Thank you for your continued support of the Junior League of Cedar Rapids. This year our league theme was Joy and Connection. After two years of virtual meetings and postponed events, we were eager to spend time together all while making an impact in the community. While there were a couple of virtual meetings and pivots along the way, by the Annual Meeting in May, we could hear the hum that only a Junior League meeting can create, we enjoyed each other’s company and celebrating our wins for the year!

Our membership team focused on offering a robust variety of training and development opportunities. Training and development ranged from financial literacy and leadership to yoga and setting boundaries. On a couple of occasions, Past Presidents offered their time and shared lessons learned from their time in league. We loved hearing about their experiences and were able to draw some meaningful takeaways from their days in leadership. These opportunities helped us keep Junior League’s mission to develop and train women at the forefront of our work.

We brought back Fostering Strength in the spring after two years off. The event committee worked tirelessly amidst the ever changing public health and safety recommendations. We were so grateful to have Janiva Magness join us as our guest speaker. Her raw and honest explanation of the foster care system was moving and helped us raise over $10,875. We can’t wait to host this event again in the spring of 2023.

Bridging the G.A.P. continues to thrive as our league project. This is the longest JLCR has worked on a single project. We make an impact through the Apartment in a Suitcase Project, our scholarship program, and the Housing First Program. Collectively, this project is supporting over 150 young adults annually who have either aged out of the Iowa foster care system or are active in the foster care system.

Most importantly, we had a large incoming cohort of new league members. It is truly inspirational to see our different committees integrate new members into the fold, leverage their strengths, and connect them with meaningful relationships and training opportunities. Junior League continues to be the premiere leadership organization for women and our incoming leadership and members only reinforce the positive impact we will continue to have in the community.

With gratitude,

Katie Curtis

President 2021-2022