Meet our current President Ms. Gail Reid-Vestal.

When asked what do you like best about the Junior League of Raleigh, Gail replied, “Seeing the collective impact we can make in our community.”

Meet President-Elect, Lanier McRee.

When asked what do you like best about the Junior League of Raleigh, Lanier replied, “I cannot narrow it to just one thing. Clearly, our members and meeting so many interesting women who are doing amazing work in our community – via the League and through other places – is one of the best parts of the League. But, the leadership opportunities and the safe space to hone leadership skills through the hands-on work of leading teams is invaluable whether leading a team of volunteers or coworkers.”

Meet Executive Vice President, Stacie Walker.

When asked what do you like best about the Junior League of Raleigh, Stacie replied, “I am proud to be a part of the League and love all the ways we support the community of Wake County.  I’m so thankful for the League as it has connected me with so many fabulous women, many of who are some of my dearest friends.”

Meet Treasurer, Melanie Townsend.

When asked what do you like best about the Junior League of Raleigh, Melanie replied, “I’ve formed meaningful relationships that I will take with me long after I leave North Carolina. The women are dynamic and innovative, and constantly inspire me.”

Meet At Large Director, Elizabeth Outten.

When asked what do you like best about the Junior League of Raleigh, Elizabeth replied, “I am constantly astounded by the women in our League; their passion for the work and League roles they tackle, their insight and diversely vast experiences, and their willingness to hop in and take action whenever and wherever it’s needed. I’m grateful to have met so many of our members and for the opportunity to absorb all of their wisdom and experience. What a gift!”

Meet Board of Directors Secretary, Michelle Mulvihill.

When asked what do you like best about the Junior League of Raleigh, Michelle replied, “Serving the community in which I work and live, while fostering and nurturing relationships with a diverse group of women leaders.”

Member at Large, Toni Chatman.

When asked what do you like best about the Junior League of Raleigh, Toni replied, “Our reputation within Wake County and our mission. Upon reflection, I attended many Junior League events in my hometown and in Raleigh before I joined. I always enjoyed the welcoming environment that surrounded league events. My upbringing and current job is one of service and being a member of the Junior League of Raleigh allows me to continue this service while supporting other women leaders.”

Meet At-Large Director, DeShelia Spann.

When asked what do you like best about the Junior League of Raleigh, DeShelia replied, “Working alongside such diversely talented women who share a common goal of making our community and world better through training and volunteerism.”

Meet Nominating Chair, Kate Haggas Benton.

When asked what do you like best about the Junior League of Raleigh, Kate replied, “women empowerment and the friendships.”

Meet President’s Assistant, Megan Bright.

When asked what do you like best about the Junior League of Raleigh, Megan replied, “I love how it brings together so many different people working for the common mission of helping our community.”

Each October. brings a level of anxiety and grief that continues to blind side me, even in the fifth October since finding a lump in my breast. Maybe its the total pink out and all the “pink” events, maybe it’s the fact that October was the month in 2017 where scans and biopsies determined that the lump was in fact cancer, and an especially aggressive type know as Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). The month of changing leaves and cooler temperatures full of pumpkins and warm beverages is a trigger I never quite see coming.

TNBC is a type of breast cancer that has no fuel source, as I like to say. It has no hormone receptors or HER2 protein fueling the growth of this type of cancer. And because of this lack of a fuel source, currently doctors have to kill it dead with chemotherapy to keep it from spreading. The upside to my diagnosis – its an automatic trip to chemo. This means my doctors opted for chemo before surgery and because of that I know that the eight rounds of dose dense chemo over 16 weeks I endured WORKED. Six months after my breast cancer journey began surgery would reveal that the tumor was gone, and the margins of tissue around it were clear, as were the three lymph nodes in my underarm they removed. NED – no evidence of disease.

