“Out of the tree of life, I just picked me a plum, Still it’s a real good bet the best is yet to come!” Tony Bennett

This year we have been celebrating our 30 years as a chapter of Assistance League. For thirty years since 1994, we have been true to our mission 'transforming the lives of children and adults through community programs'. I am very proud of what we have accomplished this year, particularly as a 100% volunteer organization. This year, six neighboring cities honored us for our 30 years of service with City Proclamations for our chapter. Thank you Cities of Deer Park, Dickinson, Galveston, La Porte, League City, and Webster. They will be displayed at the Resale Shop, and I hope you can drop by when you are shopping to see them. Cheers to another 30 years of great things! The best is yet to come!

Please click below to reach our many Chapter Accomplishments for 2023-2024. 

Rebecca Saavedra, EdD - Outgoing President, Assistance League of the Bay Area

Assistance League's fiscal year runs from June 1st - May 31st. The 2024-2025 board members were installed by the outgoing president, Dr. Rebecca Saavedra, and began their year-long term at the end of the May 20th annual meeting.

Introducing the 2024-2025 Board of Assistance League of the Bay Area:

From left to right: President-Elect Cindy Senger-Lewis, President Linda Byrd, Secretary Sandra Kelver and Treasurer Helen Liveringhouse.

From left to right: VP Resource Development Lililee Johnson, VP Membership Sharon Guzzino, VP Philanthropic Programs Izella Dornell, VP Operations Terry Overcash, and VP Marketing Charlene Donovan.

Pictured left to right: Assisteens Liaison Roxann Zamora, Parliamentarian Sarah Foulds, Education Chair Perri Fox, Strategic Planning Chair Brooks Cima and Finance Chair Valerie Piercy.

Assistance League Award Winners

At the May Annual Meeting, awards are presented to outstanding members and community partners who helped the chapter change more lives throughout the fiscal year. It is never easy to make the selections due to the many committed individuals and groups serving our community. It is our pleasure to introduce this year's selections. Click here to read the impact these award winners have provided.

H.O.P.E. Award

The Heroes of Positive Endeavors (H.O.P.E.) Award is given to a non-member

individual, company, or group for significant contribution to the chapter. When

Jill Williams joined in 2000, she brought along Stuart Williams who gave his

spirit of caring and commitment to working with the chapter. The H.O.P.E.Award is a tribute to Stuart’s life and service to the chapter.

A.B.C.D Award

The award is given to members who go Above and Beyond the Call of Duty. It is based on letters of recommendation sent to the President by any member of Assistance League of the Bay Area. The intention is to honor members who give tirelessly of themselves and can always find the time to help when needed. The winners are...

Operation School Bell^®

Target has been a dedicated partner of our chapter, supporting our largest philanthropic program, Operation School Bell. They have allowed us to select clothing and accessories from their Baybrook, Kemah, and Pasadena stores and have generously provided us with a $2,500 grant for many consecutive years. We want to congratulate Janet Evans on her upcoming retirement and express our gratitude for her support spanning over a decade. The following Target team members were recently recognized at the chapter's annual meeting on May 20th.

Pictured left to right: Amy McDonald, Tony Vo (Kemah), Janet Evans (Baybrook), Joanna Vincenti, and Earl Jackson (Pasadena).

ACTION! Week

President-Elect Linda Byrd passing out books at McWhirter Elementary.

Let’s Read, Read, Read

Each year, Assistance League is fortunate to receive new books for children of all ages through a book drive at Barnes and Noble during the late fall. Our community truly supports this drive, and we are fortunate to receive books to donate to children in the areas we serve. These books allow children to foster their love of reading and improve their literacy skills in a fun way. This past spring, several of our Assisteens helped us add Assistance League book labels inside each book. 

The Bridge Over Troubled Waters in Pasadena received 105 books for advanced readers. STEAM, an evening celebration at McWhirter Elementary School in Webster, allows parents and children to celebrate science, technology, engineering, art, and math activities. Assistance League hosted a table with 299 books available for the children who were allowed to choose their favorite books. Shriner Children's Texas Hospital in Galveston received 234 books for their young patients, which should provide some fun during a hospital visit or stay. 

Many thanks to Barnes and Noble and our community for their wonderful kindness in making our literacy events special again.

Operation Cinderella

Operation Cinderella has been incredibly active this year, reaching out to over 120 girls and successfully dressing 107. Thirty-six young men were fitted with shirts, suits, shoes, and ties from Dress Galaxy, and they especially loved the ties. In addition, we started preparations for next year by purchasing one of each suit size, ensuring the process next year will be more efficient. The dressing sessions for both young women and young men took place in February and March, ensuring all were dressed before April, when many proms were scheduled.

