This week, Lierac, heads to the Association of Junior League International annual conference in Philadelphia. We just met another inspiring member, Becki Fleischer, E-learning Consultant , who’s making a daily difference in her community.
Lierac: Which chapter are you in & what initiatives are you working on?
Becki: I’m in the JL Northern Westchester chapter. Right now we’re focusing on hunger and healthy eating initiatives for kids. We’ve done the JL Kids in the Kitchen program, and now we have a program called “Backpack Buddies” where we provide about 115 local elementary school students with backpacks filled with healthy food. This is significant because these are the kids that qualify for the free and reduced federal lunch programs.
Lierac: Do you mind expanding on that?
Becki: It’s a federal program that subsidizes breakfast and lunch at school for those who qualify. These kids mostly get their food from school that they take home over the weekend. Our backpacks have healthy food options such as fortified pastas, tomato sauces, peanut butter, canned goods of fruits and vegetables. Next year we’d like to include fresh produce from farmer’s markets. But the neatest thing is that we create the recipe cards that are user-friendly and helps them prepare these foods at-home.
Lierac: How long have you been doing this initiative for?
Becki: We’ve been giving about 117 backpacks per weekend since September 2010. This is all done through the Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester.
Lierac: When did you join Junior League?
Becki: In 1999. I joined in Indianapolis. My boss was an elected official. Her and all of her friends were high profile and I was inspired by their work. The Junior League is a really impressive network to be involved in.
Lierac: Have you always been drawn to charity work?
Becki: I’ve also always been involved in charity groups in school. There was no defining moment for me joining Junior League. I’m drawn to their 3-part mission.
Lierac: Which is?
Becki: 1. Promote volunteerism. 2. Develop the potential of women. And that’s the part that resonates so much with me. It’s truly about developing women’s skills. It was a safe place to try new things that your formal education didn’t prepare you for. That really appealed to me and this is the piece that’s keeps me going. Now I work on the training program. The 3rd part is improving communities through effective action. By my work, I’d like to make my mark in this world.
Lierac: Is there a woman or women who inspires you?
Becki: It’s easy to be inspired whenever you come to a JL Annual conference such as this one because you hear about the amazing things happening around the world. JL women come together see a need, and get the necessary training to go out there and make a difference.
Thank you for inspiring us today, Becki! Good luck with the conference today.
Interested in learning more about Junior League? Please visit www.ajli.com Follow them on Twitter: @juniorleague
No comments:
Post a Comment