Community Service   

Beautification

In March 2005, the Junior League of York selected Beautification as our impact area until 2008.  For the last two decades, the League has decided to focus its energy in one area in an effort to genuinely impact the community. Via the community projects, the JLY truly implements its mission.  Members are not only improving the community by volunteering their time to implement these projects, they are improving themselves as well by learning more about the community from the on-the-job-training that occurs from volunteering for these projects.

To prepare the membership for a change, Vicki Clark, a professional trainer used by AJLI, taught the membership what a true impact area was and made members consider how each and everyone’s position in the League should contribute to that impact area.  The League Board took the next step to leading the League to its current impact area--Beautification.  The Board used the York County report and United Way information to narrow the community needs to four areas to present to membership—beautification, diversity, housing and literacy.  In four General Membership meetings, a Board member who was the spokesperson for the area educated the membership.  In addition, community speakers for each area expounded upon the community need for their respective topic.  Other meetings were used to discuss the areas, and come to a conclusion—Beautification.

Thus far efforts at Beautification have included the Adopt-A-Block clean up efforts, the Daffodil Dig Days to plant bulbs along the rail trail, flowerboxes at the Byrnes Center and the Renaissance Park Project, which began in the spring 2007.