And my mother used to ask me why I spend my free time tied up with the Junior League….

 

Ashley Shoemaker
VP, Membership

I was excited when my friend Anne Marie moved to the Suwanee area, just down the road from me.  Most of my girlfriends from college were married and busy with their own lives.  I on the other hand, was dating a great guy, but found myself in a bit of a lull in my personal and professional life.  I had recently left my job as a staff nurse in the NICU at Northside Hospital.  I was tired of working 12 hour night shifts and I was ready to try my hand at a normal nine to five job like the rest of the world.  I landed a great (or what I thought was a great) gig working as a NICU Case Manager for a national insurance company.  The best part about it was that I was going to get to work from home…in my pajamas, drinking coffee, and watching Days of our Lives everyday.  What could be better?

Fast forward about a year and I was actually engaged to the same great guy.  We spent most of our free time planning our wedding and occasionally meeting Anne Marie and her husband, Brent, out for date nights.  Outside of that, I was bored out of my mind!  I missed working in the hospital…something I never thought I would say.  Not that I didn’t think I would miss the patients, but I was certain that I wouldn’t miss working with 200 gossipy, snippy, opinionated women.  Surprisingly though, I missed my coworkers and all that they brought to my life.  I don’t know what it was but I felt alone without a support network of women. 

One Sunday night, my fiancé and I were out playing trivia with Brent and Anne Marie as we usually did.  Anne Marie was a well-respected lawyer in the area.  She was involved…she cared about her community and her reputation in the community.  I respected her for that and looked up to her in a way, even though I was not in a profession that relied on community connections.  As we were leaving trivia that night, Anne Marie said, “You know I transferred to the Junior League of Gwinnett and North Fulton (JLGNF) recently.  We have a meeting on Tuesday.  I’d love for you to come with me if you aren’t busy.”  I hesitantly said okay…

I didn’t know anything about Junior League.  I grew up in Gwinnett County and was proud to live there now,

JLGNF giving back at Jesse's House

but my parents never talked about giving back to the community where I was raised.  Don’t get me wrong…my parents were great, but they were caught up with work and raising children.  We grew up modest and busy in our own lives.  We “didn’t have the money to give back to the community” or so I thought.

It turns out that I didn’t have plans that Tuesday night, and I’m a woman of my word, so I went with Anne Marie to the Junior League meeting.  It was held in a conference room at a local hotel.  I was nervous walking in, but there was a wine bar, so I grabbed a glass and took a deep breath.  As I looked around the room there were so many women there, and they all seemed to be so enthusiastic about our community….my community.  I remember there was a celebration of Gwinnett and North Fulton County teachers, and the members of the Junior League handed out scholarships to local teachers who excelled in their profession.  I remember thinking, “Wow, I didn’t know stuff like this happened in my community.” 

That night, several women came up to me and introduced themselves.  I usually don’t love small talk, but everyone seemed to have a genuine interest in me and why I came.  I remember thinking…I want to be a part of this, I want to be friends with these women.  I was fascinated by all of them.  They all seemed to have their own individual reasons for participating, but the same end-goal in mind.  The stay-at-home moms who took a night out for themselves, the working professionals who attended the meeting after a long day at the office, all seemed to come together to do something productive while having a good time.   I don’t know what it was, but I was compelled by what the Junior League could do for me and what I could do for my community in return.

JLGNF making lunches for MUST Ministries

I decided to join on the spot that night and begin a journey that I had no idea I would venture into.  It’s been a lot of hard work, but I wouldn’t exchange the experience for anything.  Being an active member of the Junior League of Gwinnett and North Fulton has brought so much to my life, personally and professionally.  I’ve pushed myself to the limit in my accomplishments, and I continue to grow and push myself even more to this day. 

I’ve since returned to working in the NICU at Northside, but I’ve remained extremely active in Junior League.  I often talk to my mother on the phone on my nights off.  Many of those nights are spent attending Junior League functions or working on Junior League projects.  It used to be a bit of a struggle to talk to my mom about the Junior League.  She didn’t fully understand what it was that I did or why I would get myself stressed over volunteer work.  She used to make comments like, “Why do you spend all of your free time tied up with the Junior League” and “I can’t believe you spend money on something that creates work for you and keeps you so busy.”  Then, about three years into my Junior League journey, I chaired our biggest fundraiser.  I went in head first and found myself stressed out and working on it for months.  It was something that I really had no experience in, but I wanted to learn about event planning and fundraising, and really….I wanted to succeed!  I invited my mother that year and paid for her ticket.  She arrived not knowing what to expect.  I think all she thought of was my stress and potential to fail at my fundraising goals.  After all, she was my mother and worried about me.  I could tell that she wanted to support me but protect me from failure as well.

High Heels - High Times 

That event was JLGNF’s fifth annual High Heels and High Times fundraiser, and we raised more money than we ever had in the past.  We incorporated new ideas and activities into the event that exceeded all expectations.  Everyone had a blast and congratulated me on such a successful event.  I think my biggest accomplishment though was having my mother there to see all that I had done and to finally understand what it was that I was a part of.  She had a blast.  She made new friends, she won a few raffle prizes, and she finally understood what the Junior League was all about.  I’ll never forget her coming up to me at the end of the day and saying, “I can’t believe you planned all of this.  I am so proud of you.”

Fast forward five years, and I couldn’t imagine my life without being a part of Junior League of Gwinnett and North Fulton.  I’ve done so much for myself as a woman, as a professional, and as a member of my community with the help, training, and support of JLGNF.  I contribute my accomplishments and continued motivation to what I’ve seen and learned from the women that are a part of the League.  They are my friends, my community, my point of strength and encouragement.  I have done so much for my community through JLGNF and there is still so much more to be done….

To learn more about JLGNF, reach out to us at recruiting@jlgnf.org.