Bill Text: NY J00579 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Junior League of Bronxville

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2023-03-21 - ADOPTED [J00579 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-J00579-Introduced.html

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Senate Resolution No. 579

BY: Senator MAYER

        COMMEMORATING  the  75th Anniversary of the Junior
        League of Bronxville

  WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative  Body  to  acknowledge
and  celebrate  outstanding  organizations  that  work  to  promote  the
wellbeing of the citizens of the State of New York; and

  WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and  in  full  accord  with  its
long-standing  traditions,  this  Legislative  Body  is  justly proud to
commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Junior League of  Bronxville  on
Saturday, March 25, 2023, at the Bronxville Field Club; and

  WHEREAS,  The  event will celebrate a "Mosaic of Members & Mission,"
highlighting the League's impact across the  communities  it  serves  in
Bronxville, Eastchester, Mount Vernon, Tuckahoe, and Yonkers; and

  WHEREAS, The Junior League of Bronxville (JLB) has been in operation
for  75  years,  serving the local community through promoting literacy,
health, wellness and  safety  for  children,  women,  and  families;  it
continues  to  hold  true and strong to their educational and charitable
mission:  commitment to promoting voluntarism, developing the  potential
of  women  and  improving  communities  through the effective action and
leadership of trained volunteers; since its inception, the Junior League
of Bronxville has remained true to its core mission and values; and

  WHEREAS, Some of the Bronxville Junior  League's  earliest  projects
included  sewing  for the Red Cross, sponsoring a mobile library cart at
Lawrence Hospital, and running regular social events  for  seniors;  the
organization  has been passionate about helping children from the start,
with members in the 1940s volunteering at a well-baby clinic; and

  WHEREAS, In the 1950s, the Junior League of Bronxville had a  robust
resume  of  service  projects,  including  a  music  therapy program for
children with cerebral palsy called Musical  Participation;  the  League
members   sang   to  the  children  and  taught  them  to  play  musical
instruments; the organization also brought 1,040 children  by  bus  from
Westchester  orphanages  to  the  Eastchester  High  School  to  watch a
performance of Hansel and Gretel by the Children's Theater Group; and

  WHEREAS, Rich in history of hosting  unique  service  projects,  new
officers  and  members of the League hosted a luncheon at the Bronxville
Field Club to support local businesses; in honor of fashion week, League
members modeled dresses from two local shops: Chez Marie and  the  Tweed
Shop; and

  WHEREAS,   In  March  of  1963,  the  Junior  League  of  Bronxville
celebrated its 15th  anniversary,  boasting  300  Active  and  Sustainer
members;   these  women  codified  their  membership  through  community
service, volunteering in civic, social,  and  welfare  agencies;  League
members  utilized  profits  from  their self-run thrift store, The Penny
Wise Shop in Mount Vernon, to  provide  free  classes,  such  as  French
Language,  Art  Appreciation,  and  Creative  Writing,  to  children who
otherwise could not afford the opportunity; and


  WHEREAS,  In the late 1970s, the Junior League of Bronxville began a
partnership  with  the  Yonkers  Court  Assistance  Program  for  Abused
Spouses;  the  program  involved  50  volunteers who assisted victims of
abuse in more than 850 individual cases; and

  WHEREAS, The JLB drafted a position statement on  domestic  violence
which  was  adopted  by the New York State Junior Leagues and led to the
creation of the Domestic  Violence  Task  Force;  soon  thereafter,  the
statement  was  also  adopted  by the larger AJLI; a few years after the
program's inception, the JLB received  the  Yonkers  Soroptimist  Club's
Women-Helping-Women Award; and

  WHEREAS,  In  1981,  Bessie Jansen pitched the idea of compassionate
end-of-life care to the League; the JLB formed a Hospice Task Force  led
by Sandra Rueb, providing $10,000 in seed funds; Jansen Memorial Hospice
joined  forces  with  the  Home  Nursing  Association  of Westchester to
provide patient care, and throughout the decade, the JLB continued their
support of the Jansen Memorial  Hospice,  and  in  1984  established  an
endowment  fund  to  ensure  the  long-term  financial  success  of  the
organization; and

  WHEREAS, In the 1990s, the Junior League of Bronxville  founded  the
Bereavement Center of Westchester; the Tree House, a special program for
children  who  are  grieving  the  loss  of  a  parent  or  sibling, was
established in 1995; this was one of the  first  grief  centers  created
solely for children and their families in the United States; and

  WHEREAS,  In  1992,  the  JLB presented a free public lecture series
spearheaded by Past President Nancy Beers-Nix which focused on  relevant
topics  for  women  who were taking on greater leadership roles in their
personal and professional lives; and

  WHEREAS, It is  with  great  pleasure  that  this  Legislative  Body
acknowledges this exceptional organization and its role in improving the
quality  of life in its community, fully confident that it will continue
to enjoy the sparkling successes  it  has  experienced  thus  far;  now,
therefore, be it

  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Junior League of Bronxville; and
be it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted to the Junior League of Bronxville.