time, set my hours and I love my clients. It's amazing.

What advice would you give current members to enhance their experience in JLSP?
Be open. We are a training organization. We are supposed to learn while we are here. That's why we change jobs every year. Try not to get into a "niche." Move around. Try new things. It's really how you will get the most out of your time here.

Share with us a little know fact about you?
I have quite an extensive sea shell collection that my kids are helping me with now. I'm happiest when my feet are wet in salty water.

Interested in learning more about the Junior League of Saint Paul Development Council or getting involved? Contact Beth at development@jlsp.org or placement@jlsp.org.

Interview with Tricia Knigge on Junior League of Saint Paul's New Member Committee

2009-01-29T10:24:00.000-08:00

What is your current position and how long have you been in the League?
I am currently the chair of the New Member Committee. This is my third year as a member of the Junior League of Saint Paul.

What is the main goal of the New Member committee this year?
The goal of the New Member Committee is to recruit active women in the Saint Paul community that would like to volunteer and make a difference. We also strive to provide opportunities for new members to make strong connections within the League so they become life-long members.

What is the main responsibility of the New Member Committee?
The main responsibility of the New Member committee is to recruit active women in the Saint Paul community who would like to volunteer and make a difference, introduce them to the League, mentor them through their first year and guide them through the New Member community project, Kids in the Kitchen.

What skills or experiences will JLSP members gain by being a member of this committee?
As a member of this committee you will gain strong communication, organization and interpersonal skills. Strong communication skills in that the committee helps to build awareness about League opportunities in the community and must work with new members to orientate them on JLSP’s history, current impact and policies. Strong organizational skills are gained through managing monthly events and a prospect database. Lastly, interpersonal skills are gained though developing close relationships with new members and acting as a mentor/advisor to ensure a successful first year with the Junior League of Saint Paul.

What do you like best about being part of the Junior League of Saint Paul?
Beyond the invaluable friendships that I have made within the League, I value the League’s membership focus and openness to new ideas. As a member of Leadership, I feel that I have been able to bring to the table new ideas to enhance the League and its impact that have been openly embraced.

What skills have you gained from being part of JLSP that you bring to your daily work?
As the chair of a committee the League has helped to foster my leadership and communication skills. As an online marketer in my professional life, I have been able to bring some of my expertise to the League and in turn, the League has allowed me to experiment with different strategies that I can apply to my current position.

What advice would you give current members to enhance their experience in JLSP?
I would encourage members to become involved in an area of the League that interests them most where they feel they will be able to give the most and get the most out of in return, whether it is knowing you made a direct impact in your community or the development of personal and professional skills. I would also encourage members who have not held a Leadership position to volunteer as my time spent leading a committee has been the most rewarding.

Interested in learning more about the Junior League of Saint Paul New Member Committee or getting involved? Contact Tricia Knigge at newmembers@jlsp.org or placement@jlsp.org.

Sara Schmid on the Junior League of Saint Paul Resource Development Committee

2009-01-23T10:16:00.000-08:00

What is the main goal of your committee this year?
Our main goal is to execute the annual campaign and achieve all goals related to participation and dollars brought in.

What is the main responsibility of the Resource Development Committee?
Our committee has a diverse range of responsibilities. Our core responsibility is to find creative ways to raise money for the League that will fund our mission. Specifically, we raise funds to support our training and community initiatives. We also educate the League on our annual campaign, collect funds for the annual campaign, and find strategic opportunities to align ourselves with the Centennial committee to educate the League on our endowments and our bundling concept. We also have the fun task of laying the groundwork for new fundraising ideas. Whether they are small fundraisers such as the RF Moeller event (which was fun and successful) to what could be the next big "Next to New Sale" fundraiser they are all equally important! Finally, we support our grant writer in applying for new grants that surface within the community and our stewardship coordinator that nurtures the relationships we have with our generous sponsors/donors.

What skills or experiences will JLSP members gain by being a member of this committee?

Our committee has a very balanced experience in that they get to participate in event planning for fundraisers and working with donors and sponsors to involve them with our League. My favorite experience has been participating in all the different avenues our League raises money to support our mission.

What do you like best about being part of The Junior League of Saint Paul?
Originally, my favorite part of JLSP was making goals for myself within a committee to make a difference and play an integral part. I love making the community better whether you're planning a fundraiser or reading a child a book. Although that is still my favorite part, I can't leave out the friendships I've made. I absolutely cherish them and can't stand missing a League event!

What skills have you gained from being part of JLSP that you bring to your daily work?
I am in outside sales for a company and I love how the League has taught me the concept of community. Working with small business owners that are passionate about what they do makes me intrigued to learn how they involve themselves with their respective communities. I also have sharpened my time management skills even more and have gained leadership skills that you cannot always utilize in an entrepreneurial outside-sales environment.

