The Junior League of the Oranges and Short Hills (JLOSH) hosted its Annual Dinner on Wednesday, May 18, 2016 at the Racquets Club of Short Hills. During the dinner, Christina Connant, a resident of Short Hills and current JLOSH President, thanked former JLOSH President Kelly Sandler, who ended her term in March of this year, for all of her hard work over the past year and a half. JLOSH also honored several members for their outstanding contributions over the past year.
Larissa Baker of Millburn and Kate Farley of Maplewood were named Actives of the Year for their involvement in JLOSH’s major fundraising event, Chips For Charity, along with their community service work for the League. Praise about Larissa and Kate came easy to the League’s membership including East Hanover resident and JLOSH Fund Development Chair Daphne Kailas who said, “Larissa and Kate are team players, great communicators and bring out the best in others. Together they oversaw and revived JLOSH’s wildly successful Chips For Charity event. They not only brought JLOSH members together to support our Fill The Need initiative, but also several members of the community. Their dedication to the League is inspirational—it’s truly from the heart.”
The Sustainer of the Year award was given to Kate Lee of Short Hills who served as JLOSH President during the group’s Centennial, as well as a Treasurer of the State Council of Junior Leagues and an influential member of the New Jersey State Public Affairs Committee (NJSPAC). As both a member and Chair of NJSPAC, Kate has been a powerful force in the fight against human trafficking.
Christina Connant said, “With over 15 years of JLOSH membership, regularly stepping into various roles and always going the extra mile, Kate Lee is being honored as our Sustainer of the Year. She is a tireless advocate for our local Junior League chapter, as well as for the initiatives of the New Jersey Leagues and the Association of Junior Leagues International, especially focusing on her work with human trafficking prevention. She speaks to being “all in” when it comes to making voices heard and making a difference.”
JLOSH also honored its outgoing Board of Directors and its members with a video recapping the community service and fundraising work done over the past year.
As Active of the Year, Kate Farley said, “Volunteering with JLOSH has given me an opportunity to be part of a vibrant group of women who are truly dedicated to improving our community. As a newcomer to town a few years ago, my participation in JLOSH gave me the chance to make wonderful new friends while also helping others in need. I love that the work we do, while challenging at times, is ultimately really rewarding—and we have fun doing it.”
“Working with JLOSH has been a really rewarding experience. I’m so appreciative of JLOSH’s commitment to the individual growth of its members and proud of its long-standing devotion to enriching the lives of hundreds of children and families in our service area through its community programs, grants and advocacy work,” said Active of the Year Larissa Baker. “It’s a great feeling to know that we’re making a positive impact on the lives of others.”
JLOSH members work together to tackle its “Fill The Need” initiative which focuses on addressing the basic needs of low-income children in its service area through community work dedicated to closing the gap on food insecurity, school supply gaps, essential clothing and basic hygiene needs of school-aged children living in poverty. JLOSH believes that when these basic needs are met, together we can help low-income children focus their energy on succeeding in school and building a more secure future.
The Junior League of the Oranges and Short Hills, Inc. is an organization of women developed as civic and community leaders creating lasting community impact. JLOSH provides service to East Orange, Livingston, Maplewood, Millburn, Orange, Short Hills, South Orange, Springfield and West Orange, and reaches out to women of all races, religions and national origins. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. To learn more about JLOSH, visit www.jlosh.org or find us on Facebook.
