- [Beatrice] This is not just an ordinary gathering of women.

- We are making bookmarks for our Partner Promising pages.

- [Beatrice] They're part of one of the oldest women's organizations in Charlotte.

- [All] Junior League, League of Service.

- [Beatrice] The Junior League.

Through the decades, the League has been the organization of choice that the prominent women of Charlotte were always a part of, yet contrary to any thoughts that they were simply "Ladies who lunched."

- As I've joined the League, I would never say that these ladies just lunched.

They've always been very busy.

- [Beatrice] And she should know.

As former president of the Charlotte League and now heading up the international organization, Toni Freeman has been a part of the change locally and globally for an organization whose history is long and whose bedrock has always been volunteerism.

- You see us serving on boards, you see us running for public office, you see us get involved in the school board or at our local schools.

We are really committed to making sure that we make a difference in our communities.

(funky music) - Just watching the organization develop and train women, empower women to lead in their communities, has just been something that's meant a lot to me.

- It's been almost a hundred years now, since 1926, that the Junior League has provided volunteer services here in Charlotte to various organizations.

This wall is covered with the pictures of women who have led this group and since 2000, a half dozen women of color have also been leaders of the Junior League.

- I am the sixth African American or Black president in the Junior League of Charlotte.

So over the course of the 20 years, there have been others and because they've paved the way for us, the door is open now.

- [Beatrice] What it means is the League's membership is more inclusive than ever.

That's led to direct benefits to the organizations that the League provides assistance to, through its volunteers and its financial support.

It has also meant the League has made its own commitment to diversity, locally and internationally.

- You'll see information about our statement about diversity, equity, inclusion, and acknowledge that we have not always been equitable and inclusive, but we are committed to doing that today.

- We have a very diverse leadership within the organization, so our Board of Directors is very diverse.

Our management team is very diverse.

2018, we adopted a diversity statement.

As a part of that, we also created a five-year strategic plan around diversity and what that means to this organization.

- So we may come from different backgrounds and we may not necessarily be in the same social circles, but what unites us is a commitment to the community and also a real commitment to be a really well-trained volunteer.

- [Beatrice] That training covers a broad spectrum, including the Junior League's Get On Board Program, it's designed to aid anyone who wants to expand their community involvement, whether as a volunteer or board member.

Or it's public policy committee, where League and community members get a better understanding of public policy issues and they can develop advocacy skills.

The League can even provide Junior League leaders to serve on an organization's board of directors or on community advisory boards.

The point?

The Junior League's focus is to support the community and to show there is a seat at the table for everyone.

- The League has been that place for me to connect with other women that have different points of view, different professions, different races, different ages.

There's just so much to our collective background and who we are as an organization.

- [Beatrice] If you simply look at the numbers over the years, the Junior League of Charlotte is impressive.

They've donated more than $13 million in grants and special projects and provided more than 1.6 million volunteer hours.

The Junior League of Charlotte Community Impact Teams partner with nonprofit agencies in support of their programs.

- We have identified a number of community organizations that we'll partner with, that their focus is around supporting children and their physical and mental health needs.

And so our members will volunteer and sign up to volunteer on a committee or a placement with those different organizations.

- [Beatrice] The League's so-called Little Black Dress Initiative is an example of a fundraising campaign that uses the iconic little black dress to raise awareness about poverty and its impact on Mecklenburg County.

With a broad range of support to the community, the Junior League points out their primary goal is to ensure that all children are school ready by focusing on their health and their educational needs.

- There are so many things that we need to do to make our communities better.

There is room for anybody and everybody under the tent, and we may not approach it the same way and we may not look the same, but there is certainly room for us all to come together and work together.

- [Beatrice] For these women, it's not about differences, only about the bottom line of how to best serve the community.

And for the Charlotte Junior League, the response has always been, "We will find a way."

For "Carolina Impact," I'm Beatrice Thompson.