First General Meeting

Thank you to all of thoses who attended our first General Meeting of the 2008/2009 JLCD year. I certainly appreciated hearing from Ashley Rhodes-Courter, our guest speaker. Hearing and reading about her experiences, confirms to me that the JLCD has chosen a very important focus and critical project in our environment. ANGELS FOR FOSTER FAMILIES is needed more than ever, and I know we can make a difference to the system and to the affected families and children. Please stay strong, because this project will require our strength and dedication. Most significant change does not happen overnight. If you haven't purchased Ashley's book, there will be more copies available at the October General Meeting. I urge each of you to give as much time as you can for this important project!

Skating Party at Countryside Mall

Yesterday about a dozen volunteers from JLCD together with volunteers from the YMCA and Eckerd Youth Alternatives coordinated a skating party for 78 children in the foster system in Pinellas and Pasco counties. JLCD volunteers helped the kids put on their skates, skated with the kids, and provided a pizza party for the participants. This JLCD annual event is certainly a highlight to many of these children. Thank you to all who participated. I know your time and efforts put a smiles on the faces of all the children there.

New Provisionals

Please join me in welcoming our new provisionals. Their photos are posted on our website, and I counted 22! A big thanks to those of you who asked a family member, friend or acquaintance!

At the first general meeting, Actives will have the opportunity to serve as a "Buddy" to a provisional or first year active. Actives will be asked to show our new members how our organization functions and introduce her to other members....I know it will be an easy way to meet and get to know our new members.

I hope you will "step up" and serve as a Buddy to one or even two new members!

SPAC --What is it anyways?

I often receive many questions regarding the JLCD SPAC committee sich as "What the heck do they do?" and "Why do we have one?"

SPAC is an acronym for State Public Affairs Committee, and JLCD participates in the State of Florida SPAC. "The Junior Leagues of Florida State Public Affairs Committee is the advocacy arm of the Junior Leagues of Florida for over 30 years, monitoring the state legislative process and addressing issues of political importance to the members.

The Junior Leagues of Florida have weighed in on various topics, including bicycle helmets for children under 16, the Environmental Growth Management Act of 1995, the '911' Emergency Medical System, child abuse, domestic violence, juvenile justice, and education.

The State of Florida boasts 24 Junior Leagues, with combined membership of over 15,000 women. Each Florida Junior League that chooses to participate in the advocacy process sends delegates to state meetings and conferences throughout the year to research and debate the issues of the day."

Our SPAC committee members give JLCD input and help design the legislative platform for the State SPAC. Members of SPAC attend and participate in state-wide SPAC meetings and represent JLCD in Tallahassee. Our current representatives are Karen Gaumer and Colleen Flynn. Karen is pictured here at a State Task Force meeting.

You can find more information and view the State SPAC's annual report at the State of Florida SPAC Website.

Art Harvest Commitments

Yes, it is August and Art Harvest is less than 3 months away!

Last night, Bruce and I had the pleasure of loading artist slides into the carousels for the artist selection process this weekend. Artists for AH are selected by professional jurors, not by Junior League members. There to help last night, were Michelle Anger, Jennifer Sullivan, Stacey Shy, Meg Lokey, Sarah Pickett, Gwin Londgrigan, Jill Holcombe and Joanna Rosse. Jill and Joanna came to help to fulfill their requirements, as both of them are heading to NYC for the Marathon!!!!

If you know you are not going to be here for Art Harvest (so you can't work your shift), please contact the committee before AH so they can find you fulfill your shift prior to Art Harvest. Please remember that this is currently our largest fundraiser, so we really do need "all hands on deck".

Pick up your Book Now!

"Three Little Words" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter have arrived. Ashley will be our guest speaker at the first General Meeting on September 8, 2008 at Mease Dunedin Hospital.

Copies are available prior to the General Meeting at HQ next week on Monday and Thursday and then the next few weeks on Monday through Thursday from Becky between 9am-12:00pm for $10.

Please take time to read this before our meeting! I am sure you see a different perspective, and will have lots of questions!

Here is Ashley's brief bio and her website is http://www.rhodes-courter.com/.

Ashley Rhodes-Courter was born in North Carolina in 1985 and entered foster care in 1989. Over the next 9 years, she lived in 14 placements before being adopted at age 12 by Phil and Gay Courter of Crystal River, Florida.

Ashley graduated with honors from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. She was the recipient of Eckerd's Trustee's Scholarship, their most prestigious full-tuition award. She has won several other national and local scholarships. She completed a double major in communications and drama with a double minor in political science and psychology. She spent her January term, 2006 in South Africa working with a children's literacy project.

In the community, she has a job in marketing, and works with the Heart Gallery of Pasco & Pinellas and also does on-camera work. Ashley was the 2004 Youth Advocate of the Year for the North American Council on Adoptable Children and won the Child Welfare League of America "Kids to Kids" National Service Grand Prize. In 2004, she and her family jointly won the Angels in Adoption from the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute and was nominated by Congresswoman, Ginny Brown-Waite.

On June 1, 2003, the New York Times Magazine published her grand prize winning essay, "Three Little Words". She expanded her essay into a memoir (also called "Three Little Words") which was published by Simon & Schuster.

In 2007, she was one of 20 college students selected for the USA Today All-USA Academic Team. She also was one of the four GOLDEN BR!CK Award winners for outstanding advocacy by Do Something, and was named one of GLAMOUR Magazine's Top Ten College Women.

Ashley has been featured on Montel Williams, Good Morning America, $.99 Cool Ranch Doritos bags, and other national and local television shows. She is currently maintaining a full calendar of speeches and workshops all across the country. She has a passion to tell her story and share hope with other foster children and encourage adoption and permanency.

Salad Supper Success

Kelly Borota, Membership VP, hosted our third and last salad supper to recruit new members to JLCD. The attendance was great last night, and several Sustainers (Pauline Deal, Sara Simmons, Stephany Dawson and Katie Cole) attended and brought prospective members along.

Even though Salad Suppers are now over, it is still not too late to ask someone to join our organization.

The provisional orientation will be August 25 at 6:30pm at Countryside Mease Hospital.

If you know someone that may be interested, please contact
Joanna Rosse or Abby Favali.

Thanks again to Kelly, Lisa and Stefanie for hosting the salad suppers and to the rest of the Membership Development Committee for their hard work!