The Collaborative Opportunity Grants Committee has been busy these past few weeks fulfilling short term projects with this year’s grant recipients. Each year, this committee coordinates grants given by Junior League of Lafayette to community nonprofit agencies.
Junior League of Lafayette’s first grant of the year provided a girls’ night at Clearpoint Learning Center. Clearport Learning Center provides highschoolers in the Acadiana area a safe environment for after-school tutoring, mentoring, and job readiness training. The Committee organized a community mentor girls' night, served ice cream to participants, and participated in positive discussions with the girls.
“Generally, the girls are just so appreciative that someone cares about them to come out and do fun things with them,” said Active Tanya Brown, who serves on the committee.
The Collaborative Opportunity Grants Committee will host another girls’ night in the spring.
The League also supported Girls on the Run through a Junior League of Lafayette grant. On November 12, Members volunteered at the Moncus Park event by assisting with registration, supporting the runners, and providing post-race refreshments.
The grant also provided a speaker and bus shuttles to Moncus Park. Girls on the Run is a fun event focused on inspiring girls to recognize their unique strengths while building a sense of connection in a team setting by completing a 5K together.
"Girls on the Run was a great show of girl power,” said Katrena King, Community Collaboration Chair.
On November 15, committee Members put together over 99 Coping Kits at Healing House with the aid of another Junior League grant. Healing House helps children, teens, and young adults who are anticipating or have experienced the death of a family member or another important person in their lives.
Coping Kits contain a journal, “feelings doll,” grief coloring book, and other self-care items and resources for caregivers. The Coping Kits assembled by members were later delivered across Acadiana to funeral homes and hospitals.
On December 12, the Collaborative Opportunity Grants Committee delivered a car-full of groceries to the CAJUNDOME for the 36th Annual KLFY FoodNet Food for Families Drive.
FoodNet Food Bank provides food to those in need through community support in an effort to reduce hunger in Acadiana. The food drive was a huge success this year, thanks in part to the generous donations of our membership.
These short-term projects through the Community Committee are yet another great example of how the League makes lasting impacts for community change.
Be on the lookout this spring for more successful events made possible through Junior League of Lafayette grants – including Starlight Safari at Zoosiana in January!