The Junior League of Boston (JL Boston) is pleased to announce their contribution totaling $22,500 to various Greater Boston organizations and families in support of the impact COVID-19 is having across the community. The grants were announced at the JL Boston Annual Meeting on Monday, June 15, 2020, and marked their commitment to their mission of supporting women and girls in  the Greater Boston community. JL Boston announced contributions to the Women’s Foundation of Boston COVID-19 Relief Fund, and to recipients of both the Linda K. Ryan Award and Annual Community Assistance Grants. 

JL Boston contributed $5,000 to the Women’s Foundation of Boston COVID-19 Relief Fund, matched by an anonymous donor to further the impact. 

Knowing that women and girls in Greater Boston face growing challenges amplified by COVID-19, which dramatically increase the risks for many in poverty, the Women’s Foundation of Boston established the COVID-19 Relief Fund. It is the hope of JL Boston that this contribution will further support those in need, with a focus on those most impacted by COVID-19. JL Boston’s contribution to this effort is made possible by a generous bequest from a member, the late Faith Sulloway (1920-2013).

“Aligned closely with our own mission, the Junior League of Boston believes strongly in the opportunity that the Women’s Foundation of Boston COVID-19 Relief Fund is creating for women and girls in the Boston community,” said Junior League of Boston President Michelle Lentz. “It is our hope that our contribution to this fund will further support those in need, especially during these unprecedented times.” 

“The generous donation to the Women’s Foundation of Boston Response Fund from the Junior League of Boston was truly impactful,” said Christina Gordon, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Women’s Foundation of Boston. “This funding was immediately doubled by our match challenge and enabled us to continue emergency funding to the Boston women- and girls-serving nonprofits who have been hardest hit by the pandemic crisis. Support by the Junior League of Boston illustrates the importance of community and collaboration in our city to move forward during this challenging time.  We are honored to be funded by the JL and look forward to future opportunities to work together to empower the women and girls in our city.” 

Through the Linda K. Ryan Award, JL Boston awarded $7,500 to over three dozen local families involved in the organization’s community service programs. Many of their community program participants and their families are facing economic challenges due to COVID-19, and JL Boston is proud to support families with direct aid to lessen the burden of the unforeseen circumstances.

JL Boston awards Community Assistance Grants annually to local organizations based on need and alignment with the JL Boston mission of promoting the health and wellness of women and girls in the Greater Boston area. This year, JL Boston awarded a total of $10,000 to four local organizations, with a special focus on those serving communities particularly affected by COVID-19. 

The four organizations receiving $2,500 grants each are Friends of the Hernández (FOH), Rosie’s Place, Transition House and Women’s Lunch Place.

1. Friends of the Hernández (FOH), located in Roxbury, MA. The grant will  support their After School Program at the Rafael Hernández K-8 Dual Language Immersion School. The After School Program contributes to the cultural fabric of the surrounding neighborhood by offering students arts programming and dual-language education. Their mission is to support and advocate for the Rafael Hernández K-8 Dual Language Immersion School and the surrounding community.
2. Rosie’s Place, located in Boston, MA.The grant will support their Food Program, which is the lifeline to their guests who have nowhere else to turn. Each year Rosie’s Place welcomes and provides food to 2,000 guests. Their mission is to provide a safe and nurturing environment that helps poor and homeless women maintain their dignity, seek opportunity and find security in their lives.
3. Transition House, located in Cambridge, MA. The grant will support the establishment of the Family & Children’s Services Health Program and the funding of a part-time Family Nurse Care Manager. Their mission is to break the cycle of domestic violence in our community.
4. Women’s Lunch Place, located in Boston, MA. The grant will support their continued efforts to outreach to women in need and to continue to serve more than 200 meals each day to the women who have been severely impacted by COVID-19. Their mission is to provide nutritious food and individualized services for women who are experiencing homelessness or poverty.

“We were so inspired by all grant applicants. Each have made incredible accomplishments and have even greater potential for future impact,” said Junior League of Boston President Michelle Lentz. “We chose our grants recipients based on their unique program offerings which best align with our own mission at the individual, group and community level, as well as their need during these unprecedented times. We are proud to invest in their efforts to help further their ability to positively impact the Greater Boston community.”

To donate to JL Boston and help expand its impact, please visit https://www.jlboston.org/individual-donors/

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Jim Ryan addresses the Junior League of Boston general membership while VP of Community Service Tori Hay looks on.

Linda Kandarian Ryan was an exemplary wife, mother, and member of the Junior League of Boston. She began her career in education and transitioned into the publishing industry where she was well-respected. Linda’s substantial commitment to the world of volunteerism began when she joined the Junior League of Boston. She served on the League’s executive committees and received both the Volunteer Recognition Award and the Sarah Lawrence Award for her contributions to the National Museum for Women in the Arts in Washington, DC. She also served on the board of the Boston Junior League Garden Club. Her volunteering for the arts extended to the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Museum School, where she relished participating in the Museum School’s annual Christmas student sale.

Linda passed away following a brief illness in 2009. Her many friends remember her as a generous hostess, talented organizer, wonderful role model, natural leader and devoted wife to her beloved husband Jim and mother to their daughter Franci. Upon her passing, Linda’s family set up a scholarship fund, entrusting the Junior League of Boston to award participants of our community programs with funding that enables girls to expand on the skills they learned during the year by participating in enriching programming outside the league, during the summer.

The Junior League of Boston is proud to announce that three exceptional participants of our Community programs have been selected to receive summer camp scholarships this year.

Alondra Leon Hernandez

Our first winner, Alondra Leon Hernandez, has been attending our STEM program in East Boston for the past two years. She is one of our rock stars! She always participates and has creative ideas. She’s also incredibly welcoming, kind, and works to be inclusive even if she doesn’t know the other girls well. No matter what challenges she encounters, she has not lost her sense of self, and has become even stronger at STEM. This girl will be using her scholarship to attend camp U-Design at Boston University’s College of Engineering this summer and we couldn’t be more proud.

Phoebe LeNgo

Our second winner, Phoebe LeNgo, was one of the only students to attend our inaugural STEM Program in Jamaica Plain, and stick with it even though she was at times the only student in our first set of sessions. She was always enthusiastic and eager to participate. Our volunteers enjoyed working with her so much. This summer she will also be attending camp U-Design at Boston University, experiencing a hands-on laboratory and workshop experience enabling her to experiment, design, analyze and test challenging problems in addition to creating her own inventions. Both she and Alondra will experience cutting-edge research and demonstrations by visiting College of Engineering faculty and students.

Nalaya Rodas

Our third winner, Nalaya Rodas, has been a fantastic addition to our JL Boston Arts program, one of our League’s longest running programs that provides exposure and hands-on access to different art related disciplines including performing arts, visual arts, culinary arts and design. This special Arts participant comes to each session excited and ready to learn, always with a positive attitude. She works hard on her art projects and always comes up with creative ways to complete the activities. She takes time to carefully think through her creative designs in order to really make a standout piece of art. This student absolutely LOVES Disney and is always either listening to or singing Disney songs. As a Linda Ryan scholarship winner, this student will be attending the Bay Colony Performing Arts Academy to perform in a production of The Lion King this summer, and fulfill her dream of being a part of her own Disney show!

Congratulations to all three of our winners!

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