FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Katie Herspiegel, President-Elect

The Junior League of Greater Princeton

Email: communications@jlgp.org

May 24, 2016

Junior League of Greater Princeton Announces Grant & Scholarship Winners

In April, the Junior League of Greater Princeton (JLGP) honored three local high school seniors who received Voluntarism Scholarships. The JLGP awards three $1000 scholarships annually to female high school seniors who have demonstrated a strong commitment to community service and voluntarism. This year’s recipients – Emily Rehmet of Doylestown, PA, Dana Weinstein of Doylestown, PA, and Erin Dart of Chalfont, PA – were chosen from an applicant pool of very accomplished young women. From raising funds for community members and organizations, to donating their time and talent to local and international nonprofits, and mentoring peers and children in their communities, these talented young women are impressive and motivated.

“As a women’s volunteer organization, we are so proud to have the opportunity to recognize young women who demonstrate a commitment to serving their community. They are each outstanding students who are already making a real difference in the lives of others. It is truly inspirational.” says Kathryn Tharney, Community VP for the JLGP.

The League also congratulated recipients of the organization’s Community Grants program, including Womanspace, Dress for Success Mercer County, Princeton Senior Resource Center, and Daytop Village at Crawford House. These four organizations received grants ranging from $625-$2500. Grants must be used to help support nonprofit organizations located in the Junior League’s service area. Representatives of each organization received their grants April 21st.

According to Deborah Vogel Brown, Chair of the Grants and Scholarships Program, “It was a pleasure seeing how much great work is being done by such dedicated individuals and organizations in our area. The depth and breadth of applicants we received this year was staggering, making it difficult for our Committee to choose which organizations to provide funding to. It was a difficult decision as well to choose which of the 16 very deserving young women would receive scholarships for college next year.   We are extremely proud to support this year’s recipients of the JLGP Grants and Scholarships and we look forward to following their progress this year.”

Womanspace, based in Mercer County, provides a wide range of services to individuals impacted by domestic and sexual violence across the state of New Jersey. Womanspace will use the JLGP grant to purchase materials and hire additional personnel for their Children’s Services Program, an integral part of Counseling Support Services focusing on the Domestic Violence Liaison Program, Child Advocacy, and the Children’s Therapy Program.

Dress for Success Mercer County will hold 4 workshop classes in 2016, supported by the JLGP grant funds. The workshops will be skill-based, focusing on Customer Service training, with opportunity for participants to receive tips and instruction on resume writing, job interview techniques and image enhancement. Clients will have the opportunity to network with community business leaders, recruiting firms, and other job-ready women at the workshops through a mentoring program.

Princeton Senior Resource Center will focus its grant on the Summer GrandPals program, implemented through the Princeton public elementary schools. Through this program, older adults are matched with at-risk kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade students, and those who need support to keep up with their peers. GrandPals provide 1:1 attention, encouragement and skill-reinforcement to the students.   GrandPals read with the students, share interests and life experiences, and participate in activities such as drawing or writing about the story they read together.

Daytop Village at Crawford House serves homeless and indigent women 18 years of age and older, who are in drug and alcohol addiction recovery. The Work Readiness program trains and prepares these women for entry into the workforce and teaches them practical life-skills to help transition them to independent living. Daytop Village at Crawford House was the first – and remains the only – halfway house in central NJ that admits only homeless and indigent women. Funds from the JLGP will help keep the Work Readiness program running in 2016.

The Junior League of Greater Princeton is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. The Junior League of Greater Princeton focuses its efforts on the needs of women and children in Mercer and Bucks counties as well as the surrounding areas. Women over the age of 21, committed to voluntarism, regardless of race, religion or national origin are welcome as members. The Junior League of Greater Princeton is part of the Association of Junior Leagues International, which includes 293 Junior Leagues in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Great Britain. For more information please visit www.jlgp.org.