Message from the President
It is an honor to serve the community as the President of
the Junior League of Buffalo this year.
I continue to be inspired by the many ways our members have improved –
and continue to improve – our community.
In fulfilling our mission of improving the community, developing women’s
leadership skills, and promoting volunteerism, The Junior League of Buffalo has
been a force for positive change for over 90 years. We are part of an international organization
– AJLI – which boasts nearly 300 Leagues in four countries, with over 160,000
members. Please check out their website
at www.ajli.org, and find out even more.
The League has hundreds of members involved in impacting our
community in hundreds of ways. We are a
network of women who are passionate about volunteering, and recognize the
importance of civic leadership. The relationships that members develop with
each other, and community members, in our work, are a joy to all of us.
This year, the League completes a two-year research cycle on
community issues, and will select one or more to work on and improve. This eye-opening and fascinating process has
energized our Program Development Committee and our membership. Over the last year, we have had many
community leaders present to our membership on issues such as health, cultural
tourism, education, and poverty. Look
for news on this in spring, when our members will select an issue to address
and improve. In the interim, we continue
to volunteer in dozens of areas in our Do It In A Day campaign, which places
our members in outside organizations to help with special events.
Also on tap this year, we plan to operate our largest, and
most visible project, The Junior League of Buffalo/Buffalo News Decorators’
Show House. The League has awarded over
$3 million in grants to fund “brick and mortar” projects around town. The projects we’ve funded are varied – Haven
House, Tifft Nature Preserve, Gerard Place, The Darwin Martin House, Hospice,
the Zoo, EPIC, and the Science Museum, to name a few. The common thread in these projects is impact
– our membership has voted to fund the project we think has the most potential
for community impact.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the vital role our
members, and other community groups, have in making our Show House project such
a success. Thank you to all who have
volunteered for and led this project over the last decades – we couldn’t do it
without you! Also thanks to our many
sponsors and decorators, without whom the project wouldn’t be possible. Our partner in this endeavor, The Buffalo
News, has been a staunch ally in promoting and operating the Show House, as
well. This is truly a community effort –
and a lot of fun, too!
We will be recruiting new members this summer and early
fall. If you are a woman over age 18 who
believes in volunteerism as a positive force in our community, please contact
us!
Sincerely,
Beth Montague