Vickye James

The Princess Club and Book M.A.R.K Program at the YWCA of Jamestown are the first recipients of the Vickye James Blueprint Fund.

The United Way of Southern Chautauqua County announced the awards.

The Princess Club is a community-based organization fostering mentorship, friendship, fun, and support for girls in the greater Jamestown area. Girls ages 4-13 can attend a weekly program during the summer.

The Blueprint funds will cover the expenses for general operational costs and activities that provide positive experiences and opportunities for girls to build self-esteem, reading skills and healthy habits.

Princess Club Director and Founder Brenda Stewart shared the Vickye James was a leading member of the club for several years.

The YWCA Book M.A.R.K. (Motivating Aspiring Reading with Kindness) Program is an inter-generational social justice literacy program that helps plant the seeds for the elimination of racism and discrimination among youth by focusing on the celebration of various cultures, ethnicities, and identities.

Through books, personal stories, and activities, Book M.A.R.K aims to provide students and teachers alike with the tools necessary to facilitate productive conversations about racism, bullying, and discrimination. The Blueprint funds will cover training and facilitation of volunteers for the program.

YWCA Social Justice and Racial Equity Director Alizé Scott-Nowell said the volunteer-based program will provide, “opportunities for leadership development, especially for historically underrepresented community members to lead conversations surrounding their own cultural experiences.” She added that the program is already being offered at Washington Middle, Fletcher Elementary, Bush Elementary, and Southwestern Elementary and Middle schools.

Ms. James, who passed away in 2021, was a member of the Board of Directors of United Way for seven years and served as Board President from 2008-2010. She was one of only four female presidents during the 122-year history of United Way, and the only African American to serve as president to date.

All requests for funding from the Vickye James Blueprint Fund must fall within the United Way of Southern Chautauqua County’s four areas of Strategic Focus: Academic Success, Self Sufficiency, Work Readiness, and Health & Independence.

Applications for funding are accepted on a rolling basis.

For more information, visit uwayscc.org/vickye-james-blueprint-fund.

EDITOR’S NOTE: As a point of transparency and disclosure to our audience, United Way of Southern Chautauqua County is a corporate underwriter for WRFA and has provided a financial contribution for the general operations of the station within the past year. Funding we receive for General Operations is not used to fund our coverage of local news in the community. That is only made possible through a Community Service Grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.