Board Member Profile: Meredith Schmidt

Age or Birthday: 30, October 19

Resides In: Intercoastal West

Family Details: Looking forward to an October wedding with finance Josh Guess

Pets: Tango, my 40 pound Jack Russell mix. He is my strong willed little man that loves to hug company, cuddle and then dart out the backyard gate any chance he can get.

Hometown: Tulsa, Oklahoma & DeLand, Florida

Current Board Position: VP Finance Council

College and Major: Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. Graduate School of Banking at LSU and currently taking classes at UNF to sit for the CPA exam.

Professional Details: Vice President Commercial Banker Fifth Third Bank

Community Involvement: Leadership Jacksonville, Girl Scouts, Girls on the Run, Art & Antiques Show, Junior Achievement, American Cancer Society.

Member of JLJ since: 2005

Why did you join JLJ? I joined the Junior League when I moved to Jacksonville as a recommendation from a coworker who thought it was a great way to meet friends and get to know our community.

What is Your Goal for this year? My goals this year include streamline the League’s fund development programs and aligning our finance council structure to serve our changing needs while implementing new areas for sustainable revenue that maximizes our volunteer time.

What has been your most rewarding moment in JLJ, so far? Hands down my time spent volunteering with Kids in the Kitchen, especially at the Sanctuary on 8^th. There were many Friday afternoons I would be rushing to an event after a busy work week and all my real world stress would melt away getting out of my car. The kids would run out the door to greet us with welcoming hugs, cheers and chants of “Kids in the Kitchen!” Getting to interact with the kids through a lesson offend left me with a bigger life lesson.

What has surprised you most about your time with JLJ? The Junior League has allowed me to experience Jacksonville, learned about our community organizations and build lasting friendships. Six years later my closest friends here in Jacksonville I met in my provisional group.

What has been your favorite placement, so far? Kids in the Kitchen.

Dig a Little Deeper: Children's Miracle Network

Looking for opportunities to dig a little deeper in serving the Jacksonville Community? Our Dig a Little Deeper features will highlight opportunities outside of your JLJ obligations.

This month? Children's Miracle Network!

On July 21st at 7:00 pm, the Jacksonville Destroyers Soccer Team is hosting a book drive for the patients at Shands Jacksonville and Wolfson Children's Hospital during their game against the Central Florida Kraze. The team is encouraging members of the community to come out and support Children's Miracle Network while donating child friendly books to children in the hospital.

What a great summer activity for League members. Might even be a great family activity!

Need more info? Check out the event flyer below! Need more info? Visit the team web site.

The Junior League and The Help

Based on one of the most talked about books in years and a #1 New York Times best-selling phenomenon, “The Help” stars Emma Stone as Skeeter, Acadamey Award® nominated Viola Davis as Aibileen and Octavia Spencer as Minny – three very different, extraordinary women in Mississippi in the 1960s, who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk.  From their improbable alliance a remarkable sisterhood emerges, instilling all of them with the courage to transcend the lines that define them, and the realization that sometimes those lines are made to be crossed – even if it means bringing everyone in town face-to-face with the changing times.

 Deeply moving, filled with poignancy, humor and hope, “The Help” is a timeless and universal story about the ability to create change.

Because many of the characters in the book and the movie are members of the local Junior League, Dreamworks Pictures has invited members of the Junior League of Jacksonville to attend two local screenings for the film:

Regal The Avenues Stadium 20 - Wednesday, July 13 at 7:30 pm
AMC Theaters Orange Park 24 - Wednesday, July 27 at 7:30 pm

Tickets are limited to 20 passes (for two people) for each screening, so don't wait! Plan to arrive early as seating is first come, first serve and are not guaranteed.

An EPass for you and a guest will be emailed with your online registration confirmation.