May 29, 2025: The Junior League of Bronxville (JLB) awarded seven grants to local non-profit organizations and five scholarships to young women heading to college. To commend these grant and scholarship recipients, the JLB hosted its annual Service & Scholarship Celebration on April 30, 2025.

The JLB Community Grants Program partners with 501(c)(3) organizations benefiting its service area of Bronxville, Eastchester, Mount Vernon, Tuckahoe, and Yonkers. The grants met immediate and specific needs within these communities. The League would like to thank Meredith Dixon for chairing our 2024-2025 Grants Advisory Council and Denise Connolly for chairing our 2024-2025 Scholarships Advisory Council.

This year, the JLB provided funding for the following organizations and projects:

-Big Brothers Big Sisters of Westchester: BioBus mobile science lab event designed to spark interest in STEM for youth from underrepresented communities;

-Boys & Girls Club, Mount Vernon: air fryer to provide healthy meals at their after- school program;

-Cancer Support Team: new office furniture;

-Eastchester Volunteer Ambulance Corp: bicycles to provide rapid emergency access to areas at events where larger vehicles cannot easily gain access;

-The Picture House: sensory screening movie experiences for neurodivergent individuals:

-Yonkers Partners in Education (YPIE): 3D printers for after-school college zone; and

-Youth Community Outreach Program (Y-COP): enhancement and reconfiguration of community garden.

The JLB also awarded five scholarships to inspiring college-bound women.

Kimorah Elizabeth Devore of the Charter School of Educational Excellence High School (CSEE), received the Positive Power Award for her sustained commitment to both volunteerism and academic excellence. Kimorah has shown her passion for volunteerism since she was 5 years old as a Girl Scout Daisy through today as she serves as a Youth Advocate on the Mount Vernon Youth Court Peer Diversion Program.

The Cara Kealy Award, named after an exemplary and beloved member of the JLB, is given in recognition of a commitment to volunteerism. Temidolaninuoluwa Junaid who also attends the Charter School of Educational Excellence High School (CSEE), received this award in acknowledgment of her creation of the Helping Hands Club at her school to address food insecurity within her school population. She organized food drives and worked with local food pantries to ensure that her fellow students had access to meals.

Finally, the Erica Sevilla Service Award Scholarship, in loving memory of a past JLB president, is awarded to young women who reflect Erica's passion for volunteering and the JLB vision of “Mobilizing Women to Ignite and Inspire Community Change.” This year’s recipients are Olivia Proenca from Saunders Trades and Technical High School in Yonkers, and Arriana Howell of Yonkers High School. Olivia is the youngest member on the board of directors of the Yonkers Portuguese-American Community Center. In this role she has raised funds for her community and fostered an environment of collaboration so much so that in November 2024, she was recognized as the New York State Young Woman of the Year by the New York Portuguese American Leadership Council. Arriana volunteers with My Sister’s Keeper and actively participates in drives to provide essentials to women in need.

In addition, the JLB paid tribute to three very important organizations crucial to its success this year.

Yonkers Partners in Education (YPIE) was named Community Partner of the Year. Education is one of the JLB’s core community pillars, and the JLB is grateful for the meaningful impact YPIE continues to make in ensuring students have the resources and support they need to succeed. The JLB is honored to work alongside YPIE and provide support through the JLB Scholarships and Grants programs as well as the annual Dorm Drive event.

The JLB was pleased to present the JLB Sponsor of the Year Award to LaGravinese Jewelers. This local, family-owned business has supported the JLB and all it does for many years. Most recently, they were a “Diamond Donor” of the JLB Stocking Stroll event in December which raised money for the JLB’s many outreach initiatives.

Finally this year the JLB honored Seaspeak House Ltd. as the 2024-2025 Outstanding Donor of the Year. Seaspeak House Ltd generously gave a seven-day Nevis vacation to the JLB’s Bids to Benefit silent auction.

JLB 2024-2025 President Jamie Powell Schwartz reflected “[t]he evening was a reminder of what we can accomplish when community organizations, businesses, and volunteers come together in service of others. We gathered not just to celebrate, but to connect with each other and with our community.”

See photos below.