“This is a great way to help children manage their stress after a car accident and help with their mental health during a trying time. Our mission has been to improve our community through voluntarism with a focus on women and children’s mental health and this project will bring this to life,” stated Holly Rosseau, Community Director.

Members of the public are invited to support this cause by purchasing calming materials from an Amazon wish list of items for the boxes. Click here to support:

For more information, contact Community Director, Holly Rousseau, at community@jlfm.org or visit jlfm.org

About Junior League of Fort Myers
The Junior League of Fort Myers, Inc., a member of the Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Membership is open to all women aged 21 and older who value our mission and are committed to inclusive environments of diverse individuals, organizations, and communities.

For nonprofits, it can be difficult to determine how to participate in policy work while remaining nonpartisan. For Junior League Members, this is a normal part of life. Whether it is individual Members, individual Leagues, SPACs, or the Collective, our work against human trafficking is ongoing.

One way you can help to combat human trafficking is by making sure that decision-makers at your local school district are aware of the free, industry-specific materials that Busing on the Lookout (BOTL) has available for school transportation. School bus drivers are uniquely positioned to recognize signs of exploitation and/or grooming in the children they transport each day, which is why BOTL created its School Transportation Training Video and companion materials.

Check out BOTL’s new video highlighting the importance of school transportation in combating human trafficking and their step-by-step guide on how you can introduce BOTL to your local schools. By sharing their training materials with the appropriate school contacts in your area, you are helping BOTL expand its reach and mission, and taking action against human trafficking!

To get started, “>Click here and watch this short video on Human Trafficking from Busing on the Lookout (BOTL).

Then, check out the Busing on the Lookout (BOTL) School Outreach Kit.

For more ways to help during National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, visit https://polarisproject.org/how-to-help/

Founded in 1966, Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is the leading voice for children’s literacy and is committed to a literate America where all children have the opportunities that literacy provides. Thier mission is to inspire a passion for reading among all children, provide quality content to make an impact, and engage communities in the solutions to give every child the fundamentals for success. RIF’s model for impact is grounded on book access, choice, and engagement to create a
culture of literacy for the children we serve. Through the generous donations of individual
donors, foundations, and corporate partners, RIF is able to work with local partners around the country (including schools, community centers, after-school programs, and more) to:
• Provide free, new books and eBooks to children in communities
across the U.S. through various RIF programs.
• Develop and make available free, digital resources to support
reading engagement for teachers, caregivers, and children.
• Empower individuals and communities to join RIF to support
the children they serve and create a culture of literacy.
• Leverage the importance of diverse books and diverse authors
for positive impact and change.

With 25 million children in the United States unable to read proficiently, the literacy crisis affects every community across the country. Literacy is an essential life skill that provides the foundation for a lifetime of opportunity. We must work together to change these staggering statistics and ensure every child can read.

https://www.rif.org/about-rif

“Our hope for this conference is that attendees will learn, build connections and experience a community of women in Southwest Florida and beyond. It’s called “She Is…” because we hope women can fill in the blank after ‘She Is…’ with anything they can dream of for themselves,” said Junior League of Fort Myers Advancement Director, Meghan Warner.

Added Erin Cowan, Junior League of Fort Myers President, “Our mission has always publicly focused on improving our community through voluntarism, but an equal part of that mission is to develop the potential of women. A conference like this one brings that part of our mission to life. We hope this will become an annual ‘must-attend’ event for women throughout our community who want to grow.”

All conference sessions will be held in person and virtually. The conference will feature 4 speakers:

● Karen Spears, founder of Freely Give Inc.
● Kayla Ajini, founder of SWFL Leading Ladies
● Megan Woodell, owner of Mindset in the Making
● Patricia Devost, owner of Coastal Coaching and Consulting.

Tickets are available for sale on Eventbrite.com at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/she-is-a-womens-conference-tickets-167893821941. Tickets are $35 per person and a $5 discount will be applied to anyone who uses the code JLFM2021 before October 1. The location of the conference will be announced at a later date on our website at jlfm.org and Facebook @jlfortmyers.

For more information, contact Advancement Director, Meghan Warner at financevp@jlfm.org or visit jlfm.org.

