FEBRUARY 2025 MEMBER “GAMES DAY” MEETING

Wednesday February 12, 2025.

Oahu Veterans Center • Ballard Hall

1298 Kukila Street, Honolulu, 96818

February 2025 Newsletter

Assistance League of Hawaii member volunteers out in force at our January 2025 Operation School Bell In-Store Shopping event held at Walmart on Ke‘eaumoku Street.

It’s a Great Time to Be Active!

Everything is in full swing at this chapter. It is a great time to get involved in programs, Thrift Shop and joining a committee. We are approaching the halfway mark in our fiscal year, and I urge you to volunteer and be active. We rely so heavily on the same few bodies, so please, if you aren’t coming into help (and you know who you are), please try to do so. Please reach out to someone at the Thrift Shop, if you don’t know where to start. We need you!

Our next meeting is on February 12th, at the Oahu Veterans Center and we are going to play games – bridge, mahjong, bingo, board and card games. Please check for further information in the Hospitality section down below. This is one of our favorite meetings from long ago and back by popular demand. Please also use this time to invite friends or family members that might be interested in joining or knowing more about our chapter and great work in the community. 

On February 8th a small group of members will be traveling to Hilo for our first Neighbor Island OSB In-Store Shopping event, with three Hilo elementary schools. There is much excitement from the school counselors, and we expect to have a good attendance. Volunteers are coming from the Hilo Rotary Club, making this possible. We are the only Assistance League chapter that represents the entire state, so kudos for our volunteers going in- person to touch our neighbors outside of Oahu.

Photo above: Our volunteers helped this family get much needed school clothing at Walmart during our Operation School Bell event on January 25.

The Inspire You & Me TV show featuring Assistance League of Hawaii will be rebroadcast on Saturday, February 8th, at 9:35 pm on K5 TV, right between Hawaii News Now at 9 and 10 pm.

This past week you should have gotten an email inviting you to join Assistance League of Hawaii's LeagueLink. This came from our National organization. LeagueLink will become a password protected website that will hold member volunteer account information and activities. A smartphone app will also be offered. For those willing to learn more, there will be classes starting later this month to help everyone get on board. 

You will be hearing more about LeagueLink in the coming weeks and months.



Welcome New Members to Assistance League

Two new members were introduced at our January meeting at Natsunoya Tea House. They were both welcomed with lei and treated to a delicious buffet lunch!

Fred Pablo - He was highlighted in our January Newsletter. Fred has already started volunteering by participating at Pu'uhale Library and he is scheduled to volunteer at an Operation Wildlife presentation to be held at Ewa Elementary School.

Rosa Harrington (photo above, left) - She heard about us from Miho Teipel at a fund-raising event. Miho shared our mission with her and talked about her positive experiences as an Assistance League of Hawaii member. Rosa has a wide professional background (degree in business, executive sales). She shared that she likes working with people and loves to strategize! Rosa has lived in Hawaii for over 25 years, contributing to local communities by serving on several boards including the Boys and Girls Club of Nanakuli. Rosa has already volunteered upstairs in the Thrift Shop and we look forward to seeing a lot of her in the future!

Our newest member is Myrna Cundy (photo above, right), a retired Kamehameha School teacher, who learned about us from Andrea Cyriacks, also a retired Kamehameha School teacher, and Dot Mason. Myrna loves travel, reading and cooking. She seems very interested in several of our programs and has already spent some of her time volunteering upstairs at the Thrift Shop and helping at our Operation School Bell In-Store Shopping event.

We are looking forward to a fun time at our Games Day! Hope you have considered bringing a guest. It is a great opportunity to introduce new potential members to Assistance League Hawaii in an informal and relaxed atmosphere.

Strategic Planning Meeting Set For March 12

Mark your calendars for Wednesday March 12th for our annual Strategic Planning Evaluation Meetings. These gatherings give members an opportunity to share their ideas and suggestions in smaller group settings.

A special mahalo to our volunteer hosts, Laurelyn Berger, Ellen Dihel, Arden Moore and Jane Winslow.

Please sign up at our February Membership Meeting. Remember, your voice matters!

Don't miss this chance to contribute to Assistance League Hawaii's future and connect with volunteer members in a meaningful way. We look forward to your enthusiastic participation.

Finance Committee Meets on February 19

The Finance Committee will be meeting on Wednesday, February 19, at 9:30 a.m. in the Ohana Room. The purpose of this meeting is to prepare the Proposed Assistance League of Hawaii Budget for 2025-2026.

The following members should attend this meeting: Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, Resource Development Chair, Thrift Shop Chair, Property Management Chair, Philanthropic Programs Chair, Strategic Planning Chair, Operation School Bell Chair, Operation Wildlife Chair, Outreach Chair, Share Chair, We Care Chair, President-Elect, Ex Officio/President.

If any Assistance League of Hawaii Members have financial concerns that they wish this committee to address, please contact Nancy Sparacino prior to the meeting date.



Save the Date: Saturday, May 3rd, 2025

46th Annual Visitor Industry

Charity Walk Oahu

Great Fun, Exercise, and Delicious Food

Two Sponsors for a Walker @ $25.00 or

 One Sponsor for a walker @ $50.00.

More details forthcoming. Link for more information.

Successful In-Store Event at Walmart

Thanks to everyone who partcipated at the Ke'eaumoku Walmart store for helping to have a successful Operation School Bell In-Store Shopping Event for 122 Windward students on Saturday, January 25.

Because of recent grants and donations funneled to Operation School Bell, we were able to offer this program for the first time to Pope, Waimanalo and Kahalu'u Elementary Schools.

