Editor’s note: This is part 2 in a 2 part post from Lindsey Hoffman about her membership experience in the Junior League of Boston. See part 1 here.

I have also developed personally and professionally as a Junior League of Boston member. When I was looking for a new apartment in the city, a fellow member referred me to a friend in the South End who needed someone to take over their lease. Viola! Easy move-in and no broker fee! When I was looking to make the next step in my career, two Junior League members referred me for an open position at their Fortune 100 company.  I’m quickly approaching my second year in that role which I love, and I have the League to thank for this big step in my career.

While this organization has made a difference in my personal development, it’s also enabled me to make a difference in the community. I’ve had the opportunity to work with adolescent girls at the Charlestown Boys and Girls Club and volunteer on our Show House Committee (the League tradition for which my mother volunteered 23 years ago) to raise money to fund our community projects. I found that I really enjoyed the internal operations aspect of the organization and served on our Finance Council to better understand how we fund the great work that we are doing in our community. With that experience under my belt, I accepted the “call to serve” and am currently the Director of Membership-Elect. I can’t think of a better way of giving back to a group that has given me so much. I’m thrilled to be working with the core of our organization—our members—to ensure that they have the best experience possible. Our team will oversee the 2015-2016 new member class and we are so excited to guide and support our newest members.

It’s hard to believe that when my mom joined 27 years ago, she was in the minority of members who were trying to balance a full-time career and volunteer commitments. Most League events were held during the day. Our League has since adapted to the needs of our members, and we are flexible in meetings, volunteer opportunities, and training sessions. Each member has the opportunity to make this experience her own. For example, my plan is to eventually get my MBA and my current role in the League will give me the training and experience to manage a committee and budget which is an opportunity that I have not yet had 3 years into my career. What I love is that we are an organization of women at different points in their lives—whether one is raising a family, pursuing studies full-time, or focusing on her career. Yet, we all want to be part of something where we can make a community impact and be supported by fellow women.  Not many other organizations can say that they offer this to their members.

I have many things that I love about being part of the Junior League of Boston, but my favorite by far is attending Junior League events with my mom and sharing this experience with her. With almost 30 years in training, I guess it was bound to happen!

If you are a prospective new member or a current member who has a colleague, friend, or family member who has expressed interest in joining, please have her fill out a prospective new member form which will add her to our mailing list. We will be accepting new member applications from April 1-June 1 and plan to hold information sessions on April 12, May 7, and May 11. Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at lindseydhoffman [at] yahoo [dot] com.

Lindsey Hoffman has been a member of the Junior League of Boston since 2011.  She is currently the Director of Membership-Elect.