Published June 23rd, 2021
Lafayette Juniors raises $65K for local nonprofits
Submitted by Karen Evans
The Lafayette Suburban Junior Women's Club ("Lafayette Juniors") raised $65,000 over the past 12 months for two local nonprofit organizations. In an outdoor celebration, the Lafayette Juniors awarded $32,500 to each major beneficiary, YouthALIVE and Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa County, on May 20.
Lafayette Juniors traditionally organizes two fundraising events each year - a Rummage Sale in the fall and a Kitchen Tour in the spring. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic, Lafayette Juniors moved the rummage sale online, as individual members did virtual garage sales and solicited corporate matches to raise funds. In another pandemic twist, the Kitchen Tour was re-born into The Outdoor Living Tour to keep the community safe but still raise funds for their beneficiaries. The Outdoor Living tour had strong support from sponsors and sold out weeks before the event date.
Since 1991, as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters, YouthALIVE has worked to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community. Their primary goals are to educate and train young leaders to create a more peaceful community, to interrupt the cycle of violence on the streets, to convince angry victims and their loved ones not to retaliate, to provide ongoing support to help the wounded and grieving get needed services and heal from their trauma.
Since 1983, Loaves and Fishes has served over 5 million meals to many thousands of hungry people throughout Contra Costa County. They have recruited thousands of volunteers and built an organization that has grown to serving over 149,000 meals, and distributing over 302 tons of groceries each fiscal year. Loaves and Fishes also partners with other social service agencies and community-based organizations to support those in need and also provide cost effective access to their two commercial kitchens to local food entrepreneurs to support their start-up businesses.
Lafayette Juniors is looking forward to continuing the tradition of giving to well-deserving local organizations, and is accepting applications until July 31 from all nonprofit organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area that are dedicated to social welfare, education and/or civic work. Lafayette Juniors will select organizations from the applicant pool in August to become their major and minor beneficiaries for the 2021-22 membership year. To obtain an application or learn more about Lafayette Juniors, visit www.lafayettejuniors.org.

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