In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, I am reminded why I do what I do—why Junior League women do what they do. Watching the news, I was struck by the photos of the Brooklyn Bridge—half fully lit and half in the dark…the difference between light and warmth—darkness and cold—a matter of inches.
The image of the bridge brought to mind what Mary Harriman said in the early 1900’s in the founding of the Junior League, “It seems almost inhuman that we should live so close to suffering and poverty, that we should know of the deplorable conditions and of the relief work that exists within a few blocks of our own home, and bear no part in this great life—stirring, suffering, moving all about us.”
Mary Harriman cared about the inches that separate those in need from those who can help. All of us in the Junior League carry on that legacy. In the months to come, those who would not normally need our help may need us, and those who rely on what Junior Leagues provide may need us more. I know we will pull together to ensure than not even a fraction of an inch separates us.