Women’s History Month starts March 1 with the theme of “Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to Be Silenced”. Some of you might notice that this is the same theme as last year. The National Women’s History Alliance decided to extend last year’s theme as due to the Coronavirus many of the women’s suffrage centennial celebrations for last summer had to be canceled. As those who fought for the right to vote, our voices as we celebrate such an important part of women’s history will not be silenced.

Women’s History Month Links:

A Digital Archive of Black Women’s Suffrage: https://blackwomenssuffrage.dp.la

PBS Article: Not all Women Gained the Right to Vote

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/vote-not-allwomen-gained-right-to-vote-in-1920/

National Women’s History Museum: Women’s Suffrage Timeline

https://www.womenshistory.org/resources/timeline/womans-suffragetimeline

National Women’s History Museum: The History of the Suffrage Movement

http://www.crusadeforthevote.org/history

Also, running the month of March is Expanding Girls’ Horizons in Science & Engineering Month. While much focus has been on engaging girls in science and engineering, there is still a gender gap that begins to appear as girls get closer to college. Here are some resources to educate, support, and encourage girls in exploring the exciting fields of Science and Engineering!

Science and Engineering Month Links Keeping Girls in STEM: 3 Barriers, 3 Solutions

https://www.edutopia.org/article/keeping-girls-stem-3-barriers-3- solutions

5 Ways to Get Girls Into STEM

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/5-ways-girls-involved-STEM-karenpurcell

National Girls Collaborative Project: Statistics

https://ngcproject.org/statistics

March 8 is International Women’s Day where around the globe the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women will be celebrated. The theme this year is #choosetochallenge. This year “we can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world.”

International Women’s Day

https://www.internationalwomensday.com/

History of International Women’s Day

https://www.un.org/en/observances/womens-day/background

The Radical Reason Why March 8 is International Women’s Day

https://time.com/5187268/international-womens-day-history/

Starting March 13 is Deaf History Month, which commemorates the achievements of people who are deaf and hard of hearing. The mid-March start reflects the timing of the three turning points in deaf education history. First up, April 15, 1817, America’s first public school for the death was opened; then April 8, 1864, Gallaudet University was officially founded as the world’s first institution dedicated to advanced education for the deaf and hard of hearing; and finally, on March 13, 1988, Gallaudet hired its first deaf president in response to a student-led movement.

Origins of Deaf History Month

https://www.deaf-interpreter.com/the-fascinating-origins-of-deafhistory-month/

Deaf HistoryTimeline

https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/asl/deaf-history-timeline

The History of Deafness

https://know-the-ada.com/t4/history-deafness.html

Famous Deaf People: 15 Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing People Who Changed the World

https://www.ai-media.tv/famous-deaf-people-15-deaf-and-hard-ofhearing-people-who-changed-the-world/

National Deaf History Month (highlights 5 role models)

https://www.insightintodiversity.com/national-deaf-history-month/

March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day and that day when all of a sudden it’s so easy to meet an Irish person. If you feel the need to brush up on your knowledge of all things Irish, the link below is a fun look at the history of St. Patrick’s Day.

St. Patrick’s Day: Bet You Didn’t Know

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5KNQ1xciMQ

On March 21, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed on the day the police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid “pass laws” in 1960. Then in 1979, the General Assembly decided that starting March 21 a week of solitary would be organized to show solidarity with the peoples struggling against racism and racial discrimination. Since then many racist laws and practices have been abolished but there is still much that needs to be done as there are still far too many individuals, communities, and societies suffering the injustices and stigma that racism brings.

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

https://www.standup4humanrights.org/en/2020/highlig hts_05.html

Then on March 25, the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade serves to honor and remember those who suffered and died in the grips of the brutal system of slavery. The day also stands to raise awareness about the dangers of racism and prejudice to us today. This year’s theme will be “Ending Slavery’s Legacy of Racism: A Global Imperative for Justice”. It will highlight the importance of education around the history of the transatlantic slave trade and slavery, slavery’s impact on the modern world, and the action still needed to address slavery’s long-lasting effects.