My treatment also included 21 rounds of radiation after surgery and as Memorial Day weekend 2018 rolled in, treatment was over, I was done. My life could go back to normal, except with a cancer diagnosis your old normal never returns. I suspect Covid has taught more folks this painful lesson. Once treatment ends, the terror is second only to the day of diagnosis. What now? Wait, hope, pray, freak out over every headache, every twitch of a nerve – all of the above. Am I dehydrated or is my cancer back? How long has my neck had that weird pain? Why are my eyes doing something funny? Where’s my memory?

I was lucky! While the stress and anxiety of enduring a cancer diagnosis and its daunting treatments will never quite leave me, I found my cancer early. It was stage 1b – invasive ductal carcinoma – in plain language that means the lump started growing in a duct in my breast and became invasive when it broke through the wall of that duct – it spread outside the containment area of a duct. A fine needle biopsy determined I only had a micrometastasis to one lymph node therefore giving my stage 1 diagnosis a little b to go with it. Because I found the lump early it was 1.7cm which also kept me in stage 1. The five year survival rate for early detection that is still localized is 91% – I was in best case scenario territory. Early detection, plus a great response to chemo meant the chances of my TNBC returning were slim and now that I’ve passed the 3 year mark, the chances are even slimmer.

TNBC mostly affects young women and is more likely to affect Black and Latino women. Women of color often face great barriers to early detection and quality medical care. I found my lump, went straight to my trusted doctor, located in the medically rich Triangle and was on a fast track to a world of cancer and genetic testing. I trusted my medical care providers because the medical system has always worked for me, an upper middle class white woman with a college education. What about women who the healthcare system has failed many times in the past? How do they handle finding a lump or do they find the breast lump at all because they don’t have convenient access to regular mammograms or the knowledge to know the importance of a regular mammograms.

I never wanted to be a cancer spokesperson. I wanted to get through treatment and get on with my life. I learned the hard way that’s not how it really goes and yet, breast cancer, TNBC specifically, has been a strange blessing. It happened to me, the unimaginable and I can’t do anything about it, but I can do something with it. That’s why I believe in the natural connection between the JLR and the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. It has nagged at me for almost four years now that Black and Latino women are more susceptible to one of the most aggressively growing breast cancers and that they may not have the access or the ability to find it early. Why is that? What more can be done? Cancer sucks no matter your skin color.

Four years ago next month, I began chemotherapy. sat in an infusion room every other week among many black women with the same diagnosis as I, only theirs more advanced. They were there week after week, getting the same drugs pumped through their veins as I, and they had an additional drug, reserved for later stage patients, that added an additional layer of side effects. I was lucky I didn’t have to endure this extra therapy. My cancer was found early.

The Kay Yow Cancer Fund, a major donor to women’s cancer research, for years, is focused on serving the underserved. They have identified a new focus – Triple Negative Breast Cancer and the underserved populations most likely to develop this aggressive cancer. Here’s what they plan to do, and I’m excited to be a part of it.

• Award 15 $50,000 grants for Triple Negative Breast Cancer.
• Leverage Play4Kay, our national grassroots movement, as well as media and corporate partners to amplify the need for increased resources for underserved women facing cancer.  
• Permeate, educate, and empower the family unit resulting in a ripple effect that will improve survival rates and enhance cancer outcomes throughout underserved communities nationwide.
• Provide a vehicle to break down internal, interpersonal, and environmental barriers to quality cancer healthcare for underserved women with a specific focus on TNBC.

I invite you to join me in supporting the Kay Yow Cancer Fund with your time, your voice and your resources. The annual Celebration Run/Walk will take place February 5, 2022 and it takes all of us to work together to insure each of us has equal access to early detection and education around breast cancer and that research be funded so that this aggressive cancer can be treated with higher survival rates in later stage diagnoses.

This week we focus on women who lead. Coaching and leadership development expert Denise Minor states that there are five reasons that women make great leaders. These reasons include

• We are good at maintaining a healthy work-life balance
• We are effective at wearing many hats
• We communicate more constructively
• We lead by example
• We overcome the odds

We have chosen to spotlight four women that embody these characteristics. We don’t have to look very far to see these on display every day here in the Triangle. Women lead cities, we lead forces, we lead business and we lead movements.

