Junior League of San Antonio Community Council 2015-16 Year in Review

Written by Rebekah Elliot, Community Writer, Graphics by Sara Buske, Graphic Designer

This year, the Junior League of San Antonio, Inc. was also able to give over $22,000 to these local non-profits! (Learn more about the grants process on jlsa.org)

American Cancer Society $1,000

The Arc of San Antonio $2,578

Boysville, Inc. $1,300

Roy Maas Youth Alternatives $2,518

University Health System Foundation $2,500

Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of San Antonio, Inc. - Help a Senior $1,500

Kinetic Kids, Inc. $2,500

Good Samaritan Community Service $2,500

YOSA (Youth Orchestras of San Antonio) $2,500

Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of San Antonio, Inc. - Guadalupe Home $2,500

Volunteer Services Council of the San Antonio State Hospital $800

$8,000 was also awarded to local high school arts and music education programs at the 2016 Margaret Tobin FAME Awards!

2015-2016 has been such a wonderfully successful year of giving, volunteering and caring. Cheers to all of the amazing women in Community for accomplishing all of the below and more!

You Say You Need a Resolution

By Sarah Bragg, Junior League of San Antonio Admissions Chair

Okay, so about this time a few years ago,  Christmas was over and I’d eaten my entire body weight in sugar cookies. What to do before the sugar wore off? Make an ambitious list of New Year’s resolutions of course!  

1. I wanted to get fit
2. In order to get fit I needed to eat healthier (remember all those cookies I just confessed to eating?)
3. Learning something new is always good
4. So is getting organized
5. I thought about how I could give back to the community
6. In order to know my community better I needed to explore San Antonio more

Wow, that’s 6 resolutions that I’d come up with; it sounded a little bit daunting. I questioned how I was going to do all these things over the next year. There’s a myriad of organizations to volunteer for in San Antonio and so many new and up and coming areas to explore. 

I asked a couple of my friends if they had any suggestions. 

One very smart friend suggested that I check out the Junior League of San Antonio. After reading about the organization online at jlsa.org I decided to fill out an application- I had nothing to lose! 

I read all about JLSA’s Resolve for a Better SA 5K and the Let’s Go San Antonio Program; it looked like I could get two of my resolutions checked off my list right away especially because the 5k is at the end of January… I found my running shoes fast! There's still time to register for the race in 2015! 

2014 JLSA Resolve for a Better SA 5K

Let’s Go San Antonio seemed like a really great way to give back to the city and to pick up some healthy eating habits too. I’m slowly I can’t eat mac n’ cheese forever. (The key is moderation.) And I loved the fact that Let’s Go San Antonio is a city wide initiative to help children develop healthier eating habits. 

I also was ready to get organized and when I learned more about the Junior League's partnership with Goodwill for donating I thought it was awesome that the donations basically counted double: support Goodwill's mission of changing lives through the power of work and earn gift cards for JLSA to give to our community partners! 

One resolution kept sticking out in my mind-volunteering. I wanted to be a part of an organization that had rich history in my city, part of an organization that could help me development myself as a better leader, an organization that would guide me. The Junior League of San Antonio seemed like a great fit! I knew a couple women in the organization already and both spoke very highly about how the Junior League helped them to grow as women and as leaders, and honestly I had been looking for an organization just like this since I graduated college. I truly felt like JLSA could really help me accomplish my New Year’s Resolutions.

The single biggest way I could accomplish all of my resolutions was to join JLSA. So I did and you can too! If you’re interested in joining the Junior League of San Antonio you can fill out an application online at jlsa.org. There will also be an information session on Tuesday, January 13th at 5:30 pm at the Bright Shawl prior to the January General Membership Meeting.

Guest Blog: Feteworthy Fashions at Julia's Attic!

A big welcome and thank you to this week's guest blogger, Ariana Barbour (Community Council Chair). Ariana and and Erica Ellis (Communications Council Chair) went on a hunt for that perfect dress at four of the Goodwill Locations participating in JLSA's annual Rummage Around Goodwill Event on Saturday, February 23rd. Take it away, Ariana!

If you’re on the hunt for the perfect dress for Fete du Cuvee (on March 2^nd) or the Patron Preview Party (on February 21^st), you don’t need to look any further than your closest Goodwill featuring a Julia’s Attic. Erica and I went out to discover the treasures of Julia’s Attic and found lots of options for even the most formal occasion.  Dark and long, or short and bright, you can find something you like at a price that’s right!

We visited the following locations and loved the selection at every single one:

Bitters

Erica found this sweet frock, that's a little sassy because it's strapless. This is a perfect option for the Patron Preview Party.  

The color on this dress is subtle at first, but you'll light up in every picture when the flash hits it just right at Fete du Cuvee.

Shimmery and a little spunky, this pink number lets you be the life of Fete! I'd have bought it, if it was my size. If you're lucky it might still be there! 

Blanco

Does the man in your life refuse to invest in a dark suit for special occasions? Or did he spend his clothing allowance on a new Yeti cooler? Well, you can get him all spruced up for your Fete date night here. 

Your main squeeze doesn't have to be the one getting all the attention! You can sparkle, literally, in this sequined number.  

DeZavala

Erica went home with this gold and black fun find. It's a little rock 'n' roll and still appropriate for a night out on the town, like the Patron Preview Party! 

I considered this dark blue gown with a sparkly flower detail. Matching shawl included! Unfortunately, the fit was not quite right. 

South Park

Another cute dress that wouldn't quite fit, so I did the next best thing. It's a cute sequined number that can make the right girl glow at Fete. Maybe it's you? 

Erica had all the luck on this excursion with another great find! Now she has two options in her closet for the Patron Preview Party! 

More treasures will await you at these and other locations participating in the Rummage Around Goodwill Event: 

Austin Highway 

Fredericksburg Road

Gateway

Hope to see you at the JLSA Rummage Around Goodwill event on Saturday, February 23rd!