Slavery Remembrance: Background

https://www.un.org/en/events/slaveryremembranceday /2021/events.shtml

United Nations: International Decade for People of African Descent: Slave Trade

https://www.un.org/en/observances/decade-peopleafrican-descent/slave-trade

Wrapping up the month, on March 31, the International Transgender Day of Visibility encourages worldwide the celebration of transgender and non-binary people. It also serves to support the courage that it takes courage to live openly and authentically for transgender and non-binary people. This day is also important for recognizing the increasing violence and discrimination that the transgender community faces daily. To learn more about this day visit:

Human Rights Campaign Honors International Transgender Day of Visibility

https://www.hrc.org/news/human-rights-campaign-honorsinternational-transgender-day-of-visibility

Transgender Day of Visibility

https://tdov.org

Betty was a member of the Fort Myers Junior Welfare League, the Fort Myers Women’s Community Club, Lee Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, and Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Club which was chartered in 1970. Betty served as Alumnae President in 1972-73. She also enjoyed church, tennis, teaching, and having amazing dinner parties. It was not until 2003 that Betty moved to Orlando to be closer to her children and grandchildren.Betty was a dedicated mother first and foremost (although getting her hair and nails done was a close second). She treasured her children and embraced every moment with them. She especially loved her role as Nana. As many of her friends have conveyed, she had an inspiring and vivacious personality. She was gracious, giving, loving, kind, compassion, and caring but most of all she was beautiful inside and out!Losing a “Super Mom” like Betty is one of life’s saddest events but it is also one of life’s greatest blessings to have had a Mom to miss so much. She has instilled so much love and drive in her children, grandchildren, and everyone around her that her legacy will live on in each of us.

In leu of flowers, we request that you make donations in
her name at one of the following beloved charities:

1. ADRC – Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center
https://adrccares.org/donate/ OR
Checks made payable to ADRC can be sent to:
Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center
715 Douglas Avenue
Altamonte Springs, FL 32714

2. West Orange Junior Service League
http://www.wojsl.com/donate
Checks made payable to WOJSL can be sent to:
WOJSL
PO Box 770267
Winter Garden, FL 34777

3. Junior League of Fort Myers
jlfm.org OR Checks made payable to JLFM can be sent to:
Junior League of Fort Myers
4600 Summerlin Rd Ste C-2#196
Fort Myers, FL 33919

4. Rolling Readers Space
Coastrollingreadersspacecoast.org OR
Checks made payable to Rolling Readers Space Coast can
be sent to:
Rolling Readers Space Coast
Palm Bay Magnet High School Portable #27
101 Pirate Lane
Melbourne, FL 32901

Starting February 1, National Freedom Day celebrates the signing of the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery in 1865. The day reminds us that the United States is a nation dedicated to the ideal of freedom. Former slave, Major Richard Robert Wright Jr, fought to have this day for all Americans to celebrate. To learn more about this day visit: http://www.americaslibrary.gov/es/pa/es_pa_free_1.html

February 11th, International Day of Women and Girls in Sciences reminds us that women are still underrepresented in science with less than 30% of researchers worldwide being women. Even onscreen, women are under-represented with only about 12% of onscreen characters possessing an identifiable STEM job. This UN-designated day hopes to achieve gender equality by celebrating women and girls who are leading innovations in science. To learn more about this UN observance, visit: https://www.un.org/en/observances/womenand-girls-in-science-day.

Following the 11th, Valentine’s Day is next on Feb 14. Valentine’s Day, while rooted in Western Christian beliefs, now is commonly a celebration of love in all its heart-shaped, stickysweet, candy-coated forms. Love it or hate it, this multi-billion dollar holiday in addition to keeping Hallmark in business, was expected to be more than 27 billion dollars in 2020! But before you want to reach for another heart-shaped candy, the history of this holiday’s origins are darker and much more muddled including stories of abuse, persecution of a doctor, and about a dozen St. Valentines. According to one legend, it is believed that it was the execution by Emperor Claudias of a Roman priest, named Valentine, for secretly marrying young people that led to his martyrdom. It is thought that the celebration of St. Valentine was later combined with the ancient Roman ritual of Lupercalia. The Christian church, intolerant of the pagan festival, sought to “Christianize” it and therefore combined it with the celebration of St. Valentine. Over the years it continued to evolve into the form that we now know. To learn more about this celebration’s evolution, visit: https://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day-2 or https://www.npr.org/2011/02/14/133693152/the-dark-origins-of-valentines-day.