Share with us a little know fact about you?
I was on the national championship University of Minnesota Dance Team and instructed dance classes all over the country in college.

Interested in learning more about the Junior League of Saint Paul Resource Development Committee or getting involved? Contact Jennifer at resourcedevelopment@jlsp.org or placement@jlsp.org.

Even President-Elect Barack Obama finds time for fun and games

2009-01-07T17:17:00.001-08:00

Contributed by Tricia Knigge, Member JLSP

That’s right! I recently read that even Barack Obama finds time to relax and play games with his family. On the campaign trail Obama frequently enjoyed playing his favorite game, Scrabble. In Barack’s own words according to the Hyde Park Herald, “I have been known to have a serious Scrabble game.”

Playing games with your children not only provides an opportunity for you to have fun, it is also important for your child's development. Playing board games helps children develop important social skills and foster great opportunities to learng. For instance, children learn:

How to share and take turns

How to ineract positively with peers and caregivers

Understand that there are winners and losers in a game and how to respond positively to both outcomes

How to recognize shapes, colors, words etc.

How to strategize to increase their probabity to win

These are some of the reasons that The Junior League of Saint Paul recognizes the power of play and the many long lasting benefits that it can bring to both children and families. To help foster game playing within the Saint Paul community the Junior League of Saint Paul has developed a community service project called St. Paul Plays! The program includes regular community game nights at St. Paul Recreation Centers and game drives. To learn more about this project and how you can get involved visit http://www.jlsp.org/ or call 651.291.7377.

Like Obama, I am a huge board game fan. As a child one of my family's favorites was the card game Skip-Bo. It brought many generations of the family together and I have many fond memories from our time together. What is your favorite childhood game or game that you enjoy playing with your family? Please share with our community by posting to our blog.

JLSP Receives Support for Community Initiatives from Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman

2009-01-04T08:03:00.000-08:00

Recently, the Junior League of Saint Paul was honored to receive a letter of support from the City of Saint Paul for our Building Bonds Through Reading and Play Initiative which provides engaging activities and opportunities for structured play and reading events to help strengthen relationships with caregivers and children.

“It is through the ability, desire and collaborative spirit of organizations that the city is able to fulfill our commitment and responsibility to our children. The Junior League of Saint Paul is an important resource and their collaboration is highly valued and appreciated in our city. They have made a tremendous impact in our neighborhoods and I am proud to support their recognition as an exemplary collaborator and partner.”
- Chris Coleman, Saint Paul Mayor

Click here to read Mayor Coleman’s letter to the Junior League of Saint Paul.

An Interview with Sarah Fastner about The Junior League of Saint Paul

2008-12-11T13:10:00.000-08:00

Contributed By Sara Ridder, Centennial Committee

Why did you join JLSP?
I discovered Junior League through a friend of mine who lives in Chicago. Her positiveexperience inspired me to find out more about the JLSP. I felt that it would be a good way tovolunteer while also networking with like-minded women in the community.

How long have you been a member of JLSP?
I’m a first year active and having a wonderful experience.

What is your current placement with JLSP?
My main placement is on the Arrangements Committee. It has been so much fun working with this great group of women. Ilook forward to what the next few months will bring for us as we try to get creative with meeting sites and menus. My secondplacement is on the Blue Jeans & Bling Committee. We hope everyone in the League plans to join us on 2/28/09 at theMinnesota Children’s Museum for an exciting event!

What are one or two of your favorite things about JLSP?
I am so impressed with the passion and hard work of the JLSP members. It is wonderful to be part of a group that is committedto improving our community. I also enjoy the friendships I have made so far in the league. It is exciting to meet new people atevery General Membership Meeting.

What are some of the learnings and skills you have developed, or hope to develop, through your JLSP experience?
Through the JLSP I hope to improve and expand my leadership skills. I also think that the JLSP will help me reach outside ofmy comfort zone through working on other committees in the future.

To learn more about the Junior League of Saint Paul or to become a member contact newmembers@jlsp.org or visit http://www.jlsp.org/.

Jennifer Sampson on the Junior League of Saint Paul Advocacy Committee

2008-12-01T11:15:00.000-08:00

Junior League of Saint Paul committees are currently hard at work planning community programs, reaching out to community leaders and making an impact. To help our membership and community partners get a clearer insight into our committees’ roles and current plans, the Leadership committee has started a blog series that will present interviews from our current committee leaders. Our first interview was with Jennifer Sampson, Advocacy Committee Chair. This is Jennifer’s third year with the League and she has previously held the position of Fund Development Chair. Serving on the Advocacy Committee with Jennifer are Heidi Peterson and Sally English.

