Celebrating the Newest NYJL Volunteers

The New York Junior League recently honored the latest class of provisionals for completing their requirements at the Spring Provisional Graduation. The ambitious and generous 196 women who make up the Spring 2018 provisional class, represent one of the largest provisional classes in NYJL history.  President, Suzanne Manning, congratulated the women and welcomed them as incoming Active Members of the NYJL.

The 2018 Provisionals on the Move, honored for their character, leadership, volunteerism, and other qualities that will make them a successful active Junior League member, are: Alexandra Carmel, Brittany Dotson, Cait Gillespie, Christina Mangels, Delainey Farris, Devin Brooks, Lauren Cook, Lee Fabiaschi, Natalie Rodriguez, Regan Purcell, Samantha David.

Jennifer Barnes acknowledged that she enjoyed learning about the NYJL mission and volunteering with the Playground Improvement Project during her Provisional training. Caley Taylor and Sabrina Fruci bonded during the neighborhood assignment project and are also both excited to volunteer more during their NYJL careers.

Meshal Rao served as social chair of her provisional group, planning happy hours and other events with her fellow Provisionals, and is excited to continue to meet other members in the upcoming Junior League year. Veronica Rogala was also drawn to the NYJL for the opportunity to socialize with like-minded women, and counted the Provisional Graduation as one of the most exciting moments of the Provisional semester.

The New York Junior League is thrilled to have these new members become Active Members, and encourages other interested women to attend an upcoming orientation to learn more about the NYJL.


From left to right: Devin Brooks, Kristen Morea, Suzanne Manning

NYJL Sustaining Member Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney awarded AJLI Mary Harriman Community Leadership Award

Congratulations Congresswoman Maloney!

We are proud to share that the 2018 Mary Harriman Community Leadership Award recipient is one of our own! NYJL Sustaining member Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney made her name as a community leader in our own backyard—New York City. Congresswoman Maloney has used her experiences in both public service and the Junior League as a launching pad for policies that have helped support so many women leaders of tomorrow.

Congresswoman Maloney joined the NYJL in 1975, and in the words of President Suzanne Manning, “…is a terrific example of someone who started at the NYJL as a volunteer and really took it to the next level and the level after that.” Carolyn embraces our mission and develops bills that support women because when women succeed in the world there’s less violence, less terrorism, and more focus on education and healthcare.

Carolyn Maloney receives AJLI Mary Harriman Community Leadership Award • New York Junior League

Congresswoman Maloney was honored at this year’s AJLI Annual Conference for her dedication to serving the public and identifying and addressing the challenges women face in within their communities and nationwide. Through her work in Congress and in the Junior League, Congresswoman Maloney has helped, supported, and encouraged women and inspired them to become leaders themselves.

It’s never too late get involved

When Congresswoman Maloney was younger she admits that she didn’t have dreams to serve in government. “I never had a plan to go to Congress or even to go into public service. When I talk to my male colleagues they say ‘Well when I was two I knew I would go to Congress’ and ‘I’m going to be President.’ They always had these huge aspirations, but sometimes women don’t—until recently—have the same aspirations.” Maloney believes it’s never too late to get involved, and the support of the Junior League can help women develop the leadership skills they need to improve their communities.

Carolyn Maloney receives AJLI Mary Harriman Community Leadership Award • New York Junior League

“I feel that Mary Harriman and I worked on a lot of the same issues….The League has always been an important part of my work in Congress. I can’t tell you how much support means when you’re trying to get something done and everyone’s saying no, no, no. And then you can lean back and think ‘Well I’ve got the Junior League supporting it. I’m not alone!’ It’s an outstanding organization and I’m very proud to be a member of it.”

The Mary Harriman Community Leadership Award

In recognition of the vision of the founder of The Junior League, the AJLI Board of Directors established the Mary Harriman Community Leadership Award. This award honors and acknowledges an individual Junior League member whose volunteer efforts provide a contemporary link to Mary Harriman’s sense of social responsibility and her ability to motivate others to share their talents through effective volunteer service. Since 1990 when the award was established, it has been given to Junior League members whose leadership exemplifies our mission, vision, and values.

If you’ve ever wanted to use your voice to advocate for others, we invite you to learn more about the NYJL and our advocacy work. We build community leaders, and we support women who want to serve in public office.

Success on Shop & Stroll Madison Avenue

The NYJL Specialty Events Committee recent hosted the 3rd Annual Shop & Stroll Madison Avenue event, on what turned out to be a gorgeous, sunny Saturday in New York. As in previous years, the NYJL partnered with many Madison Avenue retailers to offer an amazing shopping experience with a portion of proceeds benefiting the NYJL. Each store had exquisite hors d’oeuvres, refreshments, exclusive shopping discounts and in some stores, special gift items with purchases.

