Georgia has one of the highest poverty rates for children in the United States, with over 26% of children living in poverty. Some statistics say that over 40% of single family homes are living below the poverty line. Growing up in poverty is one of the greatest threats to healthy child development. Poverty and financial stress can impede a child’s cognitive development and their ability to learn.

For the past several years, The Junior League of Gainesville-Hall County has joined all Junior Leagues of Georgia to participate in the Little Black Dress Initiative (LBDI) to shed light on the existence of generational poverty and its effects on women and children that face limited choices every day. The LBDI, which was an initiative started by The Junior League of London, involves League members wearing one black dress (or outfit) for five days to illustrate the effects poverty can have on a woman’s access to resources, confidence and opportunities. We have had strong participation by active members who wear a single black dresses (or outfits) for five consecutive days with a pin that says, “Ask Me about the Dress,” to spark conversation and spread awareness of the initiative and its objectives. Each participating member has a personal fundraising page through CauseVox where donations can be made to support this initiative.

In the past, JLGHC has partnered with Habitat for Humanity, Good News Clinics, and Georgia Mountain Food Bank and have been able to donate over $70,000 that was raised by our dedicated members during those campaigns.

This year, LBDI will be taking place the week of April 8th – 12th and we hope to have great participation from both our active and sustaining members. For the 2024 LBDI campaign, members will be raising funds to support the Diaper Bank of North Georgia.

We are excited to also be partnering with local restaurants to support the cause. You can dine in at Chick-Fil-A West from 5:00-8:00 PM on April 8th, Panda Express from 10:00AM-9:00PM on April 9th, Panera from 4:00-8:00 PM on April 10th, and Chick-Fil-A East from 5:00-8:00 PM on April 11th. Please make sure to tell them you’re dining to support Junior League! We will receive percentages of each night’s sales to fund our LBDI campaign this year.