What is the main goal of the Advocacy committee this year?
Our main goal is to develop a 5 year plan that will shape the way JLSP leverages advocacy to support and positively impact child abuse prevention at the Capital and on the national scene. This plan would include the formation of a state public affairs committee (SPAC) in conjunction with delegates from other Leagues across the state. The intent is that our SPAC representative advocates on behalf of the JLSP to our representatives in Washington D.C. and St. Paul to pass legislation important to our projects and the communities that they serve.

What is the main responsibility of the Advocacy committee?
Our main responsibility is to educate the members of our League about the role of advocacy its importance to our mission, vision and strategic plan. This committee identifies needed alliances within the community and works to foster those relationships that are key to furthering our work on abuse prevention and education. Examples of our current alliances are our community advisory board (CAB) and the Minnesota Council of Non-Profits. Future alliances we may want to explore include the Children's Platform Coalition or the Children's Defense Fund.

What skills or experiences will JLSP members get by being a member of this committee?
They will better understand the process for how legislation is created and ratified. They will form relationships with key community leaders and other League chapters. They will get experience with public speaking and training as well as the aspects that go into creating a long term strategic plan.

What does your committee need from JLSP to be successful this year?
I would like each member to read the JLSP by-laws on advocacy so they are aware of our League's definition of this effort. Research the history of the Shaken Baby Syndrome and Silent Witness which are great examples of JLSP's rich advocacy history and tradition!

What do you like best about being part of the JLSP?
Using my different placements to further develop the skills and experiences to make a impact on my community and allow me to someday pursue my future goal of being a board member for other local non-profits such as United Way.

Share with us a little known fact about you?
I once met Mohammed Ali and he wrote me a poem and Christine Sand wishes she was me :)

Interested in learning more about the Junior League of Saint Paul Advocacy Committee or getting involved? Contact Jennifer at advocacy@jlsp.org or placement@jlsp.org.

Focus on Vision: AJLI Needs Your Input

2008-12-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

Contributed By Loralee DiLorenzo, Junior League of Saint Paul President 2008/09

At the Fall Leadership Conference, attendees heard from Debbie Brown Robinson, 2008-10 AJLI President, who said, “For more than one hundred years, the Junior League has been a powerful training ground for women volunteer leaders who are committed to being catalysts to make their communities better, safer and healthier places to live.”The AJLI board and staff have been doing intensive scenario planning to determine what the Junior League movement of the future will look like. A first step in this process was to revise the AJLI vision statement which was created in 1995. The 1995to present vision statement is:

Through the power of our association, Junior Leagues strengthen communities by
embracing diverse perspectives, building partnerships and inspiring shared
solutions.

The proposed statement is:

The Junior League: Women around the world as catalysts for lasting community
change.

Remember that a vision statement is visionary and does not describe the way things are currently, but describes an aspiration. A vision statement should be inspiring, brief, memorable and concise. It should give a shared direction to a destination. It should provide a picture of a purpose fulfilled.

In the Junior League, we talk more about our mission, which we share with AJLI and other Junior Leagues. However, a vision sets the goal and the mission begins to define how an organization will get there. AJLI research has found that there are seventeen million prospective members who are women who share the Junior League mission, vision and values; AJLI wants the Junior League Movement to be relevant for all of these members in the future and is working to understand what that organization would belike.

AJLI would like your feedback to the proposed vision statement! Please submit your feedback by commenting to this post or by sending an email to presidentelect@jlsp.org by December 5, 2008.

Concurrently, we are also considering revising the Junior League of Saint Paul vision statement so that it is more concise and aspirational.

JLSP’s 1997 to present vision statement is:

Through voluntarism, we strengthen our community by preventing abuse of women,
children and families. The Junior League of Saint Paul's commitment to service,
training, education and leadership positively impacts our neighborhood and our
members. Valuing friendship and diversity we build a legacy of cooperation,
collaboration and change.

If you are interested in working on creating a new vision statement for JLSP, email presidentelect@jlsp.org by December 5, 2008.

JLSP President's Message

2008-11-29T12:21:00.000-08:00

Contributed by Loralee DiLorenzo, Junior League of Saint Paul President, 2008/09
Dear Members Who Matter:

As JLSP’s President-Elect and President, Christine Sand and I attended AJLI’s Fall Leadership Conference, “Create, Change,Thrive,” held in Kansas City. We joined more than 400 League leaders from four countries to share ideas, attend workshops and develop our leadership skills.

Highlights of this year’s conference included an opening reception at the Junior League of Kansas City’s “HolidayMart ’08 – great shopping for a great cause!” event; and 16 workshops with a variety of topics. Workshops ranged from “Integrated Approach to Community Impact” to“Fund Development ” and “Navigating Change.” Christine and I had the chance to attend four sessions each. Plenary sessions focused on strategic planning for the future of The Junior League Movement. The featured guest speaker was Liz Murray, the catalyst and real person behind the “From Homeless to Harvard” Lifetime story. She challenged all ofus to recognize the opportunity we each have to make a lasting contribution in another person’s life. You can read more about Liz at http://www.washingtonspeakers.com/SpeakerInfo/bios/MurrayLiz.doc.

