March 2024 Recap

March has been a great month with our members busy making a difference in our community and building connections. This month was full of enlightening, fun, and informative neighborhood meetings, where our members had the opportunity to voice their input and opinions on the Junior League of Seattle's activities. Topics from these meetings include an overview of member points requirements, JLS Headquarters Task Force updates, available leadership positions, and upcoming League events.

Thanks to our Community Wing, we had over 20 service shifts available this month. Our members have had the chance to engage with our community partners, Mary's Place, YouthCare, Seattle Children's Hospital, MOHAI, NW Harvest SODO Community Market, Bloodworks Northwest, Ronald McDonald House, and Kidvantage. We are deeply grateful for the work being done in our community! 

From trivia downtown to multiple museum tours, we have loved seeing our members gather face-to-face and reconnect! This month kicked off our Spring Walk Series, where JLS members enjoyed the spring blooms and the iconic Seattle cherry blossoms. As an organization of over 1,200 members, we are committed to creating inclusive environments for diverse individuals, organizations, and communities to interact. We love providing opportunities for engagement on a more significant, city-wide level and personal scale. 

Looking forward to upcoming JLS events, we have the long-standing favorite Women with Impact on Thursday, April 25, the ever-exciting Touch-A-Truck on Saturday, May 11, our annual May Celebration on Tuesday, May 21, and the always popular Sustainer Cocktail party on Wednesday, July 17. We can't wait to see everyone at these special events.

February 2024 Recap

It's been an amazing February for the Junior League of Seattle. We started the month with a celebration of our Centennial exhibition at the Museum of History and Industry, which was a huge success! It was a fantastic evening, exceeding our expectations and reminding our members of the historical impact not always seen but often felt in a community due to the work of any Junior League. We got to learn more about our league's history and showcase our unique arts education program, the Northwest Art Project.

As our official training month, our Training Team has scheduled and coordinated over ten training sessions this month. It's been a great opportunity for our members to develop their skills and connect with each other. Our Done in a Day team has also been hard at work, serving our community through various community service shifts. We're proud of the dedication and hard work our members contribute to serving the local Seattle area.

As we look forward to March, which is our Northwest Art Impact Month, we're excited to begin our season of new member recruitment, neighborhood meetings, and the ever-popular Women at the Capitol Day. Spring and the Junior League of Seattle have sprung into action! We can't wait to hit the ground running and continue making a difference in our community.

December 2023 Recap

Wow, what a month it has been for the Junior League of Seattle! December was jam-packed with thrilling events and activities that kept everyone on their toes.

First, the Northwest Art Committee hosted its annual holiday party at the Woodside Braseth Gallery, and it was an absolute blast. The artworks on view were stunning (all pieces by artists in the Northwest Art Collection!), and the company was delightful. It was a perfect way to kick off the holiday season.

But the excitement didn't stop there. The Junior League of Seattle also celebrated its Centennial December General Membership Meeting at Nordstrom, where they made some big announcements about the upcoming EVPE & PEN for the 2024-2025 League year. Everyone was buzzing with anticipation and excitement about what was to come with new leadership. This occasion was also made all the more special with the opportunity to have our photo taken by Clay Eals, which will be featured in his Now & Then column for the Seattle Times.

And let's not forget about the successful fundraising efforts this month. The League raised funds through Minted, Double Good Popcorn, and Alpine Farm Wreaths. This shows just how passionate and dedicated the members are about their cause.

Last but not least, the Junior League of Seattle's commitment to community service was evident in the seven community service shifts that our members participated in. It's truly inspiring to see how much our members care about making a positive impact on our community.

Overall, it's safe to say that December was a month to remember for the Junior League of Seattle, and we can't wait to see what we have in store for us in the future.

Done in a Day Spotlight

During this season of service, our Done in a Day committee (DIAD) has been hard at work coordinating, planning, and managing diverse community service projects and activities. We are very proud of our members' work thus far this month with our community partners— Food Lifeline, LifeLong, and Mary’s Place. After the holiday, Done in a Day has scheduled service opportunities for the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank, managing craft tables, and for the Forgotten Children’s Fund wrapping gifts. We are so proud of the important service that our members and our community partners are doing for the Seattle area.

““From our first meeting, it was clear our Done in a Day committee would do amazing work this year. We have a team of incredible women who are excited about volunteerism. We’ve been working hard to set up diverse shifts for JLS, and we’re on a roll! Our goal is to encourage members to do more than the minimum requirement and keep coming back for more volunteer shifts. Join us!”

