It’s not every day that more than 35 North Texas nonprofits get grants and the chance to showcase their programs and offer volunteer opportunities. On Saturday, February 16, the Junior League of Dallas along with presenting sponsor Bank of Texas not did just that, but they held the day-long event at NorthPark Center!
From the grant presentation in Neiman Marcus NorthPark’s (Malcolm) Reuben Room with WFAA’s Kara Sewell emceeing to the Junior League of Dallas Community Volunteer Fair sponsored by Children’s Health throughout NP Center, it was a sweetheart of a day for area nonprofits thanks to the JLD. For more info, here’s a report from the field:
The Junior League of Dallas and presenting sponsor, Bank of Texas, held its 2019 Community Grant Presentation in the Reuben Room at Neiman Marcus in NorthPark Center the morning of Saturday, February 16, 2019. Bank of Texas Dallas Senior Vice President and Corporate Banking Manager Mandy Austin and WFAA News 8 Daybreak Co-Anchor Kara Sewell, who served as emcee, joined Junior League members and agency representatives for this annual event.
The Junior League of Dallas awarded grants to 39 distinguished non-profit agencies supported by its 2019-2020 Community Program. Representatives from each of the partner agencies were in attendance to receive the grants.
The Junior League of Dallas undertakes a thorough process vetting and determining grant recipients. The Research and Development team is made up of R&D Chair Elizabeth Brush and Community VP Staci Thetford. These women, along with more than 50 additional JLD members, put in countless hours and thoughtful deliberation throughout the process. The grants cover six “Issue Areas” including: Arts & Cultural Enrichment, Education, Family Preservation, Health, Poverty Intervention and Violence Intervention.
Junior League of Dallas President Alicia Hall perfectly captured how the Junior League hopes to impact the Dallas community — “A Dallas where every child, not just mine and yours, receives a quality education. A Dallas where every family, not just those in a few zip codes, has access to the world-class healthcare and cultural institutions in this city. A Dallas where every woman, not just me and you, lives without the fear of providing the next meal for her children or the fear of violence in her own home.”
The Junior League of Dallas is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Their commitment to this mission and to the Dallas community is particularly evident as they announced the 2019-2020 Community Program, which includes financial funding, as well as trained Junior League volunteer support. The Community Program represents more than $770,000 in funding and 1,046 volunteer placements.
The League will also provide additional funds and volunteers to the community through its Signature Projects: Grants for Innovative Teaching, Women LEAD, Kids in the Kitchen, the Community Assistance Fund and Provisional Projects.
In total, the JLD will give nearly $1 million and 130,000 uncompensated volunteer hours to the Dallas community in 2019-2020.
Following the Community Grant Presentation, the Junior League of Dallas Community Volunteer Fair sponsored by Children’s Health featured 39 agencies on the first floor of NorthPark Center with booths and activities.
Shoppers and attendees had the opportunity to learn more about the agencies and how to volunteer and support each non-profit’s efforts within our community. Younger attendees were able to enjoy activities hosted by Kids in the Kitchen including children’s yoga, martial arts and face painting. Kids in the Kitchen is a Signature Project of the JLD, encouraging youth to learn the groundwork of healthy meals and educating them and their parents regarding the importance of a well-balanced diet and healthy lifestyle choices.
2019 Grant recipients included: Booker T. Washington HSPVA, Dallas Arboretum, Dallas Heritage Village, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Zoological Society, George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas, Friends of the Dallas Public Library, Notre Dame School, Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Texas Discovery Gardens, The Rise School, Trinity River Mission, Baylor Twice Blessed House, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas, Juliet Fowler Communities, Promise House, Rays of Light, Ronald McDonald House of Dallas, St. Philip’s School and Community Center, Cancer Support Community North Texas, Children’s Medical Center Foundation, Equest, Methodist Health System Foundation, Parkland Foundation, The Senior Source, Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity, Interfaith Family Services, Literacy Achieves, Nexus Recovery Center, North Dallas Shared Ministries, North Texas Food Bank, Community Partners of Dallas, Dallas CASA, Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center, Genesis Women’s Shelter, Our Friends Place and The Family Place.
* Photo credit: Tamytha Cameron