There was emphasis throughout the conference on how Junior Leagues provide significant volunteer support as catalysts for positive and lasting changes in their communities. This mission of empowerment and leadership through community action started with Mary Harriman, the founder of the Junior League Movement,who in 1901 mobilized a group of 80 young women to improve child health, nutrition and literacy among immigrants in the Lower East Side of New York City. The Junior Leagues’ emphasis on leadership has been steadfast throughout the history of the organization.

JLSP is committed to developing the potential of women and to training our members to be effective leaders in our community. Members of the Board and the leadership team are given many opportunities to strengthen and develop skills that they will use in JLSP and on community boards, in businesses and as they serve as mentors for other League members, volunteers and co-workers.

JLSP provides a valuable resource to every member by providing formal training in non-profit leadership skills, by offering the opportunity for “on the job” training through leadership positions and in working on a community, fundraising or administrative committee, by fostering unique non-profit networking opportunities and by providing positive role models of empowerment. These opportunities are here for all of you. It is never too early to start thinking about your career path in the JLSP. You maynot be in a leadership position this year, but you should consider the benefits of becoming a leader in the next year or the year after. There are so many ways for you to grow as a person in our organization. It does take commitment, but what better place to spread your wings than in a learning environment like the JLSP.

I have learned a great deal that has fostered my ability to lead and given me skills for almost every aspect of my life. I would not be the person I am today without JLSP. My training has been unique, has helped me to make an impactand be a successful community volunteer.

Holiday Special! 50% off Junior League of Saint Paul Cookbooks

2008-11-28T11:29:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays from The Cookbook Marketplace!

We wanted to thank you for your business throughout the year with our best deal ever!
Enjoy 50% off any orders placed at our website starting this Friday, November 28th!

Simply visit us online at and enter promo code 08HolWebwhen checking out to receive 50% off your entire order! (Excludes applicable state sales taxes and shipping. Shipping rates are $7.95 for the first book, $1 for each additional book.)

Place your order by December 12, 2008 to guarantee shipping by Christmas.

Be sure to tell all your friends!!
Offer good until December 31, 2008.

Have a Delicious Day! Great Cooking Begins with Great Cookbooks!

November General Membership and Training Meeting Recap

2008-11-12T08:27:00.000-08:00

The highlight of this month's general membership meeting was Sara Waters and her presentation on early childhood literacy and helping children develop a love for reading. Sara, a long time children's librarian and storyteller in the Saint Paul Public Library System, has a passion for engaging children in their early years to help them develop a life-long love of reading. Her presentation was particularly relevant for membership as throughout the year the Library Kids program regularly hosts reading events in the community where Junior League volunteers read one-on-one with children of all ages.

To help engage children, Sara emphasized:

· Caregivers need to start reading to children early; babies, ages 0 to 3 can start to recognize patterns and rhythms
· Encourage repetitions of sounds and rhythms
· Reading one-on-one is very important
· Have fun! A positive attitude from the caregiver can show children that reading is fun!

Sara went on further to emphasize that family economics has a great impact on children’s literacy. By first grade a middle class child will have on average received 1000-1700 hours of one-on-one hours of reading, whereas a low income child will likely only have received 25 hours of reading time. This statistic is staggering and further emphasizes the need in our community for the Library Kids Program.

Further resources on children’s literacy:
Sara Water’s website: http://www.babytimefun.com/www.babytimefun.com/blog
Early literacy skills: http://www.multcolib.org/birthtosix/elitskills.html
See Sara in action: http://babytimefun.com/blog/content/video/BabyTime.mov

New Member Photo Frenzy!

2008-11-09T17:52:00.000-08:00

On a breezy fall morning on November 8th, the JSLP new members embarked on photo frenzy throughout the streets of Saint Paul. Equipped with cameras and city maps, the new members spent the afternoon bonding with other JLSPers and learning about the community we live in and support. Bundled up and posing as a group for pictures, the new members spent time putting their best faces forward and bonding with new friends. The scavenger hunt included historical landmarks as well as picturesque views of some our most favorite places to visit in Saint Paul. After regrouping and sharing photos with others, the group enjoyed hot cider, conversation and treats. This was the first annual photo frenzy for the New Member class. Next month the new member class will be celebrating the holidays with a special holiday party.

