An Open Letter of Thanks from Our Community Chair

Fellow Members of the Junior League of Portland, ME:

I cannot believe how quickly the end of the year has arrived and, in good company, I am also reminiscing the past few months. 

Since the 2014-2015 Junior League year kicked off in September, the Community Committee has been honored and privileged to meet, speak with, and strengthen relationships with community organizations doing incredible work, including local area Boys and Girls Clubs, the Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine, Florence House, Girls on the Run, Hardy Girls, Healthy Women, Preble Street Resource Center, Ruth’s Reusable Resources, and York County Foster Care Collaborative.

Undoubtedly, in the infamous words of our President-Elect, Ellen Berg, “we are all busy and important people.” Yet, it is worth mentioning that in this relatively short period of time, our membership has participated in over two dozen different volunteer opportunities available to our membership. Despite all being busy, and yes, important, that equated to 167 shift sign-ups, or approximately 334 volunteer [wo]man hours! 

Nationally, the estimated hourly value of a volunteer is $22.55, meaning conservatively, the Junior League of Portland, ME has contributed $7,531.70 worth of service to our local community.  Please note, this does not include donations of food for meals served at the Boys and Girls Club, Ronald McDonald, or the nearly two dozen bags of winter essentials recently dropped off at Preble Street Resource Center, and the impact your thoughtfulness has on the family that our league adopted for Christmas. 

Our work matters. During this busy time, I want to thank each and everyone of you for showing up, and living out this mission— you are building a better community.

Happy holidays, and may 2015 continue to bring good health, well wishes, and a continued focus of our voluntarism efforts in the Greater Portland community! 

On behalf of this year’s Community Committee, yours,

Belle Bocal, Chair