We salute Elizabeth Morgan, Melody Toppins, and the entire committee for their dedication to this program. We also thank the Clear Creek ISD Learner Support Center staff for their continuous support, the Bay Area Community Assistance program, and Bay Area Houston Alumnae Delta Sigma Theta Sorority for their generous contributions.

Join us in making a difference by becoming part of Operation Cinderella. Dress and accessory donations are accepted year-round at our Resale Shop, 100 E. Nasa Parkway, Suite 80 in Webster. Drop-off is on the left driveway at door 80B; ring the doorbell, and a volunteer will assist you.

Assisteens, an all-teen auxiliary of Assistance League of the Bay Area, held its last meeting of the 2023-2024 year on Sunday, May 19, 2024. Several celebratory events unfolded as the group acknowledged multiple accomplishments collectively, including Senior Recognition.

Seniors who received a certificate of achievement

Pictured left to right: Diya Patel, Joia Glover, Christopher Comin and Sydney Zamora

Assisteens Highlights

• Membership recruitment efforts resulted in 150 Assisteens on the roster, boosted by the extension of the open enrollment period and social media promotion.
• The dedication of Assisteens is evident in the 4,839.5 service hours they have reported as of May 16, 2024. These hours represent the tangible impact of our collective efforts serving our community.
• Assisteens manage five philanthropic programs and supports the chapter in two additional ones. Populations served include individuals from the ages of 4 to 100 and companion animals. The following was shared with attendees at the annual meeting.

Basic Kneads—9,000 Snack Attack Packs were packaged and distributed to students identified as suffering from food insufficiency in Deer Park, La Porte, and Texas City ISDs. Thirty-five (35) Assisteens donated time or supplies to the Clear Lake Food Pantry or Interfaith Caring Ministries or collaborated with St. Thomas/Galveston Co. Food Bank.

Birthday in a Box—we assembled and delivered 280 bags to League City Elementary and McWhirter Elementary in Clear Creek ISD and K.E. Little Elementary and San Leon Elementary in Dickinson ISD to at-risk students in the Communities In Schools – Bay Area program. 

Cause for Paws-350 adoption kits were delivered to the League City Animal Care and Bay Area Pet Adoption shelters. Twenty-eight (28) members delivered food and supplies for the year. 

Crafted with Care – we created 203 specialty-themed mementos for the children at the Bay Area Turning Point and Bridge Over Troubled Waters shelters.

Notes for Folks- 409 cards were colored and distributed to residents of Heartis Clear Lake's memory care facility. 

Project Snuggle – Two hundred twenty-eight (228) fleece blankets were created. Bundles were delivered to both program partners, Bay Area Turning Point and the Bridge Over Troubled Waters. More will be distributed in early summer.

Open enrollment for new Assisteens has been extended to August 1, 2024. Qualifying students are those entering the 9^th, 10^th, or 11^th grade for the 2024-2025 school year who reside in our geographic service area, including the Clear Creek, Deer Park, Dickinson, Friendswood, Galveston, Hitchcock, La Porte, Pasadena, Santa Fe, and Texas City school districts. Membership is equally open to students who attend a private school in these districts’ geographic boundaries and those who are home-schooled. Click here to complete the online form and payment. 

Members Have Fun While Changing Lives!

The Member Social Committee, chaired by Melody Toppins, organized awesome activities for 2023-2024. They did a great job finding tasty places to dine after monthly membership meetings, such as Whiskey Cake, Pomodoro’s Cucina Italiana, Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steakhouse, and Sam’s Boat.

Members also had a variety of activities to participate in. September featured our Fall Service Awards luncheon at South Shore Harbor Resort and Bingo at King’s in Webster.

In October, a group attended the Bay Area Houston Ballet's production of Cinderella at the University of Houston-Clear Lake.

The Holiday Celebration in December was hosted by Angie Weinman which came with a little Christmas magic. Brooks Cima hosted mimosas and appetizers in February.

A candle-making class held at Chandlery Candle Bar in March was enjoyed by all who attended.

There was an impressive turnout at Barbara Weitenhagen’s beach house for a luncheon in April.

Our Annual Meeting and End-of-Year Awards luncheon were held at Landry’s on the Kemah Boardwalk, and 113 people attended!

Prospective Members Welcomed Year Round

Mavis Irvan and Roseann Carothers held three prospective member socials, resulting in 30 new members! The first was held in Susan McCoy's home in October with the theme Spooky Good Time. Thirteen Assistance League and prospective members were in attendance. The second was held in Mavis Irvan's home in December, where 25 attended. The third was held in Roseann Carothers's home in February, with 17 in attendance.

Anyone interested in becoming a member need not wait for a social to join.