After celebrating the signing of the 13th Amendment on Feb 1, it seems appropriate to recognize the integral role of Abraham Lincoln. Born Feb 12, Lincoln, elected President of the US in 1860, at his first inaugural address declared that “I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.” Despite this declaration in 1861, Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 began the end of slavery in the US. The Gettysburg Address of 1863 infamously captures the moment as Lincoln began, “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” To learn more about Abraham Lincoln visit: https://www.britannica.com/summary/Abraham-LincolnsAchievements or about the abolishment of slavery, visit: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/slavery-abolished-in-america.

Next, Feb 15 is Susan B Anthony Day. Born on Feb 15, 1820, Susan B Anthony is known for her lifelong crusade for social justice. She began as an activist at an early age and has spoken out as an abolitionist, temperance campaigner, and suffragist. Rooted in her belief in equality for all, she was driven to speak out to end slavery after meeting William Lloyd Garrison and Federick Douglass. At the time, it was frowned upon for women to give speeches in public; however, Anthony traveled the country giving passionate speeches against slavery. After meeting Elizabeth Cady Stanton in 1848, Anthony turned her attention to the Suffrage movement. Putting her oratory and strategic skills to use, Anthony joined Stanton to fight for women’s right to vote after the 14th and 15th Amendments, which gave African American men the right to vote but did not include women. Anthony spent the remainder of her days passionately fighting for the right of women to vote. Unfortunately, she would die 14 years before the passage of the 19th Amendment, also known as the Susan B Anthony Amendment. To learn more about Susan B Anthony, visit: https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/susan-b-anthony or https://www.govinfo.gov/features/susan-b-anthony.

Also on Feb 15th is Presidents Day. As a federally recognized celebration, this holiday is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all US presidents, both past and present. Its roots, however, are based on the celebration of President George Washington’s birthday. In 1971, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved President’s Day to its current spot on the calendar to give American workers a 3 day holiday. To learn more about the history of President’s Day, visit https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/presidents-day or to learn more about Washington’s history related to diversity, equity and inclusion visit: https://www.whitehousehistory.org/the-enslaved-household-of-president-george-washington or https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/founding-fathers-and-slaveholders-72262393/.

Wrapping up the month is Asian-American Women’s Equal Pay Day on February 23. Since Asian-American/Pacific Islander women only earn 87 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men, this day aims to raise awareness of this pay gap. To learn more about this and the other pay gaps women experience, visit: http://www.equalpaytoday.org/aapiwomens-equal-pay-day-2021

Click Here for a list of Diversity and Inclusion Educational Resources

Kathryn M. Farmer

We begin our series with a celebration of Kathryn M. Farmer who, on January 1, 2021, will become the first woman President and Chief Executive Officer of a Class I railroad in the 200-year old history of North American railroads. Farmer will also assume leadership of
BNSF Railway’s Board of Directors. A member of the Junior League Fort Worth since 1998,we are proud that Kathryn is being recognized for her proven leadership at BNSF and in the Fort Worth community.

Sydney Barber

Sydney Barber is the first Black woman to lead 4,400 of her peers at the U.S. Naval Academy for the first time in the institution’s 175-year history. As brigade commander, 21-year old midshipman 1st Class Sydney Barber will assume the highest leadership position within the student body, overseeing the day-to-day activities and professional training of her fellow midshipmen. Although women have been studying at the nation’s service academies since 1976, the appointment of Black women to the highest cadet and midshipman leadership roles has happened only recently. Barber will take over the position next semester. Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/…/sydney-barber-navy-brigade.html

Kimberly J. NG

“After decades of determination, it is the honor of my career to lead the Miami Marlins,” Ng said in a statement. “When I got into this business, it seemed unlikely a woman would lead a major league team, but I am dogged in the pursuit of my goals. My goal is now to bring
championship baseball to Miami.”Congratulations to Kimberly J. Ng who is making history as the first female general manager on a major league baseball team and on any of the major men’s sports leagues in North America. Ng is also the second Asian American to run on-field operations for an MLB team.Learn more about Kim Ng: https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/kim-ng-miami-marlins…/

Gitanjali Rao

Meet Gitanjali Rao, a Colorado teenager who has been named Time’s “Kid of the Year” for 2020. Rao received this honor for her invention of a mobile device to test for lead in drinking water, and she was also named last year to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Many Junior Leagues are dedicated to getting young women involved in STEM and we hope that
Gitanjali serves as an inspiration!Read more about this glass-ceiling shattering young woman: https://www.npr.org/…/time-names-its-kid-of-the-year…