2018-2019 League Accomplishments
​General League
  • Members enjoyed social events throughout the year including: Summer cocktails, Sustainer Cocktail Party, Past Presidents’ Dinner, and the Volunteer Appreciation GMM at Ferraro’s. 
  • Hosted cocktail and coffee events for potential members and welcomed five new members and transfers.
  • Sponsored 7 members to attend Get on Board training hosted by NJ State Council.
  • Collaborated on the Progress Fashion Show, a community event held at the James Ward Mansion, for which we received a portion of ticket sales and hosted a table marketing the JLEP mission.
  • Secured a feature in Westfield Living magazine to appear in November 2019.
  • Began the headquarters refresh project by contracting painters for the interior (Jumble Store, Career Closet and Office spaces) and a mason for repointing of the exterior building foundation in early July. 
  • Began grant writing process for additional updates to the headquarters to include storage, seating, and window coverings, among other items.
  • Received generous Annual Fund donations from Active and Sustaining members of $3,100 to date supporting the Jumble Store refresh project
  • Last year’s Day at the Races fundraising event enabled JLEP to grant additional scholarships. This year we will award five $2,000 scholarships to deserving high school senior leaders volunteering in their communities.  This brings us to over 75 scholarships awarded for a total of over $110,000 in the past 19 years!

Jumble Store
  • Surpassed last year’s record sales with over $105,000 in store sales to date! The Jumble Store not only contributes funds to our community projects but also provides the community with reasonably priced items in excellent condition.
  • Hosted four summer donation drop off days to stock the store for post summer reopening.
  • Sustainer Nova Spinner and the First Baptist Church of Westfield youth group tidied the Jumble Store inside and out at our annual Spring clean-up day.

PAC
  • Hosted an Opioid Education Event open to the public and presented by Melissa Tasse, Ph.D. in Pharmacology, to raise awareness and educate the community on substance abuse disorder, the opioid epidemic and what we can do to prevent it in the next generation.
  • During the 82nd Walk to Washington, sustainer Teri DiFrancesco had the opportunity to meet with lawmakers in an effort to draw attention to Human Trafficking in our state.

Community Projects
  • Collaborated with 14 different community partners including long standing relationships with Cranford Family Care and Healthy Families Elizabeth and new partnerships with Moms Helping Moms, United Methodist Church and Center for Hope.
  • Welcomed Center for Hope to speak at a GMM and toured Imagine, Center for Coping with Loss, whose founder Mary Robinson was elected as one of CNN’s Heroes for 2019.
  • Raised over $1,000 through the Little Black Dress and Lord & Taylor Charity Sale fundraising events, all benefitting signature projects Career Closet and Teen Closet.
  • Career Closet continued dressing women in its 18th year of existence.
  • Delivered large donations of work appropriate attire to organizations not able to attend a fitting: YWCA of Union County and Rutgers Mountainview Program and Cooperman College Scholars.
  • Hosted and provided outfits and new heeled shoes to 26 teen girls aged 13-19 as part of two “Heeling with Hope” mentoring series facilitated by the Family Support Organization of Union County.
  • Presented job readiness skills and participated in a career panel discussion to teens at a Boys and Girls Club mentoring event.
  • Held a diaper drive to benefit new community partner Moms Helping Moms, a NJ Baby Supply and Diaper Bank.
  • Collected and assembled backpacks and school supplies in August and prepared Easter baskets in April for children and their siblings under the care of Emmanuel Cancer Foundation.
  • Participated in two sandwich making events with new community partner United Methodist Church of Cranford, benefitting St Joseph Social Service Center.
  • Cooked, baked and socialized at two Chop ‘n’ Chats providing 40+ hot meals and baked goods for Cranford Family Care.  
  • Collected and delivered 214 Angel Tree Christmas gifts for children who are clients of Healthy Families Elizabeth, totaling over 1000 gifts in the past 5 years alone!
  • Assembled 60 Totes for Kids care packages for YWCA Union County, an organization supporting female victims of domestic abuse.
  • Donated journals to Imagine, Center for Coping with Loss. 
  • Sponsored toiletry drives for homeless teens through MLK Day of Service and to benefit Saint Joseph Social Service Center.
  • Visited patients, made caregiver gift bags and cards with new community partner Center for Hope.
  • Donated and assembled 35 “Birthday in a Bag” gifts for Roots and Wings clients that recently aged out of foster care.