The morning began at the Astor House with a toast at the mimosa bar, breakfast bites, and a Uwila Warrior pop-up shop who gave a generous donation to this year’s Shop & Stroll event. Thank you Uwila Warrior for your continued support!

Each year, the NYJL holds a variety of events such as Shop & Stroll Madison Avenue to generate the vital dollars necessary to support our charitable activities. The success of these events, along with generous donations from individuals and businesses, helps us achieve our mission to improve the lives of women and children in New York City. We hope to see you at an upcoming fundraiser to learn more and to support the work we do in New York City.

Thank you again to everyone who supported this year’s Shop & Stroll. It was a beautiful day that brought people together to support the NYJL and all its community efforts – we’re already looking forward to next year’s event!

                                             

Spotlight on Performance Celebrates at End of Year Show

Educating children on the arts is a wonderful way to give them the opportunity to express themselves, build confidence and encourage self esteem. At the New York Junior League, the Spotlight on Performance committee enriches the lives of the children by exposing young girls and boys to the world of artistic expression and fostering an appreciation of arts.

The Spotlight on Performance committee recently closed the 2017-2018 academic year with an astonishing performance at the Grosvenor Neighborhood House YMCA: a musical review of Moana. The show was extensive, with elementary school students singing songs from the movie and dancing to the pop version of “How Far I’ll Go” in front of their families and friends. Throughout the semester, students had explored different themes from this musical with focus on marine life in Hawaii and history of animation. At the captivating post-performance party, the children proudly showed their creative drawings of the Hawaiian god and marine life to their parents.

The New York Junior League has established long-term partnerships with a broad range of community organizations that share our passion for improving the New York City community. Beacon to Broadway volunteers work with older children at the Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center, and use drama, dance, artistic projects, and music to inspire the young boys and girls to express themselves. The LIFT committee works with 12 to 18 year-old at-risk teens at Leake & Watts (now Rising Ground) to provide them with youth development workshops and mentorship. Volunteers from CHAMP and CHEF work with a variety of partners to help educate children on health and wellness and provide families guidance on how to make life-long healthy choices. Learn more about the organizations and programs we are proud to work with.

Navigating the NYC Salary History Ban

To increase awareness about the new Salary History Ban, Advocates for Public Policy hosted a training session to help NYJL volunteers, members of the community they support and job seekers understand their rights and offer some tips on how women can answer a question related to job salary, if asked. The panel included two attorneys, Sarah Brafman and Natalya Johnson, who worked with city legislators to draft the law.

Under the law, employers of any size in New York City cannot legally ask about a job applicant’s salary during the hiring process, from advertisements or applications for the position to the interview process. The law went into effect last fall, and is aimed at helping reduce the wage gap between women and men. In 2016, the female-to-male earnings ratio was 0.805, a 1.1 percent increase from the 2015 ratio, according to the Census Bureau.

Attorney Sarah Brafman

More on the Law

The issue of unequal wages begins out of college, when women make an average of $16 compared to a men’s average wage of $20. The discrepancies are compounded over time and can be felt well into retirement, said Sarah Brafman, an attorney with A Better Balance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting equality and expanding choices for men and women at all income levels.

“This is a simple fix for a complicated issue,” Brafman said. “New York City is one of the first to implement this trend,” she said, although there are similar laws in effect in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Oregon, Massachusetts and Puerto Rico.

Under the New York City law, employers are banned from inquiring about a job applicant’s previous history, and they are also banned from relying on that information, even if they receive it from another source. The law does, however, allow for employers to inquire about salary expectations, and they can use any information an applicant voluntarily discloses.

“It’s important to have a target goal and a range you’re willing to work within,” said Natalya Johnson, a senior associate at Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti LLP who specializes in labor and employment law. “You can also proactively ask the employer what they are looking to offer. You’re not applying to volunteer with them.”

Both speakers also noted the law does not apply to people who transfer internally within an organization. Since they are already part of the system, it is likely employers would already have knowledge of their salary history.

Panelists agreed that while most employers in New York City should already be familiar with the regulations, it is important for job seekers to be prepared to push back in case they are asked to provide that history.

“If someone asks you that question and you’re comfortable telling them politely that you know they can’t ask it, more power to you,” said Brafman. “If you’re not, give them your expectations and give them examples of what you bring to the table.”

Be sure to visit the Salary History Law FAQ if you have any additional questions regarding this new law.

The Advocates for Public Policy Committee (APP) advocates on behalf of families, women, and children throughout New York City and state. Get in touch with the APP committee to learn more about the work they support.

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