Always Superb Recipe Recommendation: Minnesota Salad - Wild Rice and Soybeans

2008-11-04T07:00:00.000-08:00

Minnesota Salad: Wild Rice and Soybeans
Always Superb: Recipes for Every Occasion – page 130
Recommended By: Loralee DiLorenzo, Junior League of Saint Paul President

I know soybeans are good for me, but eating steamed edamame just doesn’t excite me. But this salad is really tasty. And healthy. I think it’s a way to serve Minnesota food in a healthy way – a change from wild rice soup! People I serve it to like it, so I recommend it. Bring it as your contribution to Thanksgiving dinner!

Minnesota Salad: Wild Rice and Soybeans

Yield: 6-8
servings

Salad
½ cup frozen soybeans/edamame
salt to taste
1 cup uncooked wild rice
2 TBSP chopped celery
2 TBSP chopped apple
2 TBSP chopped onion
2 TBSP chopped carrots
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 cup craisins

Dressing
½ cup olive oil
1/3 cup
red wine vinegar
½ cup orange juice
2 tsp honey
1 TBSP grated orange zest
1 tsp salt

For the salad, cook the soybeans using the package directions; drain. Rinse under cold running water; drain. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Sprinkle with a small amount of salt. Add the rice. Simmer for 30 to 35 minutes or until tender; drain.
Rinse under cold running water; drain. Combine the cooked soybeans, cooked
rice celery, apple, onion, carrots, parsley and craisins in a large bowl.

For the dressing, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, orange juice, honey, orange zest and salt together in a small bowl.

Pour the dressing over the rice salad and mix well. Chill the salad, covered for 2
hours or longer. Serve cold.

For more great recipes, consider ordering the Junior League of Saint Paul cookbook, “Always Superb: Recipes for Every Occasion.” This collection of recipes is our tribute to our communities and to the many families and friends who have shared their recipes, their homes and their hearts with us. Whether you are hosting lunch at the cabin or dinner in black tie, these recipes and tips for entertaining will ensure that every meal is always superb and every memory is one to be shared.

Contact the Junior League of St. Paul to order your cookbook at cookbook@jlsp.org. Cookbook sale proceeds help support the projects and activities of the Junior League of Saint Paul.

JLSP Honors and Celebrates the Significant Contributions to Lifetrack Resources and Women's Advocates

2008-11-02T21:02:00.001-08:00

Contributed by Loralee DiLorenzo, Junior League President

I had the pleasure of representing the Junior League of Saint Paul at two celebrations in the past couple of weeks - both were for organizations to which JLSP made significant contributions in the past.

Lifetrack Resources celebrated its 60th anniversary. JLSP,along with the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, CourageCenter and the Ramsey County Department of Public Health, started Saint Paul Rehabilitation Services which is now known as Lifetrack Resources. Lifetrack works todevelop the strengths within children, families and adults facing the greatest life challenges. Annually Lifetrack Resources helps over 11,000 people change lives and create possibilities in three service areas: Early Childhood & Family Services, and Employment & Business Services and Child & Adult Therapies.

In addition to honoring JLSP as a founder, Lifetrack’s anniversary celebration copied JLSP’s 90th community celebration, with our permission - held at Wigington Pavilion in the late afternoon, similar presentation and format. I always feel imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so JLSP should be flattered! It means we had an impact and are seen as shining examples in the community.

The second event was a volunteer recognition open house at Women’s Advocates. Not to put too fine a point on it,but the fact that Women’s Advocates has volunteers to recognize is a direct result of the work of JLSP. Prior to our adoption of the shelter five years ago, there was almost no volunteer activity at WA. Because of the example JLSP set of high quality, life-affirming volunteer work, WA has a healthy volunteer program today with companies and organizations calling to find out what they can do for WA. Since this effort was within my JLSP career, I felt immensely proud of what we had done for Women’s Advocates. We have a strong reputation there.

We can be proud of our history of over ninety years of exemplary voluntarism in Saint Paul and feel confident that the work we are doing right now contributes to that tradition. I love to imagine the JLSP President in five years attending a volunteer recognition event at Saint Paul Parks and Recreation or the library crediting JLSP for the programs we are delivering today, Building Bonds through Reading and Play.

Know that the work you are doing for JLSP, whether on a project, fundraiser or administrative committee, matters!

Natasha Freimark on the JLSP

2008-10-23T09:43:00.000-07:00

Why did you join the JLSP?
I joined the JLSP first as a way to give back to my community. I was looking for an outlet where I could volunteer my time and positively impact the lives of women and children in need. I also joined to meet other women who shared the same goal and to broaden my circle of friends. I am currently in my 4th year with the JLSP.

What was your favorite placement with the JLSP?
It is really hard to pick one; I have enjoyed them all so much. I particularly enjoyed last year chairing the ASID Showcase project and really like this year’s placement on the New Member Committee. It is very fun meeting potential new members and learning why they are interested in getting involved. I also enjoy sharing the JLSP’s Mission and meeting some phenomenal women.

