October 2, 2008

Assistance League goes back to school

The Assistance League® of San Jose (ALSJ) is going back to school as members distribute uniforms for their signature philanthropic program, Operation School Bell®.

Readers are Leaders volunteer Carol Keen reads to second graders at Olinder Elementary School.

Throughout the summer UPS trucks delivered 4,400 school uniforms to the organization’s storage lockers and the women of Assistance League went to work. They separated, bagged and labeled the uniforms, two to a package, to prepare for delivery to more than 26 underserved schools in the Franklin McKinley and San Jose Unified School Districts.

In September the organization’s members worked tirelessly to measure students, collect the uniforms from the storage lockers and deliver the uniforms in time for the next day of school. All together, Assistance League members volunteered more than 985 hours, serving over 2,000 students.

Two other fall programs designed for elementary school children, Kids on the Block® and Readers are Leaders, are currently underway.

Kids on the Block is an award-winning educational puppet show on bullying prevention. Assistance League members act as puppeteers and after the presentation, the children are encouraged to interact with the puppet characters during a question and answer session. This unique form of communication provides young children with a safe environment to learn how to deal with bullies. This year, AL members will present the program to more than 1,500 students in schools throughout San Jose.

Now in its second year, the Readers are Leaders program will again target schools with lower reading Academic Perfor-mance Index scores. The program’s goal is to instill a love of reading in children and to help improve reading scores in local schools. Volunteers from Assistance League read to children in classrooms on a regular basis and donate books for permanent classroom libraries. The volunteers are prepared to entertain, enlighten and encourage children by reading carefully selected books. Teachers report that learning to read well enhances student understanding and proficiency in all other areas of the school curriculum as well.

The Assistance League of San Jose is a 501(3)(c) nonprofit, 100-percent volunteer organization with no paid staff. It has served the San Jose area since 1983 as a chapter of National Assistance League®. Nationally, Assistance League® members have provided uniforms and warm clothing for more than 1 million children.

The Assistance League of San Jose® is a chapter of National Assistance League®, a nonprofit organization dedicated to its mission of “improving the quality of life for those in need through our philanthropic programs.” From the vision of a small group of women, members now come from greater San Jose and beyond. It was established in 1983 and officially chartered to the national organization in 1988. As it enters its 25th year, 88 members support seven philanthropic programs serving residents of Santa Clara County.

In 2007, Assistance League of San Jose (ALSJ) provided over 10,000 hours of community service in the following areas:

Operation School Bell® – provided 4,400 uniforms to 2,200 students in need at 26 different schools in San Jose Unified and Franklin-McKinley Districts. Established in 1994.

Kids on the Block® – performed educational puppet shows on bullying prevention for over 900 elementary students and distributed booklets at 10 different schools in San Jose. Established in 1991.

Operation School Bell volunteer Elizabeth Overstreet measures a student for new uniforms.

HUG program – a cooperative program with city and county agencies. ALSJ supplied toy bears to help children ease the pain of trauma or abuse. Established in 1988.

Screening Eyes Early (S.E.E.) – provided valuable testing for early signs of amblyopia (lazy eye) to 791 preschool youngsters. Established in 2003.

Senior Programs – brought reassurance and comfort to elderly and shut-in persons in the greater San Jose area through telephone calls and visits. They also provide games for seniors in residential facilities. Established in 1983.

Readers are Leaders – a literacy-reading program that encouraged love of reading and provided classrooms with free books. Volunteers read books throughout the year to 420 children in schools with disadvantaged populations or that need improvement in state or federal tests. They provided 168 books to 21 second-grade classrooms. Established in 2007.

Layette Group-Blankets for Babies – made and donated handmade blankets and caps to Valley Medical Pediatric Unit. Established in 2006.

ALSJ provides more than $75,000 of financial support to community programs. It holds two fundraising activities per year and welcomes grants from community organizations. In 2007-08, 11 community sources provided grants: Office Max, Construction Managers, Target, First Days of School, Almaden Rotary, Safeway, Intero, Wells Fargo, Councilmembers Judy Chirco, Nancy Pyle and Sam Liccardo.

The Assistance League’s 2008-09 board is composed of elected officials. They are President JoAnn Khoobyarian; first VP Membership Gretchen Coelho; second VP Philanthropic Programs Karen Bode; third VP Resource Development Linda Krafty; Treasurer Phyllis Faxon; Recording Secretary Louise Polizzotto; Corresponding Secretary Elsie Taketa; Education, Judy Dissly; Strategic Planning, Sue Hughes; Public Relations, Martie Degutis; Finance, Karen Davis; and Parliamentarian Judy Demko.

For more information on Assistance League of San Jose, visit www.ALSJ.org or call (408) 997-7503.