Operation School Bell events are highly visible at each store, attracting inquiries from the public about Assistance League. Besides helping student and families, it is a great way to casually recruit new member volunteers.

Operation School Bell provides students with up to $70 worth of school clothing. Shoes are popular items purchased by our lucky students and their families.

A Flurry of Activity Rings in

New Year for OWL Team Members

Operation Wildlife has been going full speed since school resumed in January. Two teams flew off to Hilo on Sunday, January 26 and visited a total of 15 schools over the one week. Schools were as far away as Pahala and Na'alehu, and north to Laupahoehoe, and west to Waikoloa. 

We just paid a visit to Ka'oha'o Charter School in Kailua two weeks ago, and the children and teachers were just fascinated by everything! As one teacher commented, this is a once in a lifetime experience for the children AND for them, and they really appreciate having such a wonderful opportunity come to their school each year. 

If you enjoy seeing children's faces light up with delight and awe, come to an OWL presentation! They learn about their environment and what they can do to help. They also get to interact with amazing animal biofacts that they never will have a chance to touch ever again... in their life! 

Fourth grade students love our traveling biofacts that we take to every OWL presentation. More information about OWL can be found here.

Share Welcomes Bobby Black to 

Our Team for Vital Delivery Services

The Share program is thrilled to announce that member volunteer Bobby Black, a retired firefighter with deep roots in the community, has agreed to assist in the delivery of donated items to the West Side Waianae Partners as needed. This collaboration aims to enhance the support provided to local organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club, Waianae Chapter, and the Family Programs Hawaii Safe House, which serve vulnerable populations in the area.

Bobby Black, who worked on the West Side for over 35 years, brings a wealth of local knowledge and community spirit to the Share program team. His role will involve backup delivery services, ensuring that resources reach those in need promptly.

"We are excited to welcome Bobby to our Share Partner Team," said Karen Kehoe, Chairperson. "His commitment to the community and experience will be invaluable in our mission to support families and children across Waianae."

Martin Kehoe, responsible for delivery operations, added, "Bobby’s willingness to step in during critical times reflects the true spirit of community support that Share embodies."

The Share program is dedicated to delivering essential items such as clothing, footwear, school supplies, toiletries, toys and games. As the Share program continues its mission to uplift and assist those in need, the addition of Bobby Black signifies a strong commitment to ensuring essential items are delivered to local partners efficiently and effectively.

We Care Delivers Housewares

Pat Dixon and Carol Jones worked on a request from Hale Kipa for a child aging out of the foster care system. Dishes, cutlery, storage containers, a vacuum cleaner and cleaning supplies were requested at a cost of $450.

Sandy Tamashiro (pictured right) shopped for and delivered laundry baskets, a can opener, water pitcher, meats and fresh fruits and vegetables for the children at the Ho’omalu Emergency shelter in Waianae at a cost of $402.

Lorna Motas shopped and delivered paper towels, pull-ups, toothpaste, deodorant, laundry soap and dish soap at a cost of $231 for the families living at the Domestic Violence Action Center safe house.

Our First PSA is On-Air and Online

Assistance League of Hawaii recently completed its first public service announcement (PSA) for television. The PSA started airing this month on Olelo cable TV, on a space available basis, among most of its cable TV and online channels.

The focus of the PSA is aimed at building awareness of our programs and volunteering. The image above is from the closing splash screen of the PSA.

Click here to see the video on YouTube..

Instrumental in bringing the PSA from concept to finished product are the following members and volunteers: Producers Chris Pelletier, Linda McColgan, Mary Monohon and Melvin Ah Ching. Special thanks to volunteer Lisa Davidson who wrote and edited the final script. Evern Williams of Olelo Community Relations and all the other people at that fine organization, who provided us with their technical expertise and airtime. Last but not least, a big mahalo to Hazel Sumile who became our on-air talent and the voice of Assistance League of Hawaii’s first video PSA.

Chris Pelletier is working on a new TV opportunity with Hazel Sumile, who brought it to our attention. Stay tuned for more to come!

As dedicated members and community volunteers, you too can bring opportunities like this to our Marketing Committee. Keep this in mind when you are out and about meeting people. Getting the word out about our organization helps with our programs, donations, volunteers and much more. One thing can lead to another. 



Thrift Shop is a Fun Place to Volunteer

A big thank-you to all of our Thrift Shop Cashiers, who were willing to spend extra time last month getting some refresher training. There are lots of moving parts, safety concerns and little details that Cashiers must know to do their jobs effectively. We are lucky to have so many dedicated and capable members running our downstairs Thrift Shop operation.

Our Thrift Shop is not only our major source of funding for all our Philanthropic Programs, but it is really a fun place to be. Whether you help out upstairs, sorting and pricing donations or downstairs displaying merchandise or ringing up sales at the cash register, you are in good company. We take our work seriously, but we have lots of fun too.

Consider dropping by when you have an hour or two of free time. There are many choices of things that need to be done, and you can pick a task that appeals to you.

We look forward to seeing you at the Thrift Shop!

February 2025 Thrift Shop

Calendar for Cashiers & Rovers

Thrift Shop Days & Hours:

Tuesday & Thursdays 9:30 am to 1:00 pm

Saturdays 9:30 am to 3:00 pm

Login to our Members Page on the website to view another copy of the current Thrift Shop Calendar.

Submit Your Service Hours

Turn in your monthly service hours to: alhservicehours@gmail.com Enter your first name, last name and the hours you worked (please do not enter any text – just numerical hours).

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