One of my favorite organizations launches a day to spread optimism
Need some good news? I’ve got some … well, good news for you. This month the Association for Junior Leagues International — an organization that’s very close to my heart — is launching a new event called International Find the Good Day. It happens on September 14, and it’s a chance “to celebrate the good in and all around us.” I am ALL about that, so I talked with Nicole Bergman and Emma Briggs of AJLI to learn more. Nicole is the association’s vice president of marketing and communications, and Emma is director of programs and partnerships.
Highlighting What Works
Find the Good Day is a response to all the negative news that seems to surround us these days. We don’t have to look very hard for things that make us feel sad, frustrated, or afraid. But finding empathy and optimism in the world can sometimes feel harder. Find the Good Day aims to spotlight “what is working in our communities and how we can leverage those things,” Emma says.
The League also wants to spread optimism because it’s just plain good for us. Positive thinking can make your heart healthier, help you fight off illness, and even lengthen your life.
AJLI plans to make Find the Good Day an annual event held on the second Thursday in September. The association is also working to make Find the Good Day an official national observance.
Give Back (and Shop!)
To celebrate Find the Good Day, local Junior League chapters have an array of events planned to give back to their communities and celebrate the work of their members. For those of us who love to shop, some League chapters are hosting events featuring Kendra Scott jewelry. A portion of the proceeds will support the work of the Junior League.
Emily and Nicole recommend keeping an eye on your local chapter’s social media channels to get the latest on Find the Good Day events.
A History of Doing Good
It’s only fitting that Find Your Good Day was created by the Junior League. If you look around at the positive things going on in your community, there’s a good chance you’ll discover that the League has been involved. “You might not necessarily know all of the impacts that have happened over that time,” Emma says.
After all, the first Junior League was founded over 120 years ago! The chapter in Austin, which I was a part of, was founded in 1934. Some of its best-known projects include Coats for Kids and the Christmas Affair holiday market, which raises money for Junior Leagues’ programs and community partners. You can see a list of the Austin chapter’s 2023-2024 community projects here. Several years ago, one of my Junior League mentors, Carol Goodman traveled to India for a community service project. Carol always says her trip to India is one that changed her perspective on positive giving.
If Find the Good Day has sparked your interest in Junior League, let me encourage you to get involved with the organization yourself. On the homepage for the Association of Junior Leagues International, you’ll see a box where you can enter your ZIP code to search for a chapter near you. For my fellow Austinites, here’s your local chapter.
How will you Find the Good on September 14? Share your plans with me, and get inspired by others in this community on LinkedIn.
Finding the good
Here are a few ways Junior League chapters across the country will be celebrating International Find the Good Day:The New York Junior League will partner with New York City’s Department of Social Services to provide household essentials kits to families transitioning from shelters.
- The Junior League of Milwaukee plans an art installation that visualizes acts of good in the community, as well as a greeting card drive for nursing homes.
- The Junior League of Greater Fort Lauderdale will team up with their legacy partner, Flight Center, which focuses on children aging out of foster care, to host a drive and direct service activity.
P.S. The picture above includes Junior League members from across the country helping to rebuild homes after Hurricane Katrina in 2015. Many of you know that I am a Louisiana native, so this picture touches my heart. Shout out to former AJLI Board Member Carol Goodman, who is also one my Junior League mentors for this incredible photograph.
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