What are some of your best JLSP memories?
Some of my favorite memories include the work I have done with Women’s Advocates and the Saint Paul Plays! events. It is so gratifying to see the joy in the children’s faces when you sit down and engage with them. You can tell it really means a lot to them.

What are some of the knowledge and skills you have developed through your JLSP experience?
One thing that I have learned, and continue to work on, is being present in everything I do. Whether it is listening to a woman or child, reading a book, or playing a game, it is important to be present and put yourself in their place for a moment.

How has your JLSP experience helped you in other aspects of you life?
The training you receive through the League is great for all aspects of life. For example, I have carried what I have learned through JLSP meetings and trainings to my work life – running meetings, managing staff, setting goals and objectives, budgeting, etc.

What are your thoughts on the future of the League? What would you like to see the League do and accomplish in the future?
JLSP continues to get stronger every year. I would like to see the League accomplish all of its goals – membership-wise and financially – so that we can continue the good work that we have started. We need all members to continue to spread the good news about the JLSP, and think of the JLSP when they are in a position to give financially.

Why is it important to support the Junior League of Saint Paul?
JLSP has been a pioneer in the nonprofit sector of our community for over 90 years! Without JLSP, many programs would not have happened, or would have started very differently. It is important to not only support organizations like the JLSP because of the critical areas we choose to focus our energies on, but also because supporting the JLSP means empowering our female membership. And that is a very good thing.

Next-to-New Sale: A Rousing Success!

2008-10-22T19:15:00.000-07:00

The Next-to-New (N2N) Committee is once again proud to share the success of this year’s sale. As a League we work to serve the community and this sale was no different. On Saturday morning, eager N2N shoppers, holding coffee and blankets were ready to dive in. At 6:30 a.m., the line was already wrapped around the corner of Judson Avenue and Underwood Avenue. The adrenaline rush for JLSP Members started when we watched the crowd converge on the Dairy Building to grab up the bargainsas the doors opened. The community continues to be served by those who attend the sale and the proceeds of the sale will help to fund the JLSP’s work, including projects such as Saint Paul Plays! and Library Kids.

We continue to see the positive impact on the community through the individual shoppers and families we serve. During ourhalf price and bag sale we were able to help a family with several young children, one with a physical disability. The familyleft with several bags filled with clothing, bedding and a stuffed animal for each child. There are so many who are faced withbeing unable to afford the basic necessities such as coats and warm clothes for their families. Through the N2N sale, the JLSPcame to the rescue with your kind donations.

A huge thanks to all of the women of the JLSP! Each of you who participated in large and small ways helped fulfill our goal. Thetime, donations, word of mouth and support of N2N allows the League to promote building bonds between children and their parents, helps community members to live in dignity and brings joy to all who look forward to the sale year after year.

JLSP Matters at Women’s Advocates

2008-10-22T09:31:00.000-07:00

Contributed By Loralee DiLorenzo, Junior League President

The Junior League of Saint Paul adopted Women’s Advocates shelter in 2003 and nurtured it for four years. It was like a teen-age foster child that reached maturity in 2007 and we sent it out into the world. We still see it at holidays and for special events, but we helped it gain the skills it needs to thrive in the world. Therefore, it was as a foster parent that I attended a graduation ceremony at Women’s Advocates a few weeks ago and was bursting with pride! Let me drag out the brag book and boast.

I want to share some direct quotes from residents at Women’s Advocates that were shared at the volunteer recognition event. Grab your tissue box - you’ll need it.

“Everything the volunteers do is special to me. A lot of people don’t think about women in domestic violence. But these people really care.” – Maria

“Volunteer activities for the kids give me a chance to bond with my kids and connect with them. We’re in a bad situation, but the volunteers help you forget. And it gives the kids the chance to say, ‘I did this with my mom’ and make some good memories.” - Jill

“The (Junior League) pamper party was really heartfelt. I had a bad day that day, and really needed a massage. It made a whole difference in my day. It was very uplifting.” – Beth

“The birthday parties are really special for the kids. Being in the shelter, some
parents can’t provide cake and ice cream for their kids’ birthdays But they come
in here and play bingo and eat cake and the kids love it.” -Mary

“The volunteers come in and really care about the women in the shelter. They’re not
looking for brownie points and don’t expect anything back. They just care.”
– Vicky

“The Junior League is really great.” – Rachel

“The volunteers help us focus on something besides our problems. They are people who
come in and read with the kids, or play with the kids, and we really appreciate that.” - Lori

“All the volunteers are so patient and kind.” – Chantelle

“To the volunteers I’d like to say thank you, for everything you’ve done for me and my kids. You’ve made our stay more pleasant and less stressful. One smile starts a chain reaction.” - Danielle

Aren’t you proud to be a member of JLSP? We matter to Women’s Advocates!

