The Junior League of the Lehigh Valley hosted a gem of an event Sept. 28 at Kendra Scott at the Lehigh Valley Mall, where shoppers could peruse a sparkling selection of jewelry and shop with a purpose during Giveback Day.

Shoppers were invited to “shop for good” from 3-5 p.m., when 20 percent of each purchase benefited JLLVPA, an organization of women whose mission is to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration and training.

Giveback Day at Kendra Scott wrapped up JLLVPA’s “Find the Good Day Month.” The event was one of many JLLVPA sponsors to further its mission, working with community partners throughout the Lehigh Valley to address and solve pressing issues like educational disparity, food insecurity and literacy.

“It’s been a great month,” Kathleen Talarico, past president and organizer of “Find the Good Day” activities, said of all the “Find the Good Day” activities in September.

Through strategic partnerships and signature programs such as the Backpack Giveback Project, scholarship programs and fundraising initiatives, JLLVPA members are leaders who make a difference in the community while promoting personal growth and building friendships.

Talarico said JLLVPA was founded in 1943, though its roots date back to the early 1920s in Bethlehem.

The League was organized in 1922 as The Junior Welfare League of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The Association of Junior Leagues International, then AJLA, incorporated the Junior League of the Lehigh Valley during their 1943-44 League year. It is one of 293 Junior Leagues representing over 171,000 women in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and England.

“Anyone who identifies as a woman and is over 21 who believes in our mission can join,” Talarico said.

Katie Jones, vice president of membership, said JLLVPA has about 140 members, which includes active members (members who have completed the new member onboarding program, are eligible to vote and may hold office) and sustaining members (active members can elect to become sustaining members after completing their new member year and eight active years).

Michelle Resto-Carlson, president, described JLLVPA as “a place where impact meets leadership meets community needs.

“Everyone imparts their skills,” she said.

“I joined recently when I moved to the area to meet like-minded women and to do community service,” Jones said.

Alex Meyer, community impact chair, also shared her thoughts on the organization. “I like meeting people in different walks of life to expand my view and mindset.”

Sometimes the desire to give back is generational, as it is with Annie Lanscek, member representative. Her mother, Margaret Hollands, who was visiting from Houston, Texas, is a former Junior League member in Houston, where Lanscek’s sister Becky is a Junior League member.

“My mom raised both of us to be women who give back to their community,” Lanscek, who attended with her young daughter Kiley, said.

Talarico said Giveback Day at Kendra Scott benefits all JLLVPA’s programs. “We’ve had a good turnout,” she said, adding purchases could also be made online for the event.

Talarico said JLLVPA partnered with Kendra Scott for many years before the brick and mortar store opened at the Lehigh Valley Mall, and the group held its first event in the store last year.

Talarico became involved with JLLVPA when she was new to the Lehigh Valley, wanted to get to know the community better and find an organization to give back to locally.

“It’s a safe space to develop as an individual and a leader, and has helped in my career,” Talarico said.

The JLLVPA celebrated “International Find the Good Day” Sept. 19, a special day of unity and compassion that aims to spread kindness, uplift others and inspire positive change across the Lehigh Valley. It’s an opportunity for individuals, families and organizations to come together as change makers and create a ripple effect of positivity throughout the community.

The JLLVPA marked the day as one to inspire positive change and help make a difference for local foster families. It celebrated the day by partnering with The Kindness Project, a local nonprofit that provides free support to foster families across eastern Pennsylvania by offering essential items for the children and tweens in their care.

The JLLVPA provided over 250 Back to School Bedtime Bundles to foster families, which were packed with nighttime comforts for children. The Find the Good Team passed out the Bedtime Bundles to foster families at The Kindness Project’s second annual family and volunteer picnic Sept. 6. This event, hosted by The Kindness Project, is a special night of connection and creating positive core memories.

Talarico said the Bedtime Bundles included such things as pajamas and books for foster families for kids going back to school and so they’d feel comfortable sleeping in a new place.

Talarico said the JLLVPA also renovated the Personal Care Pantry at the Perfect Fit for Working Women, hosting an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 25 to celebrate the grand opening of the newly renovated Personal Care Pantry.

The Perfect Fit is the signature project of the Allentown YWCA. A long-standing partner of the JLLVPA, the Perfect Fit prepares under-resourced women entering the workforce by providing professional clothing for job interviews and the first week of work.

In tandem with that, the pantry makes personal care products, such as shampoo, soap and feminine hygiene products, available to meet the needs of these women. Over the past year, sustainers and new members of the JLLVPA worked together to remodel the pantry to create an inviting, organized space within the Perfect Fit boutique.

The JLLVPA was instrumental in the creation of the Perfect Fit in 2000, and to this day, members continue to regularly volunteer with and support the organization.

“The JLLVPA is so proud to support the Perfect Fit and their incredible work to empower women in the Lehigh Valley to help them succeed in their careers,” Resto-Carlson said. “We hope the personal care pantry will be a wonderful resource for women seeking new opportunities.”

The Backpack Giveback project is a signature program of the JLLVPA. Jones explained each summer, members pack backpacks filled with school supplies for incoming kindergartners in need in area schools.

This August, members packed a total of 530 backpacks and 200 headphones for students at William Penn ES and Freemansburg ES School; and Union Terrace ES, Mosser ES and Central Elementary STREAM Academy, Allentown.

The JLLVPA will present Leadership in Action, a panel discussion on women’s leadership and empowerment, from 7-9 p.m. Nov. 20 at Venture X, Bethlehem. The panel will feature local women who have taken on leadership roles in government, philanthropy and higher education.

For more information visit jllvpa.org.