Click the link below to let us know if you want more information; someone will contact you shortly.

Annual Fundraising Event

It’s being called the event of the year!  

Just A Pretty Table: An Ode to Joy was a huge success. Thank you to everyone who supported this year’s Annual Fundraising Event. During the event, Assistance League of the Bay Area celebrated our 30^th anniversary as a chapter and honored our beloved member, the late Joy Smitherman.

Everyone is still talking about this fabulous fundraiser and planning tables for the next event. This sold-out event had a record attendance of 341. We truly appreciate our community members who filled more than 70% of the seats. In addition to the fabulously decorated tables, the event hosted a successful silent auction and a raffle that sold out of tickets. 

The goal of the Annual Fundraising Event committee was to increase community involvement, and we can confidently say this goal was met. Thank you to every member of our community who participated in any way. 

Just a Pretty Table: An Ode to Joy would not have been the success it was without you.

Thanks to our Reach for the Stars guest speakers from Clear Creek ISD, Dr. Angi Stallings, and Galveston ISD’s Mary Patrick, we were able to raise additional funds to support our philanthropic programs. If you were not able to attend Just A Pretty Table: An Ode to Joy, you can still donate to our Reach for the Stars campaign. Click on the link below to make your donation and help us change more lives.

Grants and Foundations

The success of our grants and foundations program comes from several contributing factors. A key this year has been outreach which has taken many forms. Thanks to our online presence, we have received over $12,000 in unsolicited donations, half of which were anonymous. These supporters know the great needs in the area we serve through our philanthropic programs and have directed that their donations be used in the area of greatest need.

We benefit from generous grants solicited from foundations that have supported our chapter’s mission to make a difference in our community. Foundation grants this year have totaled $103,000. We are so grateful for the rapport established with corporate representatives who have advocated for our programs within their companies or foundations.

Our members have garnered over $12,500 by tapping into their employer’s or former employer’s matching funds programs. These programs, which vary by company, match monetary contributions and contribute sums based on service performed by the employee or retiree.

The last category of voluntary contributions to Assistance League of the Bay Area is donations made in memory of or in tribute to an individual. This year, these contributions totaled $2,200.

The following donors are recognized for their support during the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

Albemarle Foundation Bayport/Clear Lake

Andrews Foundation

Charles Buckner Charitable Trust

CenterPoint Energy

Dooley Tackaberry

ExxonMobil Foundation

Galveston Rotary

George and Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation

Haldor Topsoe

Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation

Ippolito Charitable Foundation

Kuraray Foundation

Lunar Rendezvous Festival

LyondellBasell

Steve & Elaine McGough Foundation

Moody Methodist Church - Permanent Endowment Fund

Rotary Club of Space Center

Target Baybrook

Yaga's Children's Fund

Assist-a-child, Change a Life

Created as a continuing fundraiser, Assist-a-child cards were designed for Assistance League by area orthodontist, Marla Magness-Myers, when she was a teenager. These cards are not only a beautiful way to commemorate any occasion or pay tribute to someone, but the purchase of these cards also goes a long way in helping to clothe many children in need. You can find these cards at our Resale Shop at 100 E. Nasa Parkway, Suite 80, in Webster, or they can be ordered through our website here.

Resale Shop

The Resale Shop committee, a 100% all-volunteer group, celebrated the end of a record year in sales on May 14. Volunteers were recognized for their extraordinary and dedicated efforts with flower bouquets. Each committee member received an individually packed commemorative cookie which was also very tasty!

One of our most popular sales was in observance of Memorial Day, a one-day sale on May 22 with 50% off everything in the store. This sale brought in a larger-than-usual crowd of shoppers and a near-record sale day. The all-inclusive sale assisted in clearing out older merchandise and encouraging new customers to visit the store. More summer items can now be priced and placed on the racks for our shoppers' enjoyment.

Mystery Egg Coupon sale during the week before Easter, Mother’s Day coupon sale, and our 30% off all clothing Birthday Blowout sale in observance of our 30^th year as a chapter were all popular promotions this season.

We will close the year with net sales above our budgeted goal thanks to our loyal donors and customers. We continue adjusting our promotions to anticipate our customers’ buying interests, feature rare and one-of-a-kind items, utilize technology to manage our showroom floor inventory, and communicate regularly with our patrons. Women’s clothing continues to be our largest source of revenue, followed by home goods, and jewelry. These are followed by purses, shoes, accessories, men’s clothing, and lastly furniture.

Because of the overwhelming success of these promotions and the community’s interest in our shop, we always need high-quality items, such as clothing, shoes and accessories, jewelry, home goods, and furniture. Think of Assistance League Resale Shop when purging your unwanted items – all monies raised stay in our community.