”

— -Done in a Day Chair, Leah Pezzeti

We are so proud of the role the Done in a Day committee plays in our League. DIAD is a great place to get to know many different community partners and projects. By empowering our members to get involved with group service opportunities, our members grow the confidence to go out and continue their volunteer journey by serving on boards and even starting their own nonprofits. DIAD is truly the heart of the League!

Centennial Gala Recap

The Seattle Classic Centennial Gala was a smashing success! Thanks to the generous support of our members, family, friends, donors, and sponsors, we were able to raise $263,000 and counting!

The funds raised this year will help us to fulfill our mission of training the next generation of women civic leaders in the Seattle community as well as our Northwest Art Project, called “the best art education program in our region,” by the Museum of History and Industry.

With sincerest gratitude,

Anisa Ishida and Rebecca Wilson, Centennial Gala Co-Chairs

Jennifer Siems, 2023-2024 President

2023-2024 Junior League of Seattle Board of Directors

Thank you to our generous sponsors!

Diamond: Immortal Perfumes

Gold: Key to the World Travel, Koh Gen Do, Two Mountain Winery, AE Events & Design, Amy & Andrew Farrier, Dogtopia Bellevue, Fortuity Cellars

Bronze: Andrea Mann of Windermere Real Estate, Armoire, Ashley Baerwaldt of RBC Wealth Management

In Kind: Best Day Brewing, Doctor Rogers, Fonte Coffee Roaster, Kendra Scott, Nordstrom, Skin Spirit, J. Rankin Jewelers, Tito’s Handmade Vodka

Thank you for celebrating with us! View our photobooth gallery here. The 360 videos are also available.

November 2023 Recap

Sustainer Night at Seattle Rep for Little Women

November started off with a blast as hundreds of Junior League of Seattle members celebrated a century of serving our community with our Seattle Classic gala at the Fairmont Hotel. Our first formal affair since before the pandemic raised an incredible $263,000 to fund our next one hundred years of volunteerism. Guests dined, danced and even played the night away, and what a time was had by all. Special thanks to our Gala co-chairs Anisa Ishida and Rebecca Wilson and their committee for an unforgettable evening. What a perfect way to kick off our second century and debut our Northwest Art emphasis. 

But November wasn’t all fun and games! Members rolled up their sleeves and had a number of productive Done-In-A-Day shifts judging at the DECA Fall Leadership Conference, sorting and packing nutritious food with Food Lifeline, preparing medically tailored meals and groceries for LifeLong, and making Thanksgiving turkeys with Mary’s Place for a fun arts and crafts project. 

Our collaborative Trainings this month spanned a fireside chat about inclusion with Gia Parr and Leslie Fisher; Strategic Planning with a DEIB Lens with Shalini Suryanarayana; and Seasonal Shifts and Self-Care with Recipes for Holiday Happiness, led by Dr. Danielle Maack. 

Our Community Partners Training was a follow-up from this year's Skills Month, where our Community Wing Manager, Kristen Leenerman, walked us through our Community Partners and how we can work together this League year.

We had so much fun at our Member Connections event cheering on the Seahawks at the Queen Anne Beerhall, and practiced our French pronunciation over brunch at Le Coin in Fremont.

League members again turned their eyes toward our future at this month’s Unit Meetings, where we had discussions about potential changes to our org chart and determining how our members want to impact the community. 

This year has more fun in store with our first in-person General Meeting at the downtown Nordstrom since 2019, plus a trip to see the beautiful holiday lights at the Bellevue Botanical Garden and a service shirt gift-wrapping for the Forgotten Children’s Fund. 

However you’re spending these last few weeks of the year, we wish you happiness and health. We are so grateful to everyone for their hard work and enthusiasm. Happy Thanksgiving! 

October 2023 Recap

The final month leading up to JLS’ Centennial celebration was eventful, to say the least! From gala-planning to trainings and fun gatherings, October was memorable in many ways. Here are some of our favorite highlights:

• On October 14th, we gathered for Oktoberfest at Reuben's Brews.

• Armoire, a generous Centennial event sponsor, hosted JLS for a styling party where we tried on dresses for the Gala.

• We welcomed speakers from Cascadia Art Museum and ArtsFund at our Community Impact Meetings.

• Members connected at Halloween Happy Hour at Black Lagoon and at a festive pumpkin carving get-together.

• We kicked off the first Training Collaborative sessions where we collaborated with Junior Leagues across the country.

• Julie Wise, King County Director of Elections, joined us for our Annual Bubbles and Ballots where she educated members about about the election process.