Cassandra Deck Brown

Cassandra Deck Brown is Raleigh’s first African American woman police chief. She was permanently placed in the position February 1, 2013. Deck-Brown joined the Raleigh Police Department in 1987. She graduated from East Carolina University and received a master’s degree in public administration from North Carolina State University. She is passionate about protecting her community and giving back. She believes that it is important to let girls see that there are opportunities out there for them in male-dominated fields.

Nancy McFarlane

Mayor Nancy McFarlane was the 35^th mayor of Raleigh, NC.  She took office in 2011. She went on to be reelected in 2013, 2015 and 2017. Prior to being mayor, McFarlane served on Raleigh City Council for four years. She oversaw the development of Dix Park. She led the city in investing in public transit and affordable housing initiatives.

Adrienne Cole

Adrienne Cole has been the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce’s President and CEO since March 2017.  She is the first female to lead in the organization’s 129-year history. Cole is a graduate of Meredith College and received a master’s degree in public administration from Appalachian State University. Under Cole the Greater Raleigh Chamber announced more than 30 corporate relocations and expansions totaling over $250 million in capital investments and creating more than 5,000 new jobs.

Hunter Schafer

Hunter Schafer is a fashion model, actress, and LGBT activist from Raleigh, NC. Schafer is a transgender woman.  She graduated from the High School Visual Arts program at University of North Carolina School of the Arts in 2017, having transferred there from Needham B. Broughton High School. Her father is the current pastor of Hudson Memorial Presbyterian Church on Six Forks Road. Over the course of her career, Hunter has modeled for high-end fashion brands including, but not limited to, Dior, Miu and Marc Jacobs. She currently stars in the hit HBO drama Euphoria. Hunter Schafer is a proud LGBTQ+ activist. She was a plaintiff in the ACLU’s lawsuit against North Carolina’s bathroom bill. The bill was repealed; however, Hunter continues to fight for other issues that put trans-people in danger.

In the Junior League, we are consistently preparing women for excellence to make a difference in our community.. These leaders prove that Raleigh is a breeding ground for strong women leaders.  Join us in celebrating these local trailblazers!

In 2017-2018, we launched a new initiative, JLR’s Day of Giving, to help raise funds to support our mission and broaden our impact in the community. We were honored to receive an award for the fundraiser at the recent Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI) annual conference. The honorable mention in Fund Development recognized the achievements of our now-inaugural event and the support it received from our members and community.

The Day of Giving on March 13, 2018 coincided with JLR’s 88th birthday, allowing us to issue a call to celebrate our legacy and financially support our community work. We had an ambitious goal: $25,000 in 24 hours. We were blown away by the outcome: 253 donors gave $42,402 in 24 hours.

In addition to being a successful fundraising endeavor, we are proud of the new tradition of giving this started. We now have a special day every year when our League energetically comes together to celebrate sisterhood, community impact and our legacy.

If you are interested in supporting our Annual Fund, learn more here.

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For the second year in a row, the Junior League of Raleigh’s Day of Giving has surpassed its fundraising goal. The League has raised close to $100,000 since the event’s inception last year. Monies raised support the Junior League of Raleigh’s Annual Fund, which helps us feed hungry children, nurture families in transition and empower women to learn new skills. 

Our Day of Giving has made it possible for the League to:

• Provide free, professional training to more than 34 nonprofit agencies.
• Reach more than 1,000 children with enrichment programs that focus on educational tutoring, healthy eating and exercise, awareness and acceptance of individual differences.
• Save partner agencies more than $1 million in programming, according to a recent survey by our nonprofit partners.
• Support BackPack Buddies programs at five local elementary schools, providing healthy meals and snacks on weekends during the school year for food-insecure children. We’ve also expanded to after school programs like Step-Up allowing us to reach almost 500 children a year.
• Serve approximately 28,000 hours of volunteer time.
• Train more than 175 new provisional members to serve our community.