Remember to support Women's Advocates this Holiday Saeason!

As in years past, please support us in helping the mothers at Women's Advocates provide a fun and memorable Holiday season for their children. Each year, Women’s Advocates asks for donations of Target Gift cards. They provide these gift cards directly to the mothers so they can be empowered to go to Target and buy holiday presents for their own children. This has been a very successful endeavor. Gift cards in $10 and $20 donations will be collected at the November General Membership and Training Meeting. They can also be sent to The Junior League of Saint Paul Headquarters (633 Snelling Avenue N St. Paul, MN 55104) or directly to Women's Advocates. Thank you for your continued support!

October General Membership and Training Meeting Recap

2008-10-20T19:32:00.000-07:00

At this month’s General Membership and Training meeting Judy Kishel, sustainer and former Junior League of Saint Paul President spoke about her experience and the “domino effect of saying Yes.” Some highlights of Judy’s 32 year career with the League include learning how to plan large events on the education committee, chairing the Children’s Hospital Ball committee, the many training opportunities, serving on the board for the Association of Junior Leagues International and most of all the discovering the importance of the friendships that she made over the years through the League. Judy also shared her talent for needlepoint with the presentation of the President’s pillow to former JLSP President Ginger Overbye.

At the GMTM League members were also honored for their generous financial donations to the League by Judy Kishel, Liz Boyd and Tracey Tipler, chairs of The Centennial Committee. They presented beautiful Junior League scarves to these members as a thank you for their contribution.

Lastly, Loralee DiLorenzo, current Junior League of Saint Paul President, shared hand-made cards from the children at the recreational centers in Saint Paul that had participated in the recent St. Paul Plays event. A sampling of the letters included:

• “Thank you game people”

• “Thank you guys for the games you played with me”
• "Thank you for coming to our Rec center”

Favorite Finds at the Junior League of Saint Paul Next-to-New Sale

2008-10-10T14:37:00.000-07:00

The Junior League of Saint Paul Next-to-New Sale was a great success! Yet again the sale offered some very unique buys and great values, including this year a selection of brand new bridal gowns! With so much great merchandise we’d like to know what caught your eye at the sale. Please share with us the great values you found or tell us about your favorite purchase at the sale.

Junior League of Saint Paul Partners with Ramsey County Libraries to Educate Children and Parents on the Importance of Reading

2008-10-09T16:40:00.000-07:00

Did you know that the majority of Ramsey County schools have no library at all? In the fall, a children’s librarian from Ramsey County Library visited all public and private kindergarten classes in Ramsey County in an effort to educate children about the Library. Approximately 675 new cards were distributed to kindergartners in Ramsey County last year as a result of this initiative.

On Saturday, January 24, 2009, all Junior League of Saint Paul members will have the opportunity to get involved in this initiative. The Library Kids Committee will be sponsoring a party celebrating a child’s first library card and will create an even larger interest in the public library system, and its services.

The party will be a fantastic opportunity to read with children, educate parents on the importance of reading, and generate buzz for the Junior League of Saint Paul.The party will have a theme (to be announced in upcoming months) with entertainment, games, and food. The Library Kids Committee will also be giving every child a book to take home and read with their parents.

The Library Kids Committee has been diligently working on finalizing the details, and is very excited about the JLSP’s future relationship with Ramsey County Library.

In addition, the committee has also planned three Reading Nights at Women’s Advocates for the remainder of 2008. Please login to Companio to sign up for any of these volunteer opportunities. For moreinformation about the Library Kids Program, please contact librarykids@jlsp.org.

JLSP Cookbook Goes to the Whitehouse!

2008-10-06T16:59:00.000-07:00

The Junior League of Saint Paul recently wrapped up its participation in Civic Fest at theMinneapolis Convention Center. Civic Fest was organized by the MSP 2008 HostCommittee of the 2008 Republican National Convention for the local Minneapolis-SaintPaul community to experience a non-partisan civic component of the RNC as well as adestination for visiting guests and delegates.

We were able to showcase our fabulous cookbook, Always Superb: Recipes for EveryOccasion. We also included brochures on our projects and sign-up sheets for potential newmembers.
If you didn’t get a chance to visit Civic Fest, it was amazing – all the museum exhibits, costumed folks walking around (Uncle Sam, Abe Lincoln, and Lady Liberty) and the food and novelty gift booths were fascinating. Many of us met a lot of chatty delegates from other states - and folks who "just had to have another Junior League cookbook" to add to their collection.

