Cover Story

Making connections: Jenny Cushing, president of the Junior League of Rockford

By None

ROCKFORD WOMAN

Apr 25, 2008 @ 12:01 AM

Editor’s note: Sometimes the work we do isn’t a job. It’s volunteering.

Fourteen years ago, I joined Junior League while residing in Des Moines, Iowa. I had just become engaged to my husband, and I was working as an assistant buyer at Younkers when my roommate invited me to my first Junior League function. I immediately fell in love with the atmosphere created by like-minded women all focused on giving back to their community.

My husband and I moved several times before landing in Rockford more than eight years ago. I have been a proud member of the Junior Leagues in Chicago, Fort Worth and Ann Arbor.

Junior League, for me, has been a great way to meet and connect with women in new communities. I have made lifelong friends while being part of a great organization.

As president of the Junior League of Rockford Inc., I have to juggle more now than at any time in my life. I have two daughters, ages 5 and 2, who probably think the Junior League headquarters is our second home. I also work as an executive recruiter for Allerton Heneghan & O’Neill, a retained executive search firm based in Oak Brook. I am fortunate that I am able to telecommute, which provides flexibility while meeting client needs. While keeping multiple balls in the air has been challenging during the past year, many of the tools I learned through training from Junior League have made it easier. Organization, dedication, time management, multitasking and patience are just a few of the things Junior League members apply to their daily lives.

This is an exciting year for the Junior League of Rockford. Our organization has created a new community project, RAISE (Reaching and Inspiring Students for Education), and we will host the third Under One Roof Designer Showcase Home Tour, our signature fundraiser. In May, please be sure to stop by and see the Junior League’s Designer Showcase Home at 1806 National Ave. This historic Rockford mansion, built in the 1860s, is in the heart of Churchill’s Grove.

The Designer Showcase Home will feature more than 13 rooms, which have been transformed by the area’s top interior designers and decorating professionals. While touring the home, you can shop in the Final Touches Boutique, which will feature items from local and regional artisans. The proceeds from the Under One Roof Designer Showcase Home benefit the projects and programs of the Junior League of Rockford, including RAISE.

RAISE is a collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of Education and Lifelong Learning, the Community Education Partnership and the Rockford School District. The program’s purpose is to increase access to and success in post-high school education for financially disadvantaged, underrepresented and first-generation college students from the Rockford School District.

Currently RAISE is at Jefferson High School. Twenty-four juniors are receiving one-on-one mentoring from Junior League volunteers to guide them through the application process. Junior League members will take them on college campus tours, as well as host workshops open to all Jefferson High School students on topics such as financial aid, college survival skills, ACT preparation and college application process. We hope to expand the RAISE program to all area high schools and to recruit volunteers for the mentoring program.

Founded in 1930, the Junior League of Rockford is a diverse group of women who share a commitment to making our community a better place to live and work by identifying needs and developing projects to address them. The Junior League’s mission is to promote volunteerism, develop the potential of women, and improve the community through the effective action and leadership of volunteers.

To learn more about the Junior League of Rockford, RAISE or to purchase tickets for Under One Roof, call 815-399-4518 or visit jlrockford.org.