Look for the flags of the Junior League of Santa Barbara to line State Street during the week of April 29 through May 6, 2016. The JLSB’s blue and white flags will fly as a part of the State Street Flag Program, which is organized and sponsored by Downtown Santa Barbara.
Each year, the JLSB proudly flies its flags along State Street to honor its history of service in the Santa Barbara community. This year, the flags also celebrate the JLSB’s partnership with community organizations closely aligned with its new focus area.
The recently-announced 2016-17 community partners include Angels Foster Care of Santa Barbara, Child Abuse Listening Mediation (CALM), Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Domestic Violence Solutions, Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara, Independent Living Program, Noah’s Anchorage Youth Crisis Shelter, Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center and Transition House.
Each organization currently has programming related to prevention, intervention and/or rehabilitation for at-risk youth in our community. The JLSB is privileged to work with these groups throughout the coming year on projects that will utilize member-driven volunteer efforts in our community.
Thanks to its successful gala in March, the JLSB’s mission and work with these partners will be stronger than ever. Generous sponsors of the event allowed the organization to increase awareness of their new focus area.
The JLSB looks forward to putting these dollars to work through effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. JLSB members will receive training on various topics that will support the work of theses organizations as well as their other leadership involvement in the Santa Barbara community.
In 1924 the JLSB was founded by a group of 24 young women who had a vision of impacting the community through volunteerism. Over the past nine decades, JLSB members have contributed to our community in many different ways:
» 1963: The JLSB contributed to the building fund of the Girls’ Club of Santa Barbara and helped to develop the Child’s Estate, a community project that later became the Santa Barbara Zoo.
» 1975: The JLSB celebrated its 50th anniversary, 85 members successfully completed the FOCUS Education Course, a leadership-training program.
» 1995: During its 70th anniversary, the JLSB became a partner in the national Silent Witness Project and helped in opening the Sexual Abuse Response Team Cottage.
» 2005: The JLSB partnered with the Santa Barbara Public Library System to renovate the Eastside Children’s Library.
» 2015: The Junior League announced a new focus area of improving the lives of at-risk young women by educating and empowering them to reach their full potential while working to prevent exploitation and injustice in our community.
» 2016 & Beyond: Through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers and by aligning with strong community partners, the JLSB will continue to make a positive impact on our community.
— Lindsay Cortina represents the Junior League of Santa Barbara.