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Photos courtesy of Junior League of Birmingham.
Volunteers with the The Junior League of Birmingham participate in the BackPack Buddies program, which helps provide food over the weekend for children in the free lunch program at school during the week.
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Photos courtesy of Junior League of Birmingham.
A group of volunteers take part in a project sponsored by Junior League of Birmingham at Cornerstone School.
In choosing its community projects and partnerships, the Junior League of Birmingham follows a rigorous selection process.
The JLB community research committee thoroughly evaluates each potential partner in search of opportunities to serve the most important needs of the community.
“We’re extremely intentional about each of our placements and seek to make the greatest and most valuable impact on the Birmingham community possible,” Laura Bartlett, JLB community vice president, said in a news release.
The JLB has 29 community projects, including both Birmingham-based organizations and League-run projects.
Agencies that partner with the JLB receive both JLB funding and volunteers.
In late April, the JLB announced that it had finalized its community partnerships for the League year from June 2021 to June 2022.
New placements include Founder’s Place at Saint Luke’s and Birmingham Talks, along with 27 other existing partners.
Birmingham Talks is a free citywide program that works with babies from birth to 3 years old to help build lifetime literacy.
Founders Place at Saint Luke’s is a respite ministry for adults with memory loss at Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church, located at 3736 Montrose Road.
The community projects of the JLB reflect four important impact areas:
► Education and culture, which includes initiatives that promote literacy, success in school and school readiness.
► Economic security and financial stability, which supports initiatives that help to build personal finance skills and workforce development.
► Health and wellness, which includes mental and physical healthcare education, access and delivery.
► Safety and crisis, which deals with domestic violence, juvenile crime and emergency and disaster relief.
Birmingham Talks is part of education and culture, and Founders Place at Saint Luke’s falls in the health and wellness category.
“In our partnership with the Junior League of Birmingham, Founders Place looks forward to having new members of the community with whom to laugh, have fellowship and form connections,” said Susana Whitsett, director of Founders Place.
The JLB’s Education & Culture impact area supports initiatives that promote literacy, success in school and school readiness.
“At the Junior League of Birmingham, our mission is building partnerships for a better Birmingham, and we demonstrate that through each and every one of our placements in the community,” JLB President Toni Leeth said. “Our heart as an organization is to touch and impact every aspect of the Birmingham community possible.”
The JLB dedicates a lot of time, money and volunteers to its community partners, but its outreach doesn’t end there.
The organization and its Corps of Volunteers serve in a multitude of capacities, including events like the Chili Cook Off at The Exceptional Foundation and the ZooGala at the Birmingham Zoo.
About 2,200 trained volunteers from the JLB collectively donate more than 55,000 hours of direct community service in Birmingham annually
“During 2020, the league members staffed the Tarrant Mobile Pantry every third Saturday of each month, serving 200 households each month,” said Nicole Williams, director of development at Community Food Bank of Central Alabama..“In addition, they also provide funding for diapers that are distributed through our 260 agencies.”
The JLB’s full list of community partners for 2021-22 includes:
Education and Culture
► Birmingham Talks (LENA Start—Parent Education Groups)
► McWane Science Center (Kitchen Service Community Program)
► The Literacy Council of Central Alabama (Teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages)
► Youth Leadership Forum (YLF Logistics Committee)
► YouthServe (Community Service Project Coordinators Program)
Economic Security and Financial Stability
► Foundry Ministries (Hope Inspired Ministries)
► Impact Alabama (SaveFirst, A High-Quality Tax Preparation Initiative)
Health AND Wellness
► Children’s of Alabama (Family Fun Times)
► Collat Jewish Family Services (Senior Grocery Delivery Initiative)
► Community Food Bank of Central Alabama (Mobile Food Pantry)
► Crisis Center (Senior Talk Line)
► Founders Place at St. Luke’s (Founders Place)
► Junior League of Birmingham (Diaper Bank)
► Junior League of Birmingham (Essentials Pantry)
► Junior League of Birmingham (Project Fit Kids)
► Junior League of Birmingham (Second Servings)
► Magic Moments (Magic Moments Fulfillment)
► Meals on Wheels of Central Alabama (Strengthening Meals on Wheels of Central Alabama)
► Mothers’ Milk Bank of Central Alabama (Nourish Alabama Babies)
► NorthStar Soccer Club (U6 Program)
► The Exceptional Foundation (Enrichment Activities)
► UAB Visual and Performing Arts (Institute for Art in Medicine)
► Vineyard Family Services (Backpack Buddies)
Safety and Crisis
► Children’s Policy Cooperative of Jefferson County (Family Reunification Program)
► Crisis Center (Rape Response Advocacy)
► Junior League of Birmingham (Anti-Human Trafficking Program)
► Junior League of Birmingham (Corps of Volunteers)
► YWCA of Central Alabama (Children in Crisis)
The JLB provided Community Impact Awards of $1,000 to Forge Survivorship (Forging Together), Greater Birmingham Friends of AMBUCS (Children’s AMTryke Bike Delivery & Community Bike Rides), JBS Mental Health Authority (Southside’s Stepping Stone Recovery Garden), East Lake Initiative (Thrive Together Jefferson County) and I3 Academy (i3 Academy Community Resource Center).
To learn more about the iJLB and its community projects, go to jlbonline.com/community.
