Becky Odland

Becky Odland has a problem. A member of the Junior League of Minneapolis for the past twenty-five years, she has mastered chairing committees, spearheading fundraisers, and welcoming new members. But there is one thing she can’t seem to conquer—the art of saying no.

“I just do what I can. Just like anyone else,” Odland says, after hearing the long list of her accomplishments and the praise of her fellow Junior Leaguers.

Known in the Junior League as the “first to sign up and the last to leave,” Odland joined the League as a young mother who wanted to “surround herself with women who were doers.” But she had some early reservations.

“You see and meet these inspiring women and think you could never be like them,” Odland says. “They see a need, research a solution, and get these projects off the ground.”

One such project is the Junior League’s massive three-year-old Books 4 Kids project, which Odland herself was instrumental in establishing. Since then, the program has provided about 100,000 books to at-risk youth. “Books have always been near and dear to my heart,” says the former English teacher. “The idea of putting books in the hands of kids who don’t have any in their home—it’s really inspiring.”

Just as inspiring is Odland’s transformation from a young philanthropist to a go-to in the volunteering world. Odland also has volunteered with the Ronald McDonald House, Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery, and Edina School District. She currently helps run the Normandale House project, which provides transitional housing for families in need; raises money for the St. Olaf Alumni Association; and, once a week, she plays her old bass clarinet as part of the Minnesota Symphonic Winds Community Band, which provides free or low-cost community concerts, where she says she gets to enjoy “bringing the joy of music into other people’s lives.”

“It’s about touching people,” Odland says. “The more you are given, the more you will give back.”