It was only fitting that during our JLSP President’s shift (Loralee DiLorenzo), the First Lady arrived to tour the Marketplace. Loralee proudly gave Laura Bush one of our cookbooks. Loralee was also photographed with delegates from the Junior League of Wichita, who wanted to feature Loralee in an article for their monthly newsletter. My personal highlight was the couple from Hawaii who bought an entire case, then whisked it over to the UPS counter to ship back to Honolulu as gifts for friends and neighbors. I imagine the islanders paging through our cookbook, with its ice table on the cover, while Pacific breezes blow by.

A big thank you goes out to members who willingly volunteered their time forthis endeavor. You are rock stars!

September General Membership & Training Meeting Recap

2008-09-16T07:29:00.001-07:00

Leadership Updates and League Members Honored with the Presidential Volunteer Service Award
The season of General Membership and Training Meetings is back again for the 2008-09 League year and the leadership committee got the year off to a great start by introducing their councils and sharing their plans for the upcoming year. Some highlights include:

• The membership council will be conducting a League-wide membership survey to identify how to continue to ensure that every member matters and developing a mentor program for first year actives.
• The development council is focusing this year on finding a new fundraiser for JLSP and reminded League members to use igive.com when making online purchases
• The communications council updated the League on tools that are available to facilitate League communications. Please see the JLSP October Journal for details.
• Saint Paul Plays is kicking off the year with play events at St. Paul Recreation Centers starting in October. See Companio for details and volunteer opportunities.
• Library Kids started a new relationship with Ramsey County Libraries.

Junior League Members who went above and beyond and volunteered more than 100+ hours in the 2007-08 League year were honored at the GMTM with the Presidential Volunteer Service Award. Members who are celebrating their five and ten year anniversaries with the Junior League were also honored. The Junior League of Saint Paul is lucky to have such dedicated and talented members. Thank you to all recipients for all of your continued support for the League!

Volunteer Service Award - Gold (500+ hours)
Loralee DiLorenzo, Peggy Hansen, Dianna Peterson

Volunteer Service Award - Silver (250-499 hours)
Ann Blatzheim, Carrie Lindgren, Danah Phillips, Mellissa Solin, Jenny Sullivan

Volunteer Service Award - Bronze (100-249 hours)
Caldwell Camero, Kelli Commers, Ann Jones, Jannae Lowe, Cindy Retterer, Jennifer Sampson, Sara Schmid

Celebrating 10 years with the Junior League
Sandra Lee Burke, Jill Droubie

Celebrating 5 yeas with the Junior League
Kelli Commers, Catherine Guinan, Ann Jones, Carrie Lindgren, Jannae Lowe, Dianna Peterson, Amanda Russler, Alyson Turnquist

Superb Recipe Recommendations from JLSP: Share your recipes and purchase a copy of the Junior League of Saint Paul cookbook

2008-09-07T21:02:00.000-07:00

Halibut(Salmon) Steaks with Mango Salsa
Always Supurb: Recipes for Every Occasion – page 199
Recommended By: Tricia Knigge, Junior League of Saint Paul Member

This dish made for a fabulous dinner this past summer. I served it for some friends of mine and it made for the perfect light dish. Instead of serving it with Halibut I substituted salmon. I LOVED the mango salsa! It’s sweet and fresh tasting- pair it with the salmon or serve as an appetizer with lightly salted blue corn chips. You just can’t go wrong!

Salsa
1 garlic clove, minced
1 mango, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
½ cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
Juice of ½ lime
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Pinch of sugar

Halibut
1 ½ pounds of halibut fillets
¼ cup virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons dill
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

For the salsa, combine the garlic, mango, tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice, sea salt and sugar in a bowl and mix well. Chill, covered, for 2 hours or longer.

For the Halibut, place the halibut skin side down on a piece of foil large enough to enclose the halibut. Drizzle the olive oil over the halibut. Sprinkle with the dill, salt and pepper. Fold the foil over the halibut to enclose. Poke small holes in the bottom of the foil.

Place the halibut on a grill rack. Grill over hot coals for 15 minutes or until the halibut flakes easily. Serve with the salsa.

For more great recipes, consider ordering the Junior League of Saint Paul cookbook, “Always Supurb: Recipes for Every Occasion.” This collection of recipes is our tribute to our communities and to the many families and friends who have shared their recipes, their homes and their hearts with us. Whether you are hosting lunch at the cabin or dinner in black tie, these recipes and tips for entertaining will ensure that every meal is always superb and every memory is one to be shared.

Contact the Junior League of St. Paul to order your cookbook at cookbook@jlsp.org. The cookbook will also be on sale at the member price of $9 at the Junior League of Saint Paul Next-to-New Sale Saturday September 27th at the Minnesota State Fair Grounds Dairy Building. Cookbook sale proceeds help support the projects and activities of the Junior League of Saint Paul.

Already have a copy of our cookbook? Let us know what recipes you’ve tested and what you recommend by commenting on our blog and be sure to follow our blog for more recipe recommendations!

Happy Cooking!