Junior League of Lexington Inc

Friends of the Lexington Senior Center - $5,000 was awarded to the Senior Emergency Medical program, which has been in operation since 1998, provides free durable medical equipment (e.g., walkers, shower chairs) and incontinence supplies to low-income seniors. This program fills the gap between what the city funds and what the senior center needs.  

Mentors & Meals - Mentors & Meals - $4,000 was granted to Mentors & Meals (M&Ms) whose mission is to enhance academic achievement in middle schoolers through mentoring (and meals). Many of the students served are Hispanic and tell M&Ms that A) they have never read a book from cover-to-cover or, B) they have never read a book they LIKED. The Spring Book Club is an opportunity for the M&Ms program to choose a book with relatable characters. All students who participate by reading the book and passing an assessment are able to attend the grand finale which is an overnight/lock-in at Life Adventure Center of the Bluegrass.

The Fayette Education Foundation - $5000 in awarded grant funds will help provide books, at no charge, to children ages birth to five in Lexington, Ky through partnership with the Dollywood Foundation. The Kentucky Legislature set aside funding to ensure all 120 counties in Kentucky have this program for their youngest citizens. With help from the state, approximately $17 will cover 12 months of age-appropriate books for one child for one year; the JLL grant will provide books to about 295 children for one year. 

The Kentucky Center for Grieving Children and Families – $5,000 was awarded to the Kentucky Center for Grieving Children and Families because one in ten Kentucky children will lose a parent or sibling by the age of 18. Unsupported grief leads to negative outcomes in school performance, increased incidence of mental and behavioral health issues, increased illness, and increases in risk-taking behaviors. KCGCF provides a safe atmosphere where some of our most vulnerable youth and their caregivers can learn to acknowledge and better cope with the emotions that come with grief and death loss. Through discussion and hands-on activities, children and caregivers will learn a variety of coping tools to help them navigate difficult emotions and that can bring more resilient responses to future obstacles. They will participate in art, music, writing, or other forms of experience-based activities and play to help them gain a more concrete understanding of the session topic. 

Big Brothers Big Sisters - $4,000 in funding received by the Junior League will support the School Based Mentoring Program in Fayette County. Funding will be used to provide activities for matches that include movies, attending community events, going to plays/concerts, and academic resources. Safety is our top priority, so we adhere to strict standards and policies for screening volunteers (background checks, fingerprinting, etc.), assessing appropriate matches by collecting and analyzing data and interview content, and extensive trainings provided to volunteers - including trauma informed care. 

Blue Grass Farms Charities - $5,000 was granted to Blue Grass Farms Charities because the organization provides health and human services to people working in Central Kentucky's thoroughbred industry.  The Back to School Backpack Program provides backpacks stuffed with school supplies to kindergarten through middle school students. The audience served is over 70% Hispanic, and the average farm worker is paid only $14 an hour, and the average family has 3-4 children. 

Jubilee Jobs of Lexington - $2,000 in grant funding was awarded because the agency seeks to eliminate the seemingly insurmountable barriers to employment for the vulnerable by offering both training and resourcing, as well as leveraging our extensive network of employers, who are willing to extend opportunities to second chance employees. Critical to our success is both making clients aware of the services we have available, as well as encouraging our employers to consider the benefit of giving second-chance employees an opportunity -- they can both satisfy their ever-increasing labor demand all the while giving the chance for a fresh start to their fellow Kentuckian! The Back to Work Barbeque and Career Fair, has the potential to be a great engine to facilitate these goals -- connecting clients to services as well as giving employers and other agencies the opportunity to meet candidates. The event includes delicious food, raffles, door prizes, barbers/hairdressers that can offer haircuts/beard trimmings to make individuals "job ready" as well as counselors ready to complete intake and job-counseling assistance on-site.