We began 2021 with optimism that an end to the COVID-19 pandemic was close at hand. As vaccinations became widely available, many of us celebrated summer by ditching our masks as often as possible. It was a few months of bliss and hopefulness for a complete return to normal. However, the pandemic had other plans, and as vaccinations declined, new variants emerged. The world had to shift course again. Despite the ups and downs of 2021, we remained optimistic and even more committed to our mission – developing the potential of women and improving our community through effective action, education, and leadership. In 2020, we learned how to better our community through virtual means, and 2021 taught us how to merge the virtual and in-person to create a new, hybrid way of looking at community service. We are confident that, despite the challenges we faced, we created a better, more effective experience for our members, community partners, and those we serve.

As we celebrate 90 years of commitment to the Salt Lake community, we reflect on all of the women who have come before us and look forward to the potential of all the women who are yet to come. The Junior League of Salt Lake City would not be what it is today without all of the smart, passionate, and powerful women who have given their time and talent over the past 90 years. JLSLC has been involved with many projects throughout the decades, beginning in the 1930s with the YWCA. The 1960s brought about the Hogle Zoo and Utah Museum of Natural History Docent programs and Neighborhood House; KUER, The Rape Recovery Center, and Wheeler Farm emerged in the 1970s. Alliance House, The Sharing Place, and our anchor projects – CARE Fair (Community Assistance and Resource Event) and Women Helping Women – began in the 1990s. The new millennium saw the expansion of CARE Fair and Women Helping Women, along with the start of other projects including Kids in the Kitchen – which provided educational programming on healthy eating for elementary-aged students and their parents – and, most recently, the launch of our Human Trafficking Awareness initiative.

Even as we recognize the need to continually shift our operations and adjust our focus to fit the needs of the ever-evolving world around us, our drive to better our community remains at the core of everything we do. I am grateful for the opportunities of service, growth, and education the Junior League has given to me, and I am honored to share this experience with so many remarkable women. I hope you enjoy the stories, photos, and memories that have been written and shared by our members.

This League year culminated in our 90th Anniversary Garden Party Gala, our first in-person fundraising gala in three years where we raised over 4X our fundraising goal. It was a beautiful day of friendship, nostalgia, celebration, and optimism for the next 90 years. Together, there is no limit to what we can, and will, accomplish!

With Gratitude,

Whitney Fenech
JLSLC President 2021-2022