Junior League of Washington (JLW) New
Member Kelsey Sullivan served in the community for both her mini placement and
community experience, gaining eye-opening experiences during her provisional
year. Read on to find out all about Kelsey’s experiences in her mini placement
and in her community experience.
“I've had the pleasure of completing a
wonderful community experience as well as an unforgettable mini placement. For
my community experience, I volunteered with the DC Books to Prisons Project,
and for my mini placement, I volunteered with the Washington School for Girls
(WSG) four Saturday mornings over the course of a few months.
“At the DC Books to Prisons Project, I
read letters sent to the organization directly from incarcerated men and women
from around the country and responded by picking out and sending books to them
I thought they would like. Their letters spoke about their interests,
aspirations, and favorite authors and genres, and we worked to carefully select
literature, self-help books, and even textbooks that would cater to their
requests. It was a very moving experience, because when we think of the
criminal justice system in the United States, we think of the millions and
millions of Americans who are behind bars. This experience allowed me to get to
know a few of these Americans personally. It made an issue that is so vast and
at times seems helpless very accessible and personal. I was nervous about my
choices, because I didn't want them to be disappointed by the books they would
receive. I wrote little notes back wishing them happy reading, and I do hope
that they all enjoyed the pieces I picked out for them.
“At the Washington School for Girls, I
had the pleasure of working with and socializing with underprivileged girls in grades
3-8. We ate breakfast with them, played some ice-breaker games, and then spent
the rest of the time helping them with homework and various assignments. My
favorite part of this opportunity was knowing that I was helping these girls
solve problems and appreciate the learning process, and hopefully, along the
way, acting as a role model for them. Despite coming from families and
communities with few resources, these girls are happy, smart, confident young
women with bright futures, thanks to WSG.
“I think I was most inspired by the
JLW leader of the WSG partnership. Her passion for WSG and the work the school
is doing was incredibly inspiring. While we volunteers spent our time tutoring
the little girls, JLW’s relationship manager [Jennie Kronthal] spent her
Saturday mornings teaching a girl’s mom how to read. This was so moving,
because her work truly was contributing to JLW's mission of literacy promotion.
Teaching a mother how to read will not only empower her to read, but it will
allow her to teach her children and grandchildren how to read, and the gift of
reading will be passed on through generations to come. Improving one person's
literacy can have implications that reach far beyond that one individual. [Jennie]
really inspired me to think about the ways that I can contribute to society,
and to JLW, in my own future as a member. This was definitely a ‘mission moment.’
“I joined JLW because I wanted to be
connected with opportunities to volunteer, and I must say, it has exceeded my
expectations. I have volunteered more in the last four to five months than I
have in the last four to five years of my life here in DC. Additionally, I have
made some great friends so far, which I honestly didn't expect. I knew I'd meet
some lovely young women with similar goals and aspirations as me, but I didn't
really expect to meet young women with whom I would click so fast – that has
been a wonderful bonus to my JLW experience so far.
“I am sincerely looking forward to
becoming a full member and joining different committees. This has been a great
experience, and I have encouraged many, many friends and acquaintances to
consider joining JLW. I am so excited about the coming years of good friendships,
leadership experiences and most importantly, opportunities to give back to
those around me who are in need.”
Thank you for sharing your
experiences, Kelsey! Now, it’s your turn. What have been some of your favorite JLW
experiences volunteering in our community?
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