How many times have I looked into my closet, overflowing with clothes, and thought ‘I have nothing to wear!?’  But that’s of course not true.  I have more than enough choice - far more than the 2.3 million Londoners living each day in poverty.

That’s why I’m participating in the Junior League of London (JLL) 5th annual Little Black Dress Initiative. From Monday I’ll wear the same black dress for 5 consecutive days to raise awareness about poverty and the JLL’s work to fight it.  I’ll post photo updates each day, and at the end of the campaign I’ll donate my dress to SmartWorks, one of the JLL’s community partners that helps women on low incomes prepare for job interviews.

Did you know that 27% of London lives in poverty?  And that poverty is often cyclical,  locking successive generations into the trap of low incomes and social exclusion?

The JLL’s vision is of a London where each person has the opportunity and the means to prosper.  It provides volunteers and resources to community programmes focused on eliminating poverty and its effects in London.

Through your support of the JLL and LBDI, together we can make a difference!!  For example:

• £1 could purchase supplies for back-to-school packs for vulnerable children
• £5 could provide a book for an inner-London school library
• £10 could supply supporting materials for our Literacy and Education projects 
• £25 could provide a family meal and £75 could provide an entire hamper full of food, books, gifts and essentials for a family struggling at the holidays
• £150 could fund 10 cooking classes for previously homeless young women
• £250 could help us provide structured leadership and volunteering training for a greater impact on the community

For more info on JLL please visit www.jll.org.uk

Thank you!

Melissa