The next time we post, the Junior League of Seattle will officially be 100 years old. We can’t wait to share pictures and highlights from the Gala and launch into the next century with all of our incredible members, donors, community partners and friends.

Centennial Spotlight: Gala Committee

In celebration of our Centennial Gala, we had the pleasure of speaking with three influential women with pivotal roles in orchestrating the milestone event. Below, Sarah Bruemmer, Amy Gorton, and Caitlin Echelbarger share their experiences as members of the Gala Committee.

Why Join the Centennial Gala Committee?

For Sarah, the call to be a part of the Centennial Gala Committee was enticing. She is deeply passionate about the Junior League's century-long commitment to supporting, honoring, and training women. She shares, "I couldn’t resist the opportunity to celebrate all the Junior League is, has been, and continues to be.  One hundred years of supporting, honoring, and training women.  A century of helping the greater Seattle community. I can’t think of a better thing to celebrate!"

Amy, an event planner, jumped at the opportunity to use her expertise for a meaningful cause. She says, "I’ll never turn down the chance to plan or help plan an event. It’s my favorite thing in the whole world. And the chance to celebrate JLS? I’m in love with what the Junior League stands for, everything our chapter has done, and I am inspired about what we’ll do next. Rebecca Wilson and I have worked together professionally before. Once I heard she was co-chairing the committee, I knew I wanted to be a part of the process. And last, although I’m an event planner, I’ve never planned an auction or gala. Being on the Centennial Gala Committee has given me a small window into what goes into these types of events. I only wish I had joined the committee earlier and/or been able to play a larger part."

We asked Caitlin to explain her motivation for being part of the committee, and her response was a delight: “A martini. KIDDING! I have had so many wonderful experiences with the League and credit it with giving me much of my confidence as I moved from a 20something into my 30s and now early 40s. I wanted to help celebrate the JLS and all its accomplishments but also make sure it is strongly launched into the next 100 years.”

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

When asked about the role of collaboration and teamwork in the planning and execution of the gala, both Sarah and Amy highlighted the "choose your own adventure" structure of the Centennial Committee. This unique approach allowed members to select areas of interest and leverage their individual strengths.

Amy notes, “You can assist with what interests you, what you have time for, and/or what your skill set thrives on. I believe this has led the committee to be not only fun, but also strong. Committee members are here because they want to be, and the Centennial Gala is going to be amazing because of it.”

Sarah enjoyed the process, saying, "I loved Anisa and Rebecca’s approach. They did a lot of preplanning that allowed us to choose the areas we were most interested in and let our teams run with it."

Caitlin adds, “Collaboration and teamwork are integral to the league. On the procurement workstream, we're able to brainstorm ideas about amazing items and who in our networks to reach out to. Without teamwork, there would be no items, and quite frankly, I would be beyond stressed out. Sharing the load of the work helps make for a successful event rather than silo in one individual.”

A Legacy for the Future

The Junior League of Seattle's century-long journey marks a legacy of impact, change, and hope. For Amy, JLS represents one thing in particular: “Hope. In a world where women still have to fight for so much, to me, JLS is a safe place where we can bond, grow, and thrive. Women supporting women is so important. We leave a legacy of countless examples of what we can accomplish, both individually and as a group, when it happens.”

Sarah shares, “I appreciate how the League has changed and grown with the times and adapted to women’s needs.  Although much of the purpose (training and community service) has remained the same, how we do it has changed dramatically.  I have no doubt that as women’s lives, schedules, needs and available  time continue to change, the Junior League of Seattle will continue to adapt and be there to support women in all stages of their lives.”

A Personal Touch

We asked Sarah about her strategy for securing Gala donations, and it’s clear she was the perfect woman for the job. She says, “For the Swag Bags, Sherry Viray and I discussed what JLS branded items the League planned to provide and built a loose list of the types of items we wanted to procure to bring it all together and make everything seem purposeful and planned.  While making this list, we also decided that our approach would be fewer, but higher quality items. One complicating factor was the sheer number of swag bags needed. With 360 bags needed, we knew the best way to procure the large number of items we needed was to reach out to the awesome JLS network through the newsletter, social media, and to our personal JLS  contacts with specific asks. The ‘ask’ was for help connecting us to specific items or connecting us to specific companies. Without a connection, 360 quality items is an unlikely yes!”

