Senate Resolution No. 579

BY: Senator MAYER

COMMEMORATING the 75th Anniversary of the Junior
League of Bronxville

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to acknowledge
and celebrate outstanding organizations that work to promote the
wellbeing of the citizens of the State of New York; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Junior League of Bronxville on
Saturday, March 25, 2023, at the Bronxville Field Club; and

WHEREAS, The event will celebrate a "Mosaic of Members & Mission,"
highlighting the League's impact across the communities it serves in
Bronxville, Eastchester, Mount Vernon, Tuckahoe, and Yonkers; and

WHEREAS, The Junior League of Bronxville (JLB) has been in operation
for 75 years, serving the local community through promoting literacy,
health, wellness and safety for children, women, and families; it
continues to hold true and strong to their educational and charitable
mission: commitment to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential
of women and improving communities through the effective action and
leadership of trained volunteers; since its inception, the Junior League
of Bronxville has remained true to its core mission and values; and

WHEREAS, Some of the Bronxville Junior League's earliest projects
included sewing for the Red Cross, sponsoring a mobile library cart at
Lawrence Hospital, and running regular social events for seniors; the
organization has been passionate about helping children from the start,
with members in the 1940s volunteering at a well-baby clinic; and

WHEREAS, Additional early endeavors of the JLB include the Musical
Participation program for children with cerebral palsy, bringing the
region's children together for theater performances such as Hansel and
Gretal, free public lecture series, and fashion shows in support of
small businesses; and

WHEREAS, Historically, these Junior League members utilized profits
from their self-run thrift store, The Penny Wise Shop in Mount Vernon,
to provide free classes, such as French Language, Art Appreciation, and
Creative Writing, to children who otherwise could not afford the
opportunity; and

WHEREAS, Continuing their legacy of service, in the late 1970s, the
Junior League of Bronxville began a partnership with the Yonkers Court
Assistance Program for Abused Spouses; the program involved 50
volunteers who assisted victims of abuse in more than 850 individual
cases; and

WHEREAS, The JLB drafted a position statement on domestic violence
which was later adopted by the New York State Junior Leagues and led to
the creation of the Domestic Violence Task Force; soon thereafter, the
statement was also adopted by the larger AJLI; a few years after the

program's inception, the JLB received the Yonkers Soroptimist Club's
Women-Helping-Women Award; and

WHEREAS, In 1981, Bessie Jansen pitched the idea of compassionate
end-of-life care to the League; the JLB formed a Hospice Task Force led
by Sandra Rueb, providing seed funds; Jansen Memorial Hospice joined
forces with the Home Nursing Association of Westchester to provide
patient care, and throughout the decade, the JLB continued their support
of the Jansen Memorial Hospice, and in 1984 established an endowment
fund to ensure the long-term financial success of the organization; and

WHEREAS, In the 1990s, the Junior League of Bronxville founded the
Bereavement Center of Westchester; the Tree House, a special program for
children who are grieving the loss of a parent or sibling, was
established in 1995; this was one of the first grief centers created
solely for children and their families in the United States; and

WHEREAS, In recent years, the JLB took initiative to battle hunger
by providing dinner for 100 guests of the Project Family Dinner Program
of Community Service Associates in Mount Vernon, New York, launching its
Mobile Food Pantry partnership with Feeding Westchester, and by creating
a program called "Feeding the Frontlines," where the League raised over
$55,000 to purchase meals from restaurants struggling during the
pandemic lockdown, to feed first responders and essential workers,
including medical professionals, police and fire departments, public
works departments, and others; and

WHEREAS, In 2022, the JLB also launched its Joyful Closet at the
Edward Williams School in Mount Vernon, in partnership with the
nonprofit organization Bundles of Joy, to provide children the
opportunity to "shop" for essentials such as school supplies,
toiletries, clothing, and blankets; and

WHEREAS, In 2023, the Junior League of Bronxville is focusing on
three core pillars food insecurity, education, and family wellness; the
organization serves two Mobile Food Pantry locations, organizes cooking
events to supply meals for local soup kitchens, plans to continue its
JLB Book Nook, and looks forward to hosting its 11th Annual Dorm Drive
to prepare high school girls for college; The JLB is also proud to offer
several scholarship awards to girls pursuing higher education, including
two scholarships that honor the memory of cherished and admired past
members, Cara Kealy and Erica Sevilla; and

WHEREAS, It is with great pleasure that this Legislative Body
acknowledges this exceptional organization and its role in improving the
quality of life in its community, fully confident that it will continue
to enjoy the sparkling successes it has experienced thus far; now,
therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Junior League of Central
Westchester; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the Junior League of Bronxville.