“This placement has been so gratifying personally as the funds we’re raising go directly to our community,” said Annual Fund team Co-captain Tarsha Burroughs. The team’s fundraising efforts have left a lasting impact on members as well. “I’ve not only met so many incredible women on this team but have had the chance to learn many valuable new skills that will serve me well in my career,” said Libby Spain, who is currently serving her third year on this team. 

Thank you to our members and our community for your support. With your generosity, the Junior League of Raleigh is now poised to make an even more substantial impact in our community through projects and training opportunities.

If you are interested in supporting our Annual Fund, learn more here.

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On March 7,  Cheri Beasley answered the call to become the first African-American woman to serve as Chief Justice of the N.C. Supreme Court. In our state’s history, she is only the fourth woman to hold that position. In our nation’s history, only three other African-American women have ever served as Chief Justice of a state court system, and only one other currently serves in the role.

In addition to a lifetime of public service within the judicial system and her recent appointment by Governor Roy Cooper, Beasley serves in her church leadership, mentors young people and is a Sustainer in the Junior League of Raleigh.

From an early age, her mother, Dr. Lou Beasley, instilled the importance of service. She takes seriously the role of cultivating the best in people, whether it is a young person she mentors or someone she encounters through her work at the Supreme Court.

“People find themselves in different situations, but regardless they all share the same hopes and fears,” she said. “We have to find the humanity in all of us; crime affects other people’s lives, and we have to keep that perspective” in the courtroom.

She notes the need for resolution, which is why people turn to the courts and rely on those elected to serve in the halls of justice. She rejects the notion that politics is a driver in the judicial system, and instead, she focuses on fairness in her work as North Carolina’s Chief Justice and top administrator for our state’s Judicial Branch.

She speaks proudly of her time in the League, beginning in Fayetteville in the early 1990s and then later transferring to the Raleigh League as a Sustainer. Throughout our state’s appellate system, she notes, there are many women who are judicial leaders as well as League members. She confidently states that the reach of the Junior League extends far beyond Wake County and that hours spent and dollars invested cannot tell the full story of the breadth of the service our League provides to the state of North Carolina.

Beasley’s humility, patience and optimism shine through immediately when you talk with her. Optimism exudes when she talks about the generation maturing now, noting that our world is in good hands.

“Young people are wonderfully creative, smart and innovative. They think differently from the previous generation,” she said. “It is refreshing to watch them step up and see their fresh contributions.”

Her sons hold a special place in her life. Though grown and college-aged, she feels the tug of a mama bear when asked about her boys with the beaming smiles. She hopes that the call to service continues to that generation coming up, and her example is a model for all of us to shine light and lead without relenting in all that we do to serve our community.

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Feeding hungry children has become one of the Junior League of Raleigh’s top priorities.

In just eight years, JLR’s BackPack Buddies program has gone from serving eight children at one elementary school to feeding more than 250 kids each week at five elementary schools. League members also now feed the children we serve at StepUp Ministry and AventWest Children’s Mentoring.

“The growth of the League’s BackPack Buddies program has been astounding,” said Samantha Hatem, President of the Junior League of Raleigh. “Each year, we’ve pushed ourselves to expand, to get more donations, to get the necessary funding and to find new schools to partner with so that we can feed more hungry children. It’s been a labor of love for so many League members because the impact we make with this program is real and tangible. At the end of the day, it feels good to know you’ve fed a few hundred children for the weekend.”

Volunteers pack bags for Backpack Buddies

The Junior League of Raleigh started its BackPack Buddies program, which provides weekend meals and snacks to elementary kids during the school year, in 2011. League members Andrea Fox and Alicia Morris spent a year working with Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, studying the program and determining how the League could best implement it. The program aligned perfectly with the League’s mission of serving at-risk youth in our community. A key to making the program a success was the League’s basement space at its then-new headquarters on 711 Hillsborough St., which enabled us to store food and pack hundreds of bags at a time.

