The Junior League of Washington

Congratulations to the Bright Beginnings Junior League Committee for being named the 2007 JLW Placement of the Year!

Bright Beginnings would not be in existence if not for the extraordinary volunteers from the Junior League of Washington and we are grateful for their continued commitment and dedication to serving homeless families with young children.  
 
In 1988, volunteers from the Junior League of Washington secured a grant from the Department of Health and Human Services to start a child development program for homeless preschoolers in Washington, D.C.  Prior to the establishment of Bright Beginnings, Junior League volunteers conducted an extensive and thorough community needs assessment to determine the focus of the community organization they wanted to establish.  The assessment concluded that the greatest need in the District of Columbia was childcare for homeless families living in shelters and transitional housing.  Volunteers identified several community partners to collaborate with and invited delegates to serve on the board of directors. During 1989 and 1990, Junior League volunteers established an independent, nonprofit corporate structure, secured day care center licensing, complied with local regulatory requirements, and hired staff.  Wholly independent and with its own community Board of Directors, Bright Beginnings opened its doors in1991 at the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

In addition to the behind the scenes work of organizing a wildly successful 5K fundraising race each April, volunteers from the Junior League of Washington dedicate time to volunteer at the center each week.  Each Monday, several Junior League volunteers provide after-hour care for families participating in our weekly mothers’ support group.  Volunteers help feed the children dinner, read stories and organize games for the children while their mother’s participate in a support group.  Providing after-hour childcare is vital to the success of our support group and would not be possible if not for our outstanding Junior League volunteers.

In addition, Junior League volunteers organize quarterly family literacy dinners in celebration and family reading. Homeless families are welcomed to the center with a delicious meal and then participate in a variety of literacy-based activities promoting the merits of family reading. All levels of parent literacy are taken into account and even those with poor literacy skills learn how to strengthen their own child’s pre-literacy skills. At the close of the evening, children are sent home with their own books and activities to work on outside of the center. The Junior League volunteers do a stellar job organizing and implementing the dinners and the children and parents have a great time.

We are also grateful for the volunteer effort that goes into planning our holiday breakfast each year. Every year, thanks to the incredible generosity and hard work of the Junior League our children receive warm winter jackets, books, toys and enjoy breakfast with family and friends.  The holiday party is a wonderful example of Junior League of Washington’s spirit of generosity.

In addition the providing essential child care support, organizing a fabulous 5K, organizing literacy dinners and holiday parties, volunteers from the Junior League continue to be on call of special events and in times of need.  In fact, Bright Beginnings estimates that Junior League of Washington volunteers provide more than 2,000 hours of volunteer service each year.  The support Bright Beginnings receives from the Junior League of Washington is an amazing asset and is unparalleled.  We are grateful for your continued volunteer efforts and honored to be a part of an organization of talented women doing such good work in the community.