Jingle All the JLW Way!

There’s nothing that warms the soul like celebrating the spirit of giving. That’s why the holidays are a great time to be a member of the Junior League of Washington (JLW). There are countless ways to give back – to our partners in Washington, DC, to our DC community, and to the women we are lucky to call JLW friends.

We’ve celebrated the holidays with our community partners, including:

-       Providing gifts for 51 members of 21 families served by Community Family Life Servicesand holding a holiday party for 17 CFLS Trinity Arms participants;

-       BringingSanta’s spirit to the halls of the Capitol with more than 40 Horton’s Kids; and

-       Toastingthe season at our annual holiday dinner with N Street Village – which more than40 women and their families attended!

JLW women also helped:

…Encourage reading by providing more than 1,000 books through our Resolution Read initiative to holiday parties at nonprofits across the region, both with our community partners, like 826DC’s Reading All-Stars and the National Rehabilitation Hospital, and with other local organizations, like It Takes a Village, Baby (don’t miss the heart-warming video of their toy distribution event here).

Resolution Read books were handed out as prizes at the 826DC Reading All-Stars holiday party. Each child received a prize like a toy, game, or action figure donated by JLW members, as well as a book rewarded to them for their hard work. Said one Reading All-Star child, “No way! That’s like getting TWO prizes!” We agree!

 … Give 120 Bright Beginnings children a happy holiday by providing gifts of clothing, books, and a toy.

A JLW volunteer assembles gifts for a Bright Beginnings child, donated by JLW members.

…Assemble 60 winter wardrobe kits, which contained sweatshirts, thermals, gloves, hats, scarves, and more, for Calvary Women’s Service clients staying in transitional and permanent supportive housing, as well as women who have recently moved into their own homes.

Members of the Calvary Women’s Services Committee pose with some of the 480 gifts they wrapped.

… Lay wreaths on the headstones of the fallen at Arlington National Cemetery as part of Wreaths Across America.

Thanks to the Esprit and Folger Shakespeare Library Committees for organizing this meaningful event.

…Ensure access to healthy food for the holidays by volunteering at the Capital Area Food Bank.

Members of the Done-in-a-Day Committee after a shift at the Capital Area Food Bank

…Turn A Wider Circle into the North Pole and provide 15 individuals with gifts for the holidays.

A Wider Circle Committee’s elves pose with their decorations.

… Bring the DC Snow Princess to Literacy Lab’s annual holiday party on Wednesday, December 14. She delighted the children with songs and stories before all the children received presents of books, notepads, and writing activity books.

…Our New Members celebrate the season! On Saturday, December 10, they exchanged cookies and well wishes for the holidays.

Dozens of New Members gathered at the Annual New Member Cookie Exchange at JLW Headquarters on December 10 for homemade treats and champagne. Pictured here from left to right: Myrna Olvera, Jessica Pavel, Tess Terrible, Mikayla Bouchard, and Etta Hulcher.

…Explore all that DC has to offer at the holiday season. From ZooLights, to cocktails at the Columbia Room, to the National Botanic Gardens, the Esprit Committee organized several wonderful social events for JLW members to gather and celebrate the holidays!

JLW member Camden Stuebe captured this beautiful photograph of the decorations at the U.S. Botanic Gardens at our JLW Esprit event earlier in December.

To see more photos of all the ways we celebrated the holidays, check out our Flickr page.

Thank you to all who helped JLW celebrate the holidays! We extend our warmest holiday wishes to you and your loved ones – and we’ll see you in 2017!