This time of year, we can ask the same question for both the proverbial cup and the 99th year of the Junior League of Washington: is it half empty or half full? Let’s look at our accomplishments so far and plans going forward, and you can decide.

A Capital Collection hosted a whirlwind of activities and successfully raised the funds essential to fulfilling our community commitments – both this year’s program budget and next year’s grant cycle. You might even call it resourcefull.

The record number of JLW volunteers at the 11th annual National Book Festival wrote the new definition for meaningfull experience in the community.

This fall we also renewed our stated 26 community partnerships ranging from Bright Beginnings to a Wider Circle. There is no other word but joyfull to describe the rave reviews by our partners for the creativity and commitment of our volunteers. And our committee leaders led each meeting with assurances to our partners of our dedication and asked how else we could ensure our placements are successfull.

These are some of the many milestones thus far this year, and they keep coming…

Starting now, members are gathering a bountifull harvest of gently-used treasures that will be shared with the public in the extravaganza known as Tossed and Found. Our members are so very generous in the quality goods they donate, in the Community Cash Cards they sponsor, and in the exuberance they bring to the event nights supporting T&F.

Our Member Placement Resources and our Member Outreach Committees are hard at work ensuring that we all feel matched to the League in purposefull ways this year and are well prepared for making choices for next year.

The women of Development and Training are continuing to bring strong training programs, deliver regular Town Halls, and support the Presidential Speaker Series (you›re invited to hear Glen O’Gilvie, CEO of the Center for Nonprofit Advancement, on Saturday, January 7, 2012) so that we all can become our most usefull selves in our efforts to improve the DC community.

So is it half empty of half full? It doesn’t take an optimist to see we’re well on the way to accomplishing a full year worth of impact in our DC metropolitan community, and we have an overflowing cup of projects, enthusiasm, friendships, and goodwill to enjoy in the coming months.