Press Contacts:

Cherie Bosarge-Dutton
The Junior League of Boston
Manager of Communications
Tel: (617) 338-2947
Email: cdutton@sandw.com

GEORGIANNA MELENDEZ HELPS LAUNCH JLB PROJECT REACH

Area Domestic Violence Advocate to Address 350 Women Volunteers to Assist with Development of First Women-to-Women Mentoring Project

BOSTON (September 19, 2005) – Georgianna Meléndez, Executive Director of Respond, Inc., New England’s first domestic violence agency, will address more than 350 Boston area volunteers at the Junior League of Boston’s general membership meeting on September 19, 2005 at 6:30 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel, 200 Stuart Street.

Meléndez will help launch “JLB Project Reach” and discuss providing services to victims of domestic violence in the greater Boston community.  The Junior League of Boston’s “JLB Project Reach” is the first woman-to-woman mentoring program in Massachusetts geared to women living in transitional housing, including family shelters and shelters for those fleeing domestic violence, who are not in any specific program or class.  The goal is to empower women to reach self-sufficiency by identifying educational and career prospects.

Respond, Inc. serves more than 4,000 women and children affected by domestic violence annually, and Meléndez has created a specific curriculum that trains outreach educators how to discuss sexual assault and domestic violence sensitively and effectively.

“While we know that we are just scratching the surface with the services RESPOND provides, our vision is to create pathways to a safer life for every woman who seeks them,” Meléndez said.  She is convince that the Junior League of Boston’s more than 1,300 trained volunteers will help create those pathways.

About the Junior League of Boston

The Junior League of Boston (JLB) was established in 1907 by women interested in educating young women in the social and industrial problems of the city.  Among its achievements in the last 99 year, the JLB has produced a nationally recognized film for its contributions to public understanding of the mentally challenged; established the Good Grief program, which was turned over to the Boston University School of Medicine; and established WIRE, the Women’s Informational Referral and Educational Service.  Today, the Junior League of Boston has 18 community projects focused on the Health and Education of Women and Children. Through these projects, the JLB collaborates with agencies such as Bridge Over Troubled Waters, the Department of Social Services, and The Boys & Girls Clubs.  In 2004, JLB volunteers gave an estimated 14,000 hours of direct service to the greater Boston community.

The JLB is an organization of over 1,300 women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.  The Junior League of Boston is part of the Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. which includes nearly 300 Leagues in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and England. For more information about the Junior League of Boston, call 617-536-9640 or visit www.jlboston.org.

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