Affinity's leadership has given a great deal of thought on how to make 2010 a breakthrough year in terms of sustainability and program impact. This renewed focus requires being very strategic about how staff and volunteer time and financial resoursces are used. To help achieve our goal, we have decided not to have Jazz n July (JnJ) this year. Instead we will celebrate our 15th year throughout 2010 with Anniversary Events that include intimate gatherings, fun activities, education and awareness programs, and mid-sized events, and to devote the time that we would have spent on JnJ on the Youth Leadership Institute, our "legacy project" for the 15th anniversary.
For those of you who were planning to attend Jazz n July, we encourage you to use the money that you would have spent on the ticket to support the Youth Leadership Institute. We currently have two programs in the Institute, the Scholars Program for young women who are 18-24 years old and the Jr. Institute for youth who are 14-17 years of age. A description for each of these programs is on our website. We thank you for understanding that difficult times require that organizations make tough decisions. We look forward to seeing you at upcoming programs and events.