Junior League of Santa Barbara

So the pageant is over, but my passion for shortening the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) waitlist (which is currently over 100,000 children long!) is not. With pageant prep no longer consuming my every thought, I had a lot more free time to focus on other priorities; BBBS was at the top of my list. A few months prior the pageant I met a lovely lady who was involved in the Junior League (JL) who shared with me the wonderful things that the JL does for our community. I learned that each year their new member class, which I eventually became a member of, took on a year-long project that benefited the community; I crossed my fingers (and toes!) and hoped that the new member class would choose BBBS for our new member project. I am proud to report that we did in fact select Big Brothers Big Sisters (ran by Family Service Agency in Santa Barbara) and will spend the next year revitalizing part of their office and spreading awareness for the need for mentors in our county. The Santa Barbara county waitlist is 100 children long; That’s 100 children, 70 which are boys, who are not getting the positive adult influence that they desperately need and deserve!

I was honed to be selected as co-chair for the project and proud to be among this year’s 77 new Junior League of Santa Barbara members!

Below is an article about our project:

http://www.noozhawk.com/noozhawk/print/junior_league_of_santa_barbara_welcomes_2013-14_new_member_class_20131031

The Junior League of Santa Barbara’s 2013-14 New Member Class. (Junior League of Santa Barbara photo)

The Junior League of Santa Barbara is pleased to welcome 77 women into its 2013-14 New Member Class, the largest incoming class since its inception in 1924.

"We're thrilled to welcome an amazing group of women to the league this year," JLSB President Angela Bolea said. "These women come from varied backgrounds but are all committed to improving the Santa Barbara community. We're looking forward to a great year.”

Throughout the next several months, this group of new members will participate in leadership trainings to introduce them to the mission, projects and services JLSB provides to the community. They will also be working on their New Member Project, a project selected by the New Member Class that will give the most benefit to an organization in Santa Barbara that shares JLSB’s vision of improving the lives of youth and their families. This year, the new members voted to assist the Family Service Agency/Big Brothers Big Sisters of Santa Barbara.

“On behalf of the Family Service Agency, I would like to thank the Junior League of Santa Barbara's New Member Class of 2013 for choosing FSA as their youth literacy project,” said Christina Pizarro, FSA board member. “Revitalizing FSA's reception area and family therapy room will not only improve the aesthetics of the room but will help create a nurturing and child friendly environment that will brighten and enlighten the lives of so many local children we serve.”

FSA promotes literacy by providing at-risk children with early intervention strategies designed to maximize impact at their earliest stage of development. Research has shown that children who are nurtured and supported in their first years are more likely to thrive at school and succeed in the workplace.

The Junior League of Santa Barbara is thrilled to welcome this accomplished, dynamic and diverse group of new members to its organization, and we are excited to see what they will bring to the community this year.

For more information, call 805.963.2704, click here or follow the league on Facebook and Twitter @JuniorLeague_SB.

— Leslie Gallant represents the Communications Committee for the Junior League of Santa Barbara.

http://www.noozhawk.com/noozhawk/article/junior_league_of_santa_barbara_welcomes_2013-14_new_member_class_20131031