That first year, JLR’s BackPack Buddies team only delivered bags to Lacy Elementary, a school that Inter-Faith paired JLR to work with.

Each year since, the League has added more children and more schools by actively working with school social workers to find out which schools need the most help.

The League began this school year serving children at Lacy, Hunter and Root elementary schools, and by January, the BackPack Buddies team had capacity to add students in need at Conn and Beaverdam elementary schools. The team also started delivering bags to children served at the League’s after-school and evening mentoring programs at StepUp and AventWest.

“We are thrilled to have this opportunity to further ensure that kids in our community are happy and well-nourished on the weekends,” said Jennifer Haigwood, who leads this year’s BackPack Buddies team with Tiffany Chan.

The League will stretch its reach yet again this summer. Last month, the League’s Management Council voted to continue the League’s partnership for a second summer with Alexander Family YMCA and will again serve more than 200 kids at the Y’s Camp High Hopes.

“We’re now reaching almost 500 children a year with our BackPack Buddies program, making the Junior League one of the largest providers of weekend food bags in the Triangle,” Hatem said. “We’re so proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish and we love the impact we’re making each week in our community.”

If you are interested in learning more about how you may contribute to the BackPack Buddies program, learn more here.

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In the new year, we often resolve to incorporate positive changes into our lives, whether it’s to eat better or exercise more. While physical health is important, it’s also crucial to pay attention to our mental health. So many of us women spend our mental energy on the demands of everyday life. It’s easy to be affected by stress and negativity.

The Junior League of Raleigh holds five general membership meetings each year. These meetings are a chance for us to hear League news, mingle with friends and be inspired by the League’s work in the community. Our most recent membership meeting in November featured special guest speaker and blogger Adrian Wood, of Tales of an Educated Debutante. This eastern North Carolina-based writer, PhD and mom of four provides a candid view of a modern woman’s life and shares stories that we can all relate to.

Here are five life lessons Adrian shared with us that keep things in perspective and will help you start the year on a positive note:

1. “Real isn’t the life we envisioned for ourselves; it’s never neat and tidy. Real is where we are this second. It’s the life we ended up with and call our own, a messy, joyful and crazed existence.”

2. “Being real is acknowledging not just the mundane and silly things that beckon us all, but the truths that bring silence to a cocktail party. We tend to compare our insides to others’ outsides, so when we put on a brave face, hide the ugly or scary or hard side of life, we are pretending it doesn’t exist, and then those around us feel more and more alone, isolated in their own real, which really is everyone’s. It just depends how good folks are at hiding it.”

3. “All of you have a story to share. A difference to make. Think of a world where perfection is kicked to the curb. It doesn’t matter how much money you make, what job you have, what size you wear, where your kids go to school, if you’re single, married or divorced. Lay down that semblance of order that we tend to present to the world on a silver platter and bring out the Tupperware. Offer the real version, the truthful one, the messy one.”

4. “Joy is hiding in just being yourself, the authentic you. You, not the you that you wish you were or could be or aspire to be or thought you would be. The best version is you in this very moment. No one is keeping score but you. At the end of our life, there is no winner, there is only winning and I want to be winning.”

5. Be kind to strangers. You never know who’s watching.

   

   Adrianne with Junior League of Raleigh’s Executive Vice President, Randi Ligon, and President, Samantha Hatem

    

   

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The Julia Jones Daniels Center for Community Leadership (CCL) may be one of Hillsborough Street’s best kept secrets. Not only is it the Junior League of Raleigh’s headquarters, it also serves as a community resource, offering convenient, accessible and economical meeting space rental for an array of organizational needs.  

“The CCL really is the result of so many previous League leaders being willing to take a chance and dream big,” said Samantha Hatem, President of the Junior League of Raleigh. “We started dreaming about a community gathering space more than a decade ago. It wasn’t an easy path and there were hurdles along the way, but today we have a thriving space that we are thrilled to be able to share with the community.”

