When they take up their duties on June 1, the Greenville Junior LeagueThe chairman and chairman-elect of the group will focus on helping members reconnect and expand the group’s partnerships throughout the community.

Taking over from President Alissa Yeargin who has guided the organization during the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year, new President Heath Beard has said his first priority is to help the approximately 1,200 members of the group. to reconnect.

The Nearly New Shop at 118 Greenacre Road is JLG’s primary fundraising business with estimated gross sales of $ 320,000 last year.

“We practically did our best,” says Beard. “It was difficult, but we had some solid success.”

She says that as one of the biggest Junior League chapters in the country, it has been difficult for members not to be able to come together in person. But from last October, the group gathered its members in large rooms which allowed adequate social distancing. The first was at Fluor Field.

Beard says his motto for the coming year is “Better Together” and that events are planned to address four areas to educate and empower league members:

• Beauty and wellness
• Career and job search skills
• Financial literacy
• Build community and friendships

She adds that the group’s fundamental mission of improving women’s economic mobility and combating human trafficking will remain a priority.

President-elect Kimberly Witherspoon, who will be the organization’s first black president when she takes office in June 2022, looks forward to building relationships with new community partners and empowering group members to take charge. more leadership roles in community change and growth.

“We are a training organization and we help launch women into leadership positions for wider impact,” says Witherspoon. “The reasons our members joined were in large part to connect and engage with our partners.”

Both women say they are encouraged by the growing awareness of gender and racial equity issues at local and national levels in recent years. Beard says the group has organized training on implicit bias and that the Junior League strives to be an organization where everyone feels comfortable and welcome.

For more information on the Greenville Junior League, visit jlgreenville.org.

Did you know?

• The Greenville Junior League was founded in 1929
• JLG has 1,155 active members, one of the largest chapters in the country
• The Nearly New Shop at 118 Greenacre Road is JLG’s leading fundraising business with estimated gross sales of $ 320,000 last year
• JLG has been instrumental in the creation of beloved local institutions such as the Roper Mountain Science Center, the Peace Center for the Performing Arts, and the Children’s Museum of the Upstate.
• JLG has four main partner organizations that it supports: Switch, a grassroots organization aimed at ending human trafficking for sexual purposes; Jasmine Road, an organization that helps women trapped in sexual exploitation and drug addiction; Serenity Place, a residential treatment center for pregnant women, young mothers and their preschool children; and Pendleton Place, an organization dedicated to sheltering and healing vulnerable children, young adults and families