For Amy, her professional experience proved extremely helpful. She explains, “I have a large network from working in the event industry, for both social and corporate events. As such, I was able to recommend vendors for the gala including our event photographer and our photo booth. My business is also the Event Manager for the gala, my staff will be onsite ensuring the event runs smoothly. This way all committee members can enjoy the evening and don’t have to work. We’re also fortunate to be sponsoring the event with the floral centerpieces and decor. I’m having fun with my team designing the centerpieces and hope everyone enjoys them!”

Caitlin's decision to join the Gala Committee after some time away from JLS was driven by her deep connection with our members: “My dearest friends are JLS friends. There is something so gratifying about working hard together to create an incredible event/shift/product/impact. I have missed the collaboration and the conversations and then continuing the meeting to other Madison Park venues. The committee experience is like putting on comfy pants. Just got right back into it. It has been such a reminder of why I love the League and the ladies who make it happen.”

The Centennial Gala is not just a celebration of the Junior League of Seattle's achievements but also a testament to the dedication, passion, and hard work of our members. As the League steps into its next century, we carry forward a legacy of empowerment, community service, and unwavering support for women.

Provisional Spotlight: Dessert Dash

Introducing the Dessert Dash, a Provisional project and part of our Centennial Gala celebrations! Many thanks to the following new members for stepping up to the (treat-laden) plate and making the Dessert Dash such a sweet success already:

• Andrea Speeter

• Maggie O’Meara

• Tujuana Simon

• Jocelyn Kamp

• Elizabeth Thomas

• Tamara Jacobs

• Shannon Wieck

• Kelsey Eubank

• Payton Schenck

• McKenna Collins

This talented team of women took on a multitude of Dessert Dash responsibilities in recent months. Their tasks have included:

• Procuring a whopping 40 desserts for the event

• Managing and fostering donor relationships

• Overseeing the logistics of dessert pickup and drop-off

• Designing and producing print materials 

• Expressing gratitude to our generous donors

What has the process been like?

Project leaders Meghan Hardy and Kate Gonsalves have glowing reviews. Meghan says, “I’ve been so impressed by how quickly and enthusiastically the team has jumped into the project! Despite a short timeline, the project has gone very smoothly. I can’t wait to see where these members go in their League careers — I know they’ll continue to contribute in incredible ways.” 

Kate chimes in, “The team has done such an incredible job! I’m impressed with their ability to take on a big challenge for such an important event, procure donations as new members, creative and proactive thinking, and fantastic teamwork and participation by each member!”

What can we look forward to next?

It’s no surprise that the dessert lineup promises to be diverse and delectable. Noteworthy mentions include gluten-free options and timely seasonal treats. So far, the talk of the town is the special "mystery cake," donated by our gala chairs, Rebecca Wilson and Anisa Ishida. We have no idea what this cake is all about, and anticipation is high!

While there isn't a set financial target for the Dessert Dash, the broader vision is clear. Meghan and Kate agree that they want to provide new members with a memorable first committee experience in JLS. They also hope to lay a strong foundation for lifelong membership.

Why the Dessert Dash?

We talked with Meghan and Kate about why leading this project is important to them. Meghan shares, "Having been involved in numerous JLS auctions and galas over the years, and leading a few Provisional projects that have always been energizing, this seemed like a great way to play a role in our Centennial celebration."

Kate adds, "I love working with new members and introducing them to fundraisers and opportunities to get involved in JLS. Since the Centennial year is so special, it feels like a fun way to participate and support the gala."

We can’t wait to see the 40 amazing desserts this group has procured. Join us in celebrating the Dessert Dash committee and applauding their dedication to the Centennial Gala! 

September 2023 Recap

While the new League year kicks off in June, September is the month when things move into high gear. Junior League of Seattle members gathered at the National Nordic Museum for the first General Membership Meeting of our Centennial year. More than 90 members gathered for League updates and an inspiring panel that included sustainers, Mary Herche, Anisa Ishida, Minda Brusse, and Jenna Boitano.

September was also a huge month for our Northwest Art Project! On September 14, 120 members attended Northwest Art Gallery Night at Cascadia Art Museum, including program founder Dee Dickinson. We shared stories and community with each other as we viewed pieces from Northwest masters, Kenneth Callahan, Guy Anderson, and Morris Graves among others.

The following week, on September 23, we had a family art service shift at Cascadia. Renowned artist Kenneth Callahan's grandchildren and great-grandchildren (pictured in the gallery above) attended. JLS volunteers docented Callahan's painting Crystalline World, the Northwest Art Project’s very first piece, donated to our collection in 1960. Families in attendance created their own art with a theme of imaginary worlds.

Stay tuned for more events to come in October including Community Impact Meetings as well as member favorite, Oktoberfest!