Alisha Smith, of YMCA of the Triangle, partnered with JLR to host a School Programs Summit, a workshop for more than 100 people. Upon the referral of a colleague, Smith priced the CCL and was sold on its convenience and affordability. The discount she received for being a nonprofit was a bonus.

“The amenities were clean and well-organized, and the staff was very helpful, graciously letting us borrow a few items for our event,” Smith said. “The overall experience of coordinating the Summit was easy,. Everyone was eager and willing to be of assistance. I enjoyed working with Teresa Robinson and the staff at the CCL.”

At the CCL, planning an event can be easy! The CCL is equipped with cutting-edge technology and has a variety of meeting room options, accommodating groups from 10 to 180. With all-inclusive and economical rates, you don’t have to compromise when it comes to creating a quality event. And we understand how important it is that all your event needs are met. Our friendly staff guides you through the reservation process and day-of items, so that you can focus on other aspects of the event. Convenient parking, including an overflow lot, ensures your attendees have a positive event experience from the moment they arrive. Flexible room arrangements allow us to set up the room to best suit your meeting needs. Access to break rooms with sinks and refrigerators help with any catering needs for your event.

“The CCL really has moved far beyond just a hub for our members. It is becoming the true gift for our community that our past leaders had hoped it would be,” noted Hatem.

We are thrilled to welcome organizations like the YMCA of the Triangle into our home! We invite you to tour the CCL to see firsthand all that it has to offer our community. To schedule a tour, please contact the Julia Jones Daniels Center for Community Leadership at 919-787-7480, ext. 1061, or email cclreservations@jlraleigh.org. Click here for more information on amenities and rates.

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At the Junior League of Raleigh’s annual A Shopping SPREE!, we like to say that the best gifts give back. For League members, the event offers immeasurable gifts of learning, leading and service while making memories and engaging with our local community. Here are highlights from November’s event!

1) Awarding $15,000 to three well-deserving organizations

The Junior League of Raleigh has a long-standing commitment toward empowering women and at-risk youth in Wake County. Proceeds from A Shopping Spree!, our largest fundraiser, support the League’s Legacy Fund, which awards grants to local nonprofit agencies. Since its launch in 2004, the Legacy Grant program has awarded more than $205,000 to Wake County charitable organizations that focus on women and children.

During the 2018 SPREE! preview party, we recognized three outstanding organizations: CASA, the Helene Foundation and Learning Together.

If you are associated with an organization, or would like to nominate an organization, that meets this criteria, learn more about the Legacy Grant and nomination process here.

 CASA develops, owns and operates affordable apartments across the Triangle that serve families and individuals with barriers to the conventional housing market, including income, credit issues, previous evictions and the use of housing vouchers. The Legacy Grant will support a family in safe, permanent, supportive housing for 20 months.

The Helene Foundation provides immediate practical support to families with mothers fighting cancer. Since its inception in 2009, the organization has assisted 173 families and over 350 children, who are referred by social workers from area hospitals.

The Learning Together Development Day Program presents an inclusive, educational environment for children 18 months to 5 years old, including those with or at risk for developmental disabilities. The school seeks to provide each child with the foundation needed to reach their full potential..

2) Making memories 

In addition to giving back to our community, A Shopping Spree! offers League members an opportunity to have fun, volunteer, meet members within the League, and develop new skills, such as fundraising and event planning.

3) Our generous sponsors supporting us and ensuring another successful event. 

We are grateful to A Shopping Spree!’s sponsors, who support us and contribute to our event’s success. Watch ABC11’s story on A Shopping Spree! to see it in action:

4) Our Amazing Exhibitors 

A Shopping Spree!’s 180 exhibitors traveled from near and far to bring their unique gifts and special wears to our attendees.

5) You!

The Junior League of Raleigh thanks its members, sponsors, exhibitors and vendors, and attendees for continuing to support A Shopping Spree! We hope to see you at this year’s event November 14-17 